H1: McNish retains lead for Audi

Having taken the lead at the start, McNish and the sister car of Frank Biela pulled away into the distance when both Pescarolo cars took their scheduled stops early.

The lead changed hands twice between the pair in an exciting start to the race, which proved that there are no team orders between the two cars.

The No.7 Audi led the first half-hour, before Frank Biela pulled off an impressive passing move into Arnage corner, passing McNish on the exit of the corner after diving down the inside line from a long way back.

However, Biela was delayed by his teammate's crew in their pitstop. Biela pulled in first of the two cars for his scheduled stop, but was then waving his arms while stuck behind the sister R10 of McNish as the Scot was finishing his first stop.

McNish therefore retook the lead, and Emmanuel Collard in the #16 Pescarolo was promoted into second with Biela's resultant delay.

Collard made his first stop under a safety car period, called after five laps following an accident to Fabio Babini's Team BMS Scuderia Italia-run Aston Martin. He spun on the exit of the Porsche Curves crashing into the tyre barriers and retiring.

The #9 Creation, which started seventh, had two early unplanned pitstops to try and fix brake problems. The engine cover came off and the brake callipers were changed, but Jamie Campbell Walter is back in the pits as the problem still hasn't been solved.

In GT1, the No. 64 Corvette of Oliver Gavin leads from the No.009 Aston Martin by 17 seconds, having taken the lead at the pitstops.

The other works Aston, the No. 007 car, is already seven laps behind while the team fix a broken sump guard. Early indications are that driver Darren Turner damaged the sump while driving over the high kerbs at the La Sarthe circuit.

In LMP2 the polesitting No. 25 MG Lola of Warren Hughes has pulled into a comfortable 23 second lead from the No.23 Radical, currently being driven by Joao Barbosa.

The No. 87 GT2 Ferrari of Tim Mullen has inherited the GT2 lead while their rivals take their scheduled pitstops.