Hour 1: Bentley leads after 70 years

Martin Brundle leads the 69th Le Mans 24 Hours after havoc hit the first hour, when a passing but torrential rain shower devastated the lead order. As car after car either crashed or pitted, including the leading Audi of Laurent Aiello in the latter category, Brundle's Bentley crept up the order behind the pace car. It's the first time the marque has led the French classic for over 70 years.
Aiello led from the start, followed by Jan Lammers' Dome, Olivier Beretta's Chrysler took advantage of Ralf Kelleners' terrible start in the Champion Audi to snatch third with Frank Biela fourth. As Aiello escaped up the road, the dice for second heated up as both Bentleys got involved.

Then on lap three, rain began to fall at Indianapolis and nearly a dozen cars went off as the track got an instant soaking. Both privateer Audis went off, Johansson then Kelleners' Champion Audi spun as Eric Bernard's Cadillac got beached in the gravel.

The pace car was brought out when Martin O'Connell's Rowan Racing Pilbeam went off near Indianapolis, taking three cars with him. Both factory Audis pitted during this period, but Biela's car made it in just before the pace car left and he lost track position while Aiello clouted the wall and also needed repairs.

At the end of the first hour, Klaus Graf has just taken second place from Biela's Audi and is pulling away, while Brundle's Bentley is 12s up the road. The second Bentley is fifth, behind John Nielsen's Dome. Lammers' sister car has spent the last two laps in the pits.



The La Sarthe weather has turned the Le Mans form guide completely on its head and all the expected leaders of the classes have found themselves struggling to just stay in the race, let alone vie for position.

In the LMP 675 class, pole sitter Anthony Reid had made his way up to 11th overall before the heavens opened, but spun off and managed to bend the rear wing of his EX257. Two trips to the pits enabled a new wing to be fitted and then tweaked and the Scot went on his way, albeit in a lowly 39th place.

Taking over at the top is the number 38 ROC Competition Reynard with Jordi Gene behind the wheel, closely followed by the sister MG driven by Mark Blundell in second spot.

Biggest disappointment of the 675 class came for Martin O'Connell in his Rowan Racing Pilbeam. The Brit was a victim of the pile-up on the stretch down to Indianapolis corner on lap five.

"I came out of the left-hand kink, there was lots of rain and there were four of five cars in the road," said O'Connell. "I hit the brakes and just slid into them. I was going really slowly as well. It's not terminal, but it doesn't look good."

The Ron Fellows/Jonny O'Connell/Scott Pruett Corvette is leading the way in the GTS Class with Fellows behind the wheel in 15th, closely followed by the Ray Mallock Ltd Saleen being driven by Bruno Lambert.

In the GT class, the pole car of Vic Rice/Shane Lewis/Bob Mazzuoccola started the race from the pitlane and is running 31st, while the number 76 Porsche of Mike Youles/David Warnock/Stephen Day is leading the class in 23rd overall.


Pos, No, (Class), Drivers, Car, Team, Laps/Time
7 (900) M Brundle/G Smith/S Ortelli, Bentley EXP Speed 8, Team Bentley, 12 Laps
11 (900) K Graf/J Davies/G Formato, Panoz LMP07, Panoz Motorsports, + 15.206s
1 (900) F Biela/T Kristensen/E Pirro, Audi R8, Joest Audi Sport, 35.407s
10 (900) J Nielsen/H Katoh/C Elgaard, Dome-Judd, Den Bla Avis (RN Motorsport), 1m 56.202s
16 (900) O Beretta/K Wendlinger/P Lamy, Chrysler-Mopar, Team Playstation (ORECA), 2m16.968s
17 (900) S Bourdais/J C Boullion/L Redon, Corage-Peugeot, Pescarolo Sport, 2m18.113s
15 (900) Y Dalmas/F Montagny/S Sarrazin, Chrysler-Mopar, ORECA Chrysler, 2m30.129s
2 (900) R Capello/L Aiello/C Pescatori, Audi R8, Joest Audi Sport, 2m50.199s
3 (900) J Herbert/D Theys/R Kelleners, Audi R8, Champion Racing, 2m51.093s
36 (675) D de Radigues/S Maassen/H Matsuda, Reynard-Judd, ROC Compettion, 2m37.593s


(Class), No, Driver, Car, Team, Time
(900) 1 F Biela, Audi R8, Team Joest Audi Sport, 3m42.163s


No, Drivers, Car, Team, Time

36 (675) D de Radigues/S Maassen/H Matsuda, Reynard-Judd, ROC Compettion, 2m37.593s

63 R Fellows/J O'Connell/S Pruett, Corvette C5R, Corvette Racing (Pratt & Miller), +3m20.887s

76 M Youles/D Warnock/S Day, Porsche 911 GT3-RS, PK Sport, 11 Laps