Disappointment in Audi pit

"It was not our day," said the Italian to his mechanics.

"If it was the corner after, I could have brought it back to the pit but the speed was so high that when I landed, the car was flying, when it landed I was without brakes completely and I went into the barrier," said Capello, speaking exclusively to autosport.com.

"There was no strategy. We knew that we had to go fast from the beginning because we thought that the Peugeot could go faster, but our strategy was to go as fast as we could and we did it without taking any risks.

"That is why the car was clean. We didn't even touch anything. The car was perfect. It is a shame to lose like that."

Co-driver Allan McNish was devastated. "It leaves a hollow feeling," said the Scottish driver. "The car was pretty easy to drive, consistent, no problems - but it happens.

"From a purely personal point of view the three of us, I think, had out-driven anyone out there, and in the way we ran the car, set the car up, the way that the guys did it, we basically blew everyone away, and that is what makes it even worse.

"It was flat out from the start. It was the way it had to be done."