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Le Mans 24 Hours runners and riders

This year's Le Mans 24 Hours is set to offer a genuine multi-car battle for honours in each of the four classes. Gary Watkins runs through the entrants for what promises to be a classic year

LMP1

Audi Sport - Audi R18 TDI

#1 Timo Bernhard (D), Romain Dumas (F), Mike Rockenfeller (D)
#2 Marcel Fassler (CH), Andre Lotterer (D), Benoit Treluyer (F)
#3 Allan McNish (GB), Tom Kristensen (DK), Rinaldo Capello (I)

Audi heads into the 24 Hours in confident mood despite its defeat at the hands of Peugeot at the Spa 1000km. McNish points out that the inconsistencies that played a part in the Spa result were not apparent two weeks earlier at the Le Mans test day. There seems to little to choose between the German manufacturer's new R18 coupe and its French rival's take on the 2011 rulebook and Audi is no longer behind in the engine stakes. Its innovative V6 single-turbo powerplant appears to be ahead of Peugeot's V8, both in terms of engine power and fuel efficiency. All three Audis can win on their day, though when the chips are down, you'd alway always put your money on McNish and co.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.