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WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours
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Jos Verstappen is now ninth overall in the LMP2 RS Spyder. They are now solidly ahead of the Team Essex entry for class honours.
The No.45 Embassy car is still on track and returning to the pits under its own power. There is heavy damage to the rear wing and what looks like a flapping engine cover, but the car was pointing in the right direction, steering straight and should make it back to pitroad in the next couple of minutes.
The No.23 Creation Judd is crawling towards Mulsanne corner with the reported puncture.
The Peugeot team continue to prepare a complete rear wing assembly in their garage. It is unclear at this stage which of their challengers may require this replacement part.
The No.45 Embassy Racing Zytek has crashed exiting one of the Mulsanne chicanes, hitting the guardrail backwards and suffering extensive damage to the rear of the car.
Joey Foster was in the car at the time. He was running fourth in the LMP2 category.
Joey Foster was in the car at the time. He was running fourth in the LMP2 category.
The No.23 Creation Judd has a right rear puncture with a long way to go for recovery back to the pits.
The No.7 Peugeot is in lapped traffic - including an Audi.
The gap opens out again to 18.5 seconds from leader Allan McNish.
The gap opens out again to 18.5 seconds from leader Allan McNish.
In GT1 the gap is extending and the 009 Aston Martin DBR9 with Darren Turner at the controls has got the lead up to in excess of three minutes.
The Turner-driven car has just made a pitstop though - its 19th stop in the event so far, and the lead will decrease as a result.
The Turner-driven car has just made a pitstop though - its 19th stop in the event so far, and the lead will decrease as a result.
McNish sets a 4:01 lap in the leading No.2 car.
Marc Gene comes over the line in four minutes, edging the gap back in his favour at 16 seconds.
Marc Gene comes over the line in four minutes, edging the gap back in his favour at 16 seconds.
The No.16 Pescarolo remains in the garage and the team do not look in much of a hurry, with the garage door now down.
The cars are once again kicking up balls of spray as they head down the Mulsanne straight.
With rain falling harder again, McNish has responded to the change in conditions, lapping two seconds quicker than Gene to put the gap at 17.1 seconds.
The light increases all the time as we tick through 06:30 local time with just under eight-and-a-half hours remaining in the race.
The rain continues to fall on the circuit and the racing line is becoming wetter again.
Offline the track surface is fully wet.
The rain continues to fall on the circuit and the racing line is becoming wetter again.
Offline the track surface is fully wet.
Gene closes McNish to 15 seconds, as the Peugeot relentlessly heads back towards the front.
Rockenfeller took on a fresh set of full wet tyres. The set he just got rid of will have been well-worn, having run for several laps on a damp and drying surface before this latest heavier pulse of rain came over.
Gene continues to bear down on McNish at a rate of up to ten seconds per lap. The No.7 Peugeot will be on the tail of the leader within a few laps at this rapid rate of progress
The No.3 Audi has been in the pits for the 23rd time in the race so far. That car is running in a very comfortable, almost lonely third place, one lap down on the leaders. Mike Rockenfeller stays on board and rejoins the race.
The No.5 Courage-Oreca is making another visit to its garage. The mechanics have both the front and rear bodywork off the car.
Marc Gene continues to close in on McNish for the lead as the balance of performance between the Audis and Peugeots has changed once again.
The No.16 Pescarolo has been pushed back in to the garage. The car was running eighth before the stop with Jean-Christophe Boullion at the wheel.
The rain has been falling a bit heavier again in the last few minutes as the laptime edge back towards the four minute mark.
Jos Verstappen remains in control of LMP2 after another pit call in the Van Merksteijn Porsche.
Allan McNish is being closed down for the lead after a quick lap of 3:55 from Marc Gene in the second-placed Peugeot.
The No.1 Audi comes onto pitroad. A fresh set of full wet tyres are taken and a tank of fuel. Frank Biela remains on board and he rejoins the race still in fifth position.
The pack of cars circulating have reduced the water levels on the racing line to a manageable condition. Rain is still falling, however.
Track conditions are in fact improving quite a lot round the back of the circuit while light rain continues at start-finish. The track condition overall is more into a damp condition than fully wet as it was an hour ago.
Tom Kristensen pits the No.2 Audi from the lead. Allan McNish climbs aboard to take over the car with new tyres and a tank of fuel.
The No.3 Audi comes into the pits from third position. Mike Rockenfeller stays in the car, takes on a fresh set of tyres, fuel, and he rejoins the race.
Marc Gene pits the No.7 Peugeot, takes more full wet tyres and is back in the race.
The fourth-placed No.9 driven by Ricardo Zonta comes into the pits. A fresh set of full wet tyres are taken and a tank of diesel.
Driver change for the No.9 during this stop as well. Zonta climbs out, handing over to Franck Montagny. The car is down off the jacks and Franck gets away.
Driver change for the No.9 during this stop as well. Zonta climbs out, handing over to Franck Montagny. The car is down off the jacks and Franck gets away.
As the rain eases, Marc Gene is starting to bounce back for Peugeot. He is now lapping slightly quicker than the leader and has the gap stabilised at around one minute.
The rain has eased off considerably in the last few minutes.
Very light rain continues to fall in the pitlane.
Very light rain continues to fall in the pitlane.
With just nine hours remaining, Kristensen leads by over a minute from Marc Gene's Peugeot.
Mike Rockenfeller is third in the No.3 Audi, a lap down on Gene, with Ricardo Zonta in the No.9 Peugeot over a minute further behind.
Mike Rockenfeller is third in the No.3 Audi, a lap down on Gene, with Ricardo Zonta in the No.9 Peugeot over a minute further behind.
At the front of the GT1 category, the 009 Aston Martin continues to lead. We mentioned a short time ago that the deadlock may have been broken.
In the rain that would seem to be the case, as Andy Garcia now enjoys a lead of two minutes over the No.63 Corvette, with Ron Fellows now behind the steering wheel.
In the rain that would seem to be the case, as Andy Garcia now enjoys a lead of two minutes over the No.63 Corvette, with Ron Fellows now behind the steering wheel.
The No.45 Embassy Racing Zytec is again needing mechanical attention and has been pushed back in to the garage.
Tom Kristensen leads by over a minute but has just had a moment on the Mulsanne straight. He got the braking all wrong for one of the chicanes and was forced to weave through the tyres while taking to the escape road.
The No.64 Corvette comes into the pits. Oliver Gavin climbs out of the car handing over to Olivier Beretta.
Rain continues to fall on the circuit, although it is no longer as heavy as experienced earlier
The story of the race has changed overnight.
The No.7 Peugeot at one stage enjoyed its healthiest lead to date a few hours ago - up towards three minutes. Since 02:30 local time Jacques Villeneuve completed a triple-stint. He was forced to back off the pace a little due to fears of increasing temperatres. A quick stop to cool the 908 HDi, allied to Villeneuve's reduced pace and the recent rain, have all contributed to the situation we have now - that of the Audi No.2 leading and comfortably pulling away from the Peugeot No.7 (now with Gene at the wheel).
Peugeot must be hoping that the rain eases and the track dries out as quickly as possible. They have proved that in the dry they have the faster package. However if the rain continues and the Audi builds up enough of a lead, it may be too late for the Peugeot squad to catch the leading R10.
The No.7 Peugeot at one stage enjoyed its healthiest lead to date a few hours ago - up towards three minutes. Since 02:30 local time Jacques Villeneuve completed a triple-stint. He was forced to back off the pace a little due to fears of increasing temperatres. A quick stop to cool the 908 HDi, allied to Villeneuve's reduced pace and the recent rain, have all contributed to the situation we have now - that of the Audi No.2 leading and comfortably pulling away from the Peugeot No.7 (now with Gene at the wheel).
Peugeot must be hoping that the rain eases and the track dries out as quickly as possible. They have proved that in the dry they have the faster package. However if the rain continues and the Audi builds up enough of a lead, it may be too late for the Peugeot squad to catch the leading R10.
The No.21 is quickly repaired and is heading back out on to the circuit.
By: Geoff Creighton, Emlyn Hughes
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