Audi emerged victorious for the fourth consecutive year in the 75th edition of 24 hours of the LE MANS, France on Sunday, under wet circumstances. It is the most famous endurance race of the world. A total of 54 cars started at the beginning of the race out of which 25 failed to complete.
Frank Biela , Marco Wemer both from Germany and Emanuele Pirro of Italy driving diesel-powered Audi No 1, drove to victory overcoming the challenge placed by two Peugeot drivers right at the back for nine stressful hours .
After taking the lead in the morning and completing 262 laps, Dindo Capello driving Audi No 2 crashed out. Capello’s co-pilot, Allan McNish made the fastest lap on the 8.45-mile circuit in 3 minutes, 27.176 sec.
Audi No.1 was 10 laps ahead completing 369 laps in 24 hrs of Peugeot No.8, driven by Pedro Lamy, Stephen Sarrazin and Sebatien Bourdais. Sebastian Bourdais slowed at the last lap and waited for Audi no 1 to cross the finishing line together.
Marc Gene, Nicolas Minassian and Jacques Villeneuve driving Peugeot No 7 were at the second place for most of the race till the 22nd hour when there engine failed ,due to loss of oil pressure.
Pescarolo Judd no.16 driven by Emmanuel Collard finished third with 357 laps.
With the rain forcing the drivers to change the wet weather tires due to the slippery track the safety cars appeared for the first time.
Second time, the safety cars appeared when Mike Rocken Feller driving Audi no.3 crashed into a guard rail. It took more than an hour to clear up the scene, lucky though the driver was unhurt; although he retired from the race .The third time the reason for deployment was when Wemer bumped his Audi into Jan Magnussen’s Corvette Racing No 63 at the end of the seventh hour, prompting a change of hood of the car.
Aston Martin no.009 driven by David Brabham Ricard Rydell and Darren Turner-finished 5th overall completing 342 laps, but it stood first in the GT1 class.
All in all it was a predictable affair and Audi emerged the winners yet again and by the look of things, the Audi compatriots will have to come up with something really upbeat to make any sort of an impact, next year.
Credit : TopSpeed
