Le Mans 24 Hours: Lead Audi chasing Hulkenberg Porsche hits trouble

Marcel Fassler was running second to Nico Hulkenberg, with the pair having taken over from Benoit Treluyer and Earl Bamber respectively, when a section of the right-rear bodywork disintegrated at the exit of the Porsche Curves.

The Swiss tried to continue, but had to be pulled into the pits early and wheeled into the garage for repairs to the rear of the car.

The #7 Audi remained in the garage at the end of the hour.

As a result, Hulkenberg, who set a searing pace at the start of his stint, now leads the #9 Audi of Rene Rast by over three minutes.

The #9 Audi remains in contention in third place, with Filipe Albuquerque at the wheel.

He is close enough to pounce if either of the two leaders hit trouble, but is too far back to mount an attack on pace.

Mark Webber, in the #17 Porsche, is also on the lead lap in fourth place.

The only major incident among the LMP1 cars during the past hour was suffered by the #12 Rebellion, which Nicolas Prost nosed into the barriers at Indianapolis.

The sister car, driven by Alex Imperatori, also had a trip through the gravel late in the hour.

The ORECA-designed, AER-engined car was recovered and rejoined, but is down in 30th place.

The #8 Audi of Lucas di Grassi and the #18 Porsche of Romain Dumas, both of which lost time to incidents earlier in the race, run fifth and sixth and comfortably ahead of the two Toyotas.

LMP2

An uneventful hour finished with KCMG yet again enjoying a one-lap advantage at the top of LMP2.

When Matt Howson completed the team's 21st pitstop, Sam Bird unlapped the G-Drive (OAK) Ligier, however his own stop towards the end of the hour led to that being negated.

It still runs second, ahead of Karun Chandhok in the Murphy Prototypes entry, Oliver Turvey for Jota Sport - both two laps down - and the second G-Drive entry driven by Gustavo Yacaman.

GTE

A strong stint from Giancarlo Fisichella has put the #51 AF Corse Ferrari in the GTE Pro box seat.

The Ferrari took the lead during the 14th hour, but was one minute clear of the #64 Corvette approaching the end of hour 16.

The Corvette pitted late in the piece, with Jordan Taylor handing over to Oliver Gavin, accounting for the final margin of 1m38s, with the Ferrari yet to make its 17th stop.

In GTE Am, Pedro Lamy has amassed a lead approaching two-and-a-half minutes over the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari, aboard the #98 Aston Martin.

POSITIONS AFTER 16 HOURS