24 Hours of Le Mans

2010 24 Hours of Le Mans – Hour Twenty Two Update

2 Mins read

The Peugeot challenge is over.

After both Anthony Davidson and Alex Wurz chased down the second place Audi, and increasingly seemed assured of at least the runner-up the no.1 slowed, pitted and was haled into the garage less than half-a-lap after a plume of smoke rose from the car as it exited Indianapolis.

The car, with Wurz on board crawled back to the pits, allowing the no.7 Audi into third fill the podium places with works Audi R15. Peugeot Sport boss Olivier Quesnel was visibly in tears as the car came toured back, Hughes de Chaunac offering his own commiserations to the team that he runs the privateer no.4 car for.

That car now remains the Peugeot's (or indeed anyone's) only realistic chance of breaking the apparent Audi domination, the multi-coloured car haing previously been gaining on the third and final of the open-cockpitted R15.

If was the end to a story that looked so promising for Peugeot. A gap of nearly three minutes between the Wurz in the no.1 car and Andre Lotterer's no.8 car all but evaporated when Lotterer nose the car into the tyre barriers at the slow Arnage corner. Once the car restarted smoke trailed from the car's front corner and it pitted for a new nose. As you'd expect from Audi the change was lightning fast, but Wurz caught and passed the Audi, before Wurz himself needed to make a pitstop.

The 908 had an obvious speed advantage, passing Lotterer when he, in turn, made a pitstop, and moving some way clear – moving the priority to unlapping himself from the leading no.9 car ahead of a final two hour attack to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

That attack, however, ended before it had really begun.

The no.009 Aston is now all by secure in the role of best petrol powered car, a delay to the ORECA 01 putting the Soheil Ayari/Didier Andre/Andy Meyrick car 15 laps behind the gulf liveried machine.

Strakka Racing survived an unscheduled pitstop to maintain their imperious position at the head of LMP2, the Highcroft Racing entry marooned in the pits with engine problems, having fallen to seventh in class.

In there place had appeared OAK Racing – on course to continue their perfect record of class podiums at Le Mans and RML in third with an 18 lap gap back to fourth place.

The provisional podium team in LMGT2 are equally comfortable, barring incident or mechanical woes in the closing hours. Two laps separate leaders Felbermayr-Proton and chasers Hankook Team Farnbacher. They have seven laps in hand over third place, who run another seven laps ahead of fourth place – a battle scarred AF Corse Ferrari.

Class top fives after 22 hours

LMP1
No.9 Audi Sport North America
No.8 Audi Sport Team Joest
No.7 Audi Sport Team Joest
No.4 Team ORECA Matmut
No.1 Team Peugeot Total

LMP2
No.42 Strakka Racing
No.35 OAK Racing
No.25 RML
No.24 OAK Racing
No.41 Team Bruichladdich

LMGT1
No.50 Larbre Competition
No.52 Young Driver AMR
No.72 Luc Alphand Aventures

LMGT2
No.77 Team Felbermayr-Proton
No.89 Hankook Team Farnbacher
No.97 BMS Scuderia Italia
No.95 AF Corse
No.76 IMSA Performance Matmut

2902 posts

About author
James is our Diet-Coke fuelled writer and has been with TCF pretty much since day 1, he can be found frequenting twitter at @_JBroomhead
Articles
Related posts
24 Hours of Le MansBritish GTEuropean Le Mans SeriesFIA World Rallycross

Chris Hoy announces terminal cancer diagnosis

2 Mins read
Sir Chris Hoy, one of the most accomplished British Olympians who went on to become a European Le Mans champion and dabble in British GT, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and even World Rallycross, announced Saturday he is battling an incurable prostate cancer.
24 Hours of Le MansDakarFilms

Alain Delon, Dakar Rally sponsor and Le Mans starter, dies at 88

1 Mins read
Alain Delon, who died Sunday, was the first actor to start the 24 Hour of Le Mans and even sponsored cars there and Paris–Dakar Rally through his perfume line.
24 Hours of Le MansFIA WEC

Kamui Kobayashi: "It was a phenomenal race through 24 hours."

4 Mins read
The Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers reflect on a challenging 24 Hours of Le Mans that saw them challenge for victory throughout the race.