Hour 5: Audis Marching On

Stephane Ortelli is running second overall in the Oreca Audi, running 1m22s behind Werner, with Allan McNish reeling them both in with the second Champion Racing Audi.

Although their performance is slowed by weight - fuel tank capacity and air restrictor limitations that have been forced upon them this year by race organisers the Automobile Club de l'Ouest - their famed reliability hasn't deserted them.

However, the previously dominant Pescarolos are lapping faster as they attempt to make up lost ground, but they have a long way to go to work their way back to the front, with the better-placed of the delayed duo being two laps down, the other five laps adrift.

The number 17 Pescarolo of Soheil Ayari, Eric Helary and Sebastien Loeb is up to seventh as it makes up ground lost when it had repairs to its bodywork after a clash with a Panoz in the second hour and then a puncture when Helary took over. World Rally Champion Loeb has just headed out of the pitlane for his first stint and it will be interesting to see how he copes with one facet of racing strange to him: overtaking.

The number 16 Pescarolo of Jean-Christophe Boullion, Emmanuel Collard and Erik Comas is only up to 13th after falling as low as 22nd, having lost 25 minutes while a broken paddleshift was replaced. More time was then lost with a puncture.

The most honourable mention must go to the little Rollcentre Racing Dallara driven by Joao Barbosa and Martin Short thus far, for running second and staying on the lead lap until a lengthy pit stop at 20:20 dropped it back to fourth, before Vanina Ickx emerged for her first stint, now a lap down.

Short, who'd just clambered out of the car, said: "I realised that my right foot was sliding around in the footwell and realised that it must be coming from the power steering pump. I fear for poor Vanina as it's going to be very tough for her without power steering."

The Jim Gainer International Dome is fifth with Katsutomo Kaneishi having to keep on a charge as Jan Lammers closes in on him in the older Dome of Racing for Holland.

Kruse Motorsport continue to enjoy control of the LMP2 class, with Tim Mullen running 14th overall, with Sam Hancock giving chase in the Intersport Racing Lola after taking over from Liz Halliday.

The Aston Martin challenge for the GT1 class is currently being run by Pedro Lamy in 10th overall, with a margin of 1m16s over Max Papis in the number 63 Corvette, with the sister Corvette one place and two minutes further back.

The sun is due to set at 21:45, which will come as a huge relief to the drivers. This isn't simply as it will stop blinding them on the run from Mulsanne towards Indianapolis and again through the Porsche curves, but also as it will signal the start of a drop in temperatures. Through a hot afternoon, heat has been an enemy to the drivers in close-topped cars, with the Panoz drivers having to endure 60 degree cockpit temperatures and the soles of their feet being burned.

Anthony Reid was another to suffer, particularly when his Scuderia Ecosse was running at reduced pace during the safety car period at around 19:00.

Jorg Bergmeister continues to make amends for crashing the White Lightning Racing Porsche in qualifying, by leading the GT2 class from the rival Alex Job Racing Porsche that is being pedalled by Marc Lieb.

There is only one registered retirement thus far: it's number 33 Intersport Racing Courage-AER with suspension failure.