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WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours
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The rain begins to fall lightly again over the circuit.
Peter van Merksteijn is now at the wheel of his Porshe RS Spyder, running well in the lead of LMP2 and ninth overall.
Nicolas Minassian has lost out in traffic and has now fallen some way behind the No.2.
Track conditions are continually improving. No rain has fallen for around 30 minutes.
The racing line is mainly damp and drying. Off line the track is damp-towards-wet in portions.
The racing line is mainly damp and drying. Off line the track is damp-towards-wet in portions.
Dindo Capello in the the No.2 Audi now has his immediate challenger right on his tail, with the No.7 Peugeot trying hard to unlap himself.
The No.7 Peugeot is slowly closing on the back of the leading Audi in an effort to get back on the lead lap.
The leader has not quite had the blistering pace that Allan McNish demonstrated earlier, with almost all the diesels lapping around the four minute mark.
The leader has not quite had the blistering pace that Allan McNish demonstrated earlier, with almost all the diesels lapping around the four minute mark.
At the front of the pack the No.2 Audi continues to lead very comfortably as we approach 19 hours completed. Rinaldo Capello is at the wheel and he has put a lap on the second placed Peugeot No.7 car.
The Peugeot had a rear bodywork modification made to it at the last pitstop, scuppering their challenge. In the minor delay Capello want through to put his nearest challenger one lap down.
In third position is the No.9 Peugeot. Christian Klien is in that car at the moment and is setting competitive laptimes.
In fourth position we find the No.3 Audi. Alexandre Premat in fact brings that car into the pits and rejoins still in the same position.
Emanuele Pirro is fifth and has also just pitted following that spin a short time ago. Marco Werner now takes over that car. Stephane Sarrazin is the last of the diesel runners in sisxth - 11 laps behind the leader.
The Peugeot had a rear bodywork modification made to it at the last pitstop, scuppering their challenge. In the minor delay Capello want through to put his nearest challenger one lap down.
In third position is the No.9 Peugeot. Christian Klien is in that car at the moment and is setting competitive laptimes.
In fourth position we find the No.3 Audi. Alexandre Premat in fact brings that car into the pits and rejoins still in the same position.
Emanuele Pirro is fifth and has also just pitted following that spin a short time ago. Marco Werner now takes over that car. Stephane Sarrazin is the last of the diesel runners in sisxth - 11 laps behind the leader.
No.3 is the next Audi to pit from fourth. Alexandre Premat retains his post in the car and is back out with fuel and fresh rubber.
Pirro pits the No.1 and hands the Audi over to Marco Werner.
Emanuele Pirro has had a spin in the No.1 Audi. He didn't hit anything solid and quickly looped the car back round and is underway again in fifth.
The No.8 Peugeot pits from its long-term sixth position. Stephane Sarrazin remains as the driver and he is away with fuel and new tyres.
Vanina Ickx has just had an incident at Arnage in the rollcentre Racing Pescarolo Judd. She went straight on towards the tyres but didn't touch them. The marshals help her back onto the road and the No.18 car continues, still in tenth position.
The No.7 car now appears to be over one lap down on the lead Audi after that long stop.
The No.7 Peugeot comes into the pits, takes on fresh tyres and fuel.
Oh it's a long stop for the No.7 car as the team decide to change the rear bodywork. The engine cover was changed for one that is set up for drier conditions.
Nicolas Minassian remains on board for another stint.
Oh it's a long stop for the No.7 car as the team decide to change the rear bodywork. The engine cover was changed for one that is set up for drier conditions.
Nicolas Minassian remains on board for another stint.
Allan McNish pits the No.2 Audi from the lead, handing over the reigns to Rinaldo Capello.
Allan McNish is still setting a stunning pace in the lead as his run of over three hours at the wheel is almost at an end.
The rain holds off in the cool morning air and the track is drying slowly again. The racing line is damp. Offline is still fairly wet - enough to still throw up rooster tails of spray from the cars.
The No.9 Peugeot has pitted with Christian Klien staying on board, taking tyres and fuel.
At the front of the field, Allan McNish continues to edge away from the No.7 Peugeot. It is a race-winning performance put in by the Scotsman and the gap is up to 3 minutes 15 seconds.
The No.7 Peugeot in second place isn't all that far away from being lapped.
The No.7 Peugeot in second place isn't all that far away from being lapped.
In LMGT2, the No.82 Risi Competizione Ferrari continues to lead the class with Gianmaria Bruni now at the helm. It now has almost two laps over the No.96 Virgo Motorsport Ferrari.
The No.40 Quifel ASM Lola has problems in the pits. They are fourth in LMP2, well ahead of fifth, and 19th overall. The car has had the rear bodywork removed for some work.
Vanina Ickx is now out on circuit in the Rollcentre Racing No.18 car, after that long pitstop.
McNish is putting in what are likely to be his final laps of the race and his pace is sensational - he is the only man lapping under four minutes and is between five and ten seconds per lap quicker than the other diesel cars.
Stephane Gregoire brings the tenth-placed Rollcentre Racing Pescarolo Judd into the pits. A driver change is due this time with Vanina Ickx ready to take over, but there is some problem at the rear of the car and this is turning into a long pitstop.
The rain appears to have eased off again as we enter the final quarter of the race.
The track surface is mainly damp with some slightly wetter patches in places - especially offline.
The track surface is mainly damp with some slightly wetter patches in places - especially offline.
After the latest round of stops up front, the No.2 Audi with McNish - heading towards the end of a quadruple stint - now leads the No.7 Peugeot by just over three minutes.
In LMP2, the Van Merkseijn car continues to lead with Jeroen Bleekemolen at the wheel. They are without challenge from the remainder of the class and only late problems could stand between them and the class win.
In GT1 the No.63 Corvette has been in the pits again for the 22nd time. This extends the 009 Aston Martin advantage even further.
Nicolas Minassian pits in the second placed No.7 Peugeot. No driver change and the Frenchman rejoins the race. Meanwhile Allan McNish continues out front and extends the Audi lead.
No tyre change for the Peugeot that time.
No tyre change for the Peugeot that time.
Porsche No.77 has locked up and gone straight on at Mulsanne corner. That is the Team Felbermayr Proton entry with Horst Felbermayr Senior at the wheel. The car is running 31st overall and sixth in the LMGT2 class.
The marshals help to push the car out of trouble and Felbermayr is on his way again.
The marshals help to push the car out of trouble and Felbermayr is on his way again.
The No.8 Peugeot has pitted. Pedro Lamy hands over the sixth-placed car to Stephane Sarrazin.
The No.18 Rollcentre Racing Pescarolo Judd has had an off-track excursion. Stephane Gregoire is behind the wheel of that car and continues to run in a very secure tenth place.
Allan McNish is now in the pits with a lead of over two-and-a-half minutes. The Scotsman is continuing for yet another stint and is away in the lead.
The rain has eased again and is falling very lightly as the competitors continue to pound round this classic circuit in north-west France.
The tension has most definitely dissipated from the lead battle for top honours, with Mcnish heading towards a comfortable lead.
Similarly in GT1 the 009 Aston Martin maintains a one lap advantage over the No.63 Corvette.
The tension has most definitely dissipated from the lead battle for top honours, with Mcnish heading towards a comfortable lead.
Similarly in GT1 the 009 Aston Martin maintains a one lap advantage over the No.63 Corvette.
The autosport.com news team report that Gene was forced to pit after five laps on the recent stint due to chunking of his wet tyres.
Nicolas Minassian is now in the No.7 car and continues to lose ground to the leading Audi.
Nicolas Minassian is now in the No.7 car and continues to lose ground to the leading Audi.
Lucas Luhr has had a moment in the No.3 Audi. He couldn't get it slowed down for a chicane on the Mulsanne and had to take to the escape route through a series of tyres.
Allan McNish is delivering a useful lead gap in his Audi. He is currently lapping several seconds per lap quicker than the No.7 Peugeot, which is driven by Nicolas Minassian.
The No.9 Peugeot has pitted from third. Christian Klien has taken over and heads back out with fresh wet tyres.
In GT1 Darren Turner, who seems to be on some sort of one-man mission behind the wheel of the 009 Aston Martin, is comfortably leading the category now, with a one lap lead over the No.63 Corvette.
Jan Magnussen is in the Corvette, but continually lapping slower than the Aston.
Jan Magnussen is in the Corvette, but continually lapping slower than the Aston.
The rain is picking up pace once again, becoming heavier.
By: Geoff Creighton, Emlyn Hughes
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