Hour 18: Another puncture for Audi

The car briefly lost its second position to the third R8 of Krumm/Peter/Werner, but has since redressed the balance.

"It was my last lap of the stint," said Capello. "The car was perfect until it happened, I had no warning at all. It was not a good place for it to happen, but I could control the car and slow it down. There is so much dirt and stones on the track."

The lead car of Biela/Kristensen/Pirro now holds a three-lap lead over the Capello/Herbert/Pescatori car, although it pitted early during this hour when the right-rear tyre temperature rose and the team feared another puncture was imminent.

The Bentley continues to hold fourth, ahead of the pair of ORECA Dallara-Judds. The seventh placed Dome of Jam Lammers was delayed when he suffered a spin at Tertre Rouge, followed by a further off at the Ford Chicane when the rear wheels appeared to seize.

"We've got a few problems on the downshift and I just lost the rear," admitted Lammers, who has dropped to eighth behind the recovering Team Goh-run Audi.

Another more substantial off at Tertre Rouge was encountered by Max Angelelli, who had suffered a flash fire in his previously pit stop, when he crashed the lead Cadillac into the tyrewall. Once towed out of the gravel, he managed to crawl to the pits for repairs.

With the demise of the MG attack, the Welter Racing WR-Peugeot squad, driven by Daoudi/Defournoux/Bouvet, leads the LMP675 class.

In GTS, the Chevrolet Corvette squad holds a one-two. Buckler/Lohr/Bernhard leads the GT class in the Freisinger-run Porsche.

Stay tuned to Autosport.com for further hourly updates.

Biela/Kristensen/Pirro Audi Sport Team Joest, Audi R8, 280 laps
Capello/Herbert/Pescatori Audi Sport Team Joest, Audi R8, 278 laps
Krumm/Peter/Werner Audi Sport North America, Audi R8, 276 laps
Wallace/Leitzinger/van de Poele Bentley EXP Speed 8, 269 laps *
Sarrazin/Montagny/Minassian Team ORECA, Dallara-Judd LMP, 267 laps
Beretta/Lamy/Comas Team ORECA, Dallara-Judd LMP, 266 laps
Ara/Dalmas/Katoh Team Goh Audi, Audi R8, 264 laps
Lammers/Hillerbrand/Coronel Racing for Holland, Dome S101, 264 laps
Taylor/Angelli/Tinseau Team Cadillac, Cadillac 260 laps
Bernard/Collard/Lehto, Team Cadillac, Cadillac 253 laps
*GTP class leader


Fellows/O'Connell/Gavin, Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette, 250 laps


Daoudi/Defournoux/Bouvet, Welter Racing, WR-Peugeot, 241 laps


Buckler/Lohr/Bernhard, The Racers Group, Porsche 911 GT3-RS, 239 laps