Relive the full broadcast of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2009 — a true battle of endurance, technology, and determination. Peugeot and Audi faced off in an intense 24-hour duel on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, pushing their prototypes and drivers to the absolute limit. Every lap brought drama, precision, and pure racing emotion as strategy and reliability shaped the outcome. Experience the triumph, the heartbreak, and the passion that defined one of the most iconic editions in Le Mans history.
#LeMans2009 #24HoursOfLeMans #FullRace #EnduranceRacing #Motorsport #AudiVsPeugeot #LegendaryRace #HistoricRace #EpicRacing #SpeedAndEndurance
#LeMans2009 #24HoursOfLeMans #FullRace #EnduranceRacing #Motorsport #AudiVsPeugeot #LegendaryRace #HistoricRace #EpicRacing #SpeedAndEndurance
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00:00Hello, welcome to Le Mans, we're ready for the start of the 2009 Vanquatre du Mans.
00:00:25It's the centenary of the ACA, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, that organises the world's greatest endurance festival.
00:00:33And for this weekend, we are, of course, in the southernmost county of Great Britain, the Departement de la Salle.
00:00:41Hello, everybody. Welcome to live, uninterrupted and exclusive coverage of the Le Mans 24 Hours on Eurosport, Eurosport 2 and Eurosport Player.
00:00:50For those of you that do not get Eurosport 2, Eurosport Player is your option when we move off to do other things on the main Eurosport network.
00:00:59It is hot and sunny here in Le Mans for the first time this weekend.
00:01:04And it's a Peugeot that sits on pole.
00:01:07Well, Stéphane Sarrazin, the man who set the fastest time in practice, even though, apparently, neither Peugeot nor Audi teams were actually shooting for pole position.
00:01:18We had a chance to catch up with Stéphane Sarrazin and the amiable Frenchman, race driver, rally driver and now hopeful Le Mans expectant.
00:01:28Welcome in the starting grid of Le Mans, we have the chance to be with the poleman Stéphane Sarrazin.
00:01:37Stéphane, you had an incredible time yesterday, Paul, I'm rather happy, I imagine.
00:01:42Yeah, it's clear, it makes me happy to be in pole.
00:01:44Justine talking to Stéphane Sarrazin saying a great time, you're very happy, yes, the car's been very good, we're well prepared for this race.
00:01:53We're going to start in front of the Audi's, obviously, for 24 hours, we will try and stay there.
00:02:02The big question, why aren't you starting?
00:02:07Well, we've got three good drivers, I did the qualifying lap, so it's somebody else's turn.
00:02:13Frank Montagny will be the man who starts.
00:02:16Pit lane is now closed, there are no cars remaining in the garages, so everyone is on the grid.
00:02:23What about the battle, it's going to be tough to beat Audi, do you think you can win it?
00:02:29Oh yeah, it is going to be a hard fight, no question, it'll go all 24 hours, we'll be fighting 100%.
00:02:39So, if luck is with us, we'll catch up with Stéphane Sarrazin during the weekend.
00:02:47We'll be with Stéphane Tiffer with us during all the weekend, trying to get the most interviews of all the drivers, enjoy the weekend of Les 24 heures du Mont.
00:02:57So, Justine and Sebastian will be with us on the grid and through the 24 hours in the pit lane as well.
00:03:11We've got a lot of coverage to get through.
00:03:13We'll take a quick commercial break, the first of this, first broadcast of 24 hours of Le Mans 2009.
00:03:20Well, welcome back to Le Mans, we're building up to the start of the great race at 3 o'clock Central European time, 2 British summer time, 1 GMT.
00:03:37And, of course, the defending champions are here, Audi, with last year's winning team, Dinder Capello, Alan McNish, and the most successful driver ever at Le Mans in terms of victories, Tom Christensen.
00:03:50He's going for win number nine here.
00:03:53Audi have won eight times in the last ten years, and one of those missing years was their first, the other, of course, they won with Bentley.
00:04:02Audi have won.
00:04:05Hi, Tom.
00:04:06I'm sure it's always an exciting moment to get this start.
00:04:10Yeah, it's another Le Mans is starting, and obviously that's the highlight of any motorsport year.
00:04:17So, it's another one, and it's great.
00:04:21So many fans, so many people, so many TV.
00:04:24So, a lot of focus is now on the motorsport world here in Le Mans again.
00:04:28It's always very emotional.
00:04:30Even if you won already eight times, are you going for the ninth one?
00:04:35Yeah, I mean, this year the approach is different. We have a new Audi R15.
00:04:40So the previous years we have run with something we know that was very reliable, but not necessarily fast enough.
00:04:46Now we for sure have something faster, but we haven't yet tackled Le Mans.
00:04:50So in that sense, we are of course very focused on hopefully we can get this job done again.
00:04:57When are you going to drive?
00:04:59Just before it gets dark, I think.
00:05:03Thank you, Tom. Mr. Le Mans.
00:05:06Merci. Thank you.
00:05:08Well, we've got the other Mr. Le Mans next door to us, Mark Cole, starting the race with our French colleagues.
00:05:14Jackie Eakes, of course, and we'll hope to have a word with him later.
00:05:18Mark Cole and Liz Halliday ready here to start the great race.
00:05:23If we ever get through these pre-race interviews, good grief.
00:05:26Patrick Dempsey, of course, part of the line-up here in this Seattle racing Ferrari, raising money for charity.
00:05:33And Patrick Dempsey, for those of you like us that don't watch the television, apparently it's a thesp.
00:05:39Patrick, first time in Le Mans, the race is starting.
00:05:42Oh, it's unbelievable. We were just talking about what an unbelievable week it's been.
00:05:46It's been a long week in many ways. In many ways it goes by so quickly.
00:05:50It was an extraordinary day in the parade to be a part of that.
00:05:53And the response from everyone here, from the town of Le Mans, my fellow drivers, the support and goodwill has been overwhelming.
00:06:01Yeah. Before you, we had Steve McQueen doing this, so it's such a legend. You're going to be a legend, I'm sure.
00:06:08That's very nice. I mean, we're just starting the race, so I had a good practice this morning.
00:06:13It's the best I felt in the car. I'm starting to get a rhythm with the car. I'm starting to feel really comfortable with the car.
00:06:17Hopefully in the first stint that continues and we have a good, safe race.
00:06:21Yeah, and I'm sure now it's more quiet for you because the race is starting and the most pace where it's quiet is the car.
00:06:29Yeah, it's starting to calm down a little bit and it's much easier when you're in the car.
00:06:33You have some solitude, which is really nice, but it's been such an incredible experience.
00:06:39It's one of those things that you're never the same after it, I think, in many ways, so I'm very grateful.
00:06:44Thank you, Patrick, and have a good race.
00:06:46Thanks very much. Thank you.
00:06:47Well, Patrick Dempsey, arch car fan, but also from our heat correspondent, Liz Halliday, we believe he's in some medical drama of some kind, is he?
00:06:57Yeah, yeah, for our older commentator here that doesn't watch TV.
00:07:01Is he in a popular beat combo?
00:07:03I'm quite confident that every single person probably watching Eurosport right now has seen him in Grey's Anatomy.
00:07:08Anyway, Patrick's a lovely guy, really, really dedicated to his motorsport.
00:07:12And, you know, he just wants to be here to focus on driving and doing the best that he can, really.
00:07:17And I think he'd really like to make this a big part of his career as motorsport.
00:07:20So we wish him all the luck.
00:07:21And I think he's going to have a wonderful time in his first Le Mans.
00:07:25Well, he's certainly, as you know, if you can remember from your first Le Mans, he's had a bit of a baptism, hasn't he?
00:07:31There's no easy way of easing yourself into Le Mans.
00:07:34It's just such a big thing for a driver to do first time.
00:07:37Yeah, it's just such a huge experience.
00:07:39And you're so aware of the history of what Le Mans is.
00:07:41And you sort of first set out onto the straight, onto the malls on straight, and you think, my God, I've arrived.
00:07:45It's really happening.
00:07:46And it's just incredible.
00:07:47So, you know, just thinking back to my first stint at Le Mans, I'm feeling the excitement for the 30 rookie drivers that we have here today.
00:07:54I think they're going to have an amazing time.
00:07:57And the sun is shining, which always makes it easier for their first stint out.
00:08:01And hopefully, as the race goes on, they're all going to settle in and get used to the traffic and what Le Mans is.
00:08:07So, Mark, for us, it's the 70, well, not for us, it's the 77th.
00:08:12It's the 77th running of this race.
00:08:14And after last year's absolute epic race between Persia and Audi, it does not look as though this is going to be any less exciting.
00:08:22No, it feels like the 77th, doesn't it, for us?
00:08:25But 258,000 spectators last year, more this year, the ACO is telling us.
00:08:30All the tribunes, the grandstand seats, were sold out in March.
00:08:33They've built more tribunes.
00:08:34One little thing, Tom Christensen we heard from a few minutes ago.
00:08:37He was invited to one of the Danish enclaves the other night, campsite.
00:08:419,000 Danes in that campsite, but 25,000 Danes in all and 75,000 British.
00:08:47That's the figures we're getting.
00:08:48That shows just the scale of this race.
00:08:50This is a global event.
00:08:51Jackie, as you say, next door to us in the cabin.
00:08:53He's the man who, not grudgingly, gave up his crown to Tom Christensen.
00:08:57Can Tom make it nine?
00:08:58Well, there's not much Jackie could have done unless he started racing again, was there?
00:09:02Six times a winner at Le Mans in three different manufacturers' entries.
00:09:06But Tom Christensen is certainly the man with the charm here at the moment.
00:09:11More in a moment.
00:09:13Welcome back live to Le Mans.
00:09:15You're looking at the Peugeot HDI on the grid.
00:09:18They are dominant in terms of pace here.
00:09:21Audi struggling to stay with the Peugeot.
00:09:24But there is a good battle behind the diesel engine cars as well.
00:09:28The petrol engine cars.
00:09:29The Orica AIM chassis.
00:09:31Hugues de Chonac bought up Courage and has got AIM engines from Japan in the back of the car.
00:09:37And they are facing up to, of course, the Lola coupes.
00:09:41The Lola Aston Martins.
00:09:42The Ginetta Zytex and a whole host of others.
00:09:45Let's catch up with Bruno Senna on the grid.
00:09:47Bruno, I'm sure it's one of the most exciting moments in your career, maybe.
00:09:52I guess it's amazing.
00:09:54I was in the grid just before the formation laps.
00:09:57And the environment is amazing.
00:10:00Everybody's cheering.
00:10:01Everybody's so excited about the race.
00:10:03So, well, I'm looking forward to my time to drive the car and see what I can do to make the team go forward.
00:10:10So, when are you going to drive?
00:10:12I'm on the second stint.
00:10:14So, Stefan does the first part of the race.
00:10:17I do the second.
00:10:18Thiago comes third.
00:10:19And then we repeat that sequence for until the end of the race, if nothing goes wrong.
00:10:23Do you feel confident now with the car, with the track, everything?
00:10:27I think so.
00:10:28We have a great team.
00:10:30Technically, Orica is extremely competent.
00:10:33And we have been analyzing the data.
00:10:36And I think the circuit is going to come to us nicely from what we predict in terms of setup.
00:10:41So, you know, just wait and see.
00:10:43We can play by the rules a little bit.
00:10:45And hopefully we can overtake a few cars in front of us.
00:10:48Thank you, Bruno.
00:10:49Good luck.
00:10:50And I hope next year you're going to have a French interview.
00:10:52Okay, thank you very much.
00:10:5355 cars then lined up on the grid here for the start of the 77th Le Mans.
00:10:57But we've got a problem already.
00:10:58The number 14 Collis Audi, which was qualified in 14th place.
00:11:03That car was qualified by new team draftee Andre Lotra.
00:11:07Nathen Karthikeyan, the Indian driver who dislocated his shoulder before the first race.
00:11:12But Barcelona couldn't take part after a karting accident.
00:11:14We've just heard, Martin, he's dislocated his shoulder again and will not be taking the start.
00:11:19Whether or not that means he's not going to race, we don't know.
00:11:22Well, I'm sure that the Audi team physios, not necessarily Collis Audi,
00:11:27but certainly Joost Audi physios will be working on him if they can.
00:11:31But anybody who's had a dislocated shoulder, and Liz, you've had shoulder surgery from equine accidents.
00:11:37It's not exactly the quickest thing to get over.
00:11:39You could pop it in, but that doesn't make it strong and it doesn't stop it hurting.
00:11:43So in terms of being able to sit in a prototype and hustle it round Le Mans,
00:11:47I think that's a pretty tall order, wouldn't you?
00:11:50Well, I think the difficult thing is going to be, you know, is the G-forces he's going to be dealing with,
00:11:54the extreme braking forces you have at Le Mans, which is much more than you would find at any other circuit.
00:11:59So I think that's going to be a big question for him,
00:12:01whether or not he's going to be able to have the belts across his shoulders, you know, causing that strain on him,
00:12:06and also whether or not he's going to be able to hold the car.
00:12:08I mean, granted we have power steering, but there's a lot of G-force being generated by these cars,
00:12:12sort of through the Porsche curves and a lot of the corners on this track.
00:12:14So it's going to be a big question, no doubt I'm sure he'll do everything he can as well with Audi to try and get him on circuit.
00:12:19And I trust that he will do the sensible thing if he feels he can drive, but we'll just have to wait and see.
00:12:23Well, of course, there are three drivers in each car and the basic rules are that no driver may drive more than 14 hours in total.
00:12:31But that does allow, obviously, if they go to the ACO and say, look, this guy is properly injured.
00:12:37There are no reserve drivers. No other drivers have been qualified by any teams.
00:12:40That's not the way it works. As the cars are rolled away.
00:12:44This is the last appearance, by the way, by race director Daniel Poitano.
00:12:47He moves, changes jobs, will be going to Asia to run the Le Mans Asian Series.
00:12:52So this is his final appearance as race director at Le Mans.
00:12:55It's an emotive moment for him as the Peugeot of Stefan Sarrazan.
00:12:59On-board camera we have with him leads the field off.
00:13:01This is the number two Audi on-board camera with that.
00:13:04And the starting driver for this car is...
00:13:07That's Rocky, Mike Rockenfella starting that one.
00:13:09Alex Premar starting the number three car.
00:13:11Alan Bucknish on the front row of the Gros starting row number one.
00:13:15Yeah, Liz is just rubbing her arm.
00:13:17We've all got goosebumps.
00:13:18It's not just in the race suits in the heat of the afternoon that you get that chill.
00:13:24It's everywhere here.
00:13:25The car's rolling around and, well, over 200,000 spectators.
00:13:29And Liz, you were talking to me earlier about when you come out of the Ford Chicane on the first lap
00:13:33and what do you see?
00:13:34Oh, it's just, I mean, it's just incredible.
00:13:36I mean, doing the start of Le Mans is probably the best thing I've ever done in my entire life.
00:13:40I mean, you come round the Ford Chicane and you just see a wall of people.
00:13:43All screaming and cheering and it just goes on forever.
00:13:46And you think, my God, I'm really starting Le Mans.
00:13:48And it's just, it's an incredible feeling.
00:13:50And I think, I mean, I'm getting excited here just watching it from up here in our little skybox.
00:13:54Wishing I was in a car, obviously.
00:13:55But, you know, it's the next best thing and it's just really cool.
00:13:58Well, there's our starter of honour waving to the crowd.
00:14:00The president of Ferrari, SPA, of course, Luca de Montezemolo.
00:14:04And 60 years since Ferrari won here at Le Mans for the first time.
00:14:09So, no, not for the first time, were they won in 1949?
00:14:12Yeah, that was the first win, yeah.
00:14:13That was the first win, yeah.
00:14:14And, of course, again, this morning, those of you who saw the legends race,
00:14:17saw Ferrari win that outright.
00:14:19So that was a big fillet for Luca de Montezemolo.
00:14:21Can they now beat Porsche in GT2?
00:14:23That's the question.
00:14:24But leading the field, that Audi pace car, that's a bragging right thing.
00:14:27Last year's winners get the chance to provide the safety car for the next year's race.
00:14:31So will it be Audi or Peugeot next year?
00:14:33Oh, I wonder how Cadillac managed to provide a safety car.
00:14:36That must have been a recent rule today.
00:14:37Yeah, so at 3 o'clock we'll find out tomorrow afternoon, won't we?
00:14:40It certainly will.
00:14:41So this year it's an Audi R8, next year it could be a 309 diesel.
00:14:45Who can say?
00:14:46So the field rolls around then, and we are anticipating with very great eagerness
00:14:52the sort of titanic clash that last year's race produced
00:14:56with one of the closest genuine racing finishes ever.
00:15:00There have been closer finishes between cars, more often than not staged between teammates.
00:15:05Luca de Montezemolo, the President of Ferrari, the Prime Minister of France there with him on the podium.
00:15:10So they are wheeling out the various big guns.
00:15:13And Luca, well, never really came racing here.
00:15:16He was much more always concerned with Ferrari's Formula One team, of course, through the 70s, 80s,
00:15:21and still to the present day.
00:15:23But you can't be involved in racing without having just some feeling for what Le Mans is all about.
00:15:28Yeah, let's just pick up on what you said about the French Prime Minister, François Fillon.
00:15:32Of course, he is a Ferrari racer in his own right in the classic.
00:15:35He is the MP for this region, has a Welsh wife, and he is very, very much a Le Mans 24-hour supporter.
00:15:41And I think his input into the French government is ensuring this is still the principal event in France.
00:15:47This, I can't really think of a parallel in the UK of what sporting, Wimbledon.
00:15:52It would be like somebody saying,
00:15:53do you know what, I don't think we'll bother with Wimbledon anymore.
00:15:55That sort of thing. Or we won't bother having, you know, the ashes test with Australia.
00:15:59That's the sort of prestige that it conveys.
00:16:02There are really only three motor races anybody knows of.
00:16:05Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500, 24 hours of Le Mans.
00:16:09You can go to almost any street in any country.
00:16:12And if, you know, you say Le Mans, they'll know the name,
00:16:16even if they don't really see the race or grasp the concept.
00:16:18So, Liz, you know, sitting here on the grid, you are every year a part of a phenomenal history.
00:16:24And that's not lost on anyone, particularly in this last few minutes of build-up,
00:16:29when all of that nervous energy is just knotted inside everybody's stomach.
00:16:33Well, I think that's what makes Le Mans so special is the history that goes with it
00:16:36and the extreme fans that you get with it.
00:16:38I mean, the fans that you see at Le Mans are not like what I've seen at any other racetrack in my life.
00:16:42I mean, they are truly dedicated to being here and to loving the motorsport
00:16:46and just loving the circuit for what it is.
00:16:48And I think that's a big part of what makes Le Mans so special.
00:16:51Big banners there we just saw for Luca de Montezamolo.
00:16:54It said, forget Ferrari, forget Formula One, come back to Le Mans.
00:16:59Well, you see him playing to the crowd, don't you?
00:17:01Unfortunately, of course, this week,
00:17:03Ferrari have unconditionally entered next year's Formula One World Championship.
00:17:06It remains to be seen exactly whose entries are finally confirmed.
00:17:10But look at the weather, Mark.
00:17:12Wednesday, for those who are watching, six hours of wet, dreary, cold, miserable running
00:17:17told everybody nothing.
00:17:18Thursday, it was a bit warmer.
00:17:20And here we are on Saturday morning.
00:17:22Last night, we sat outside.
00:17:23Nobody really thought we were going to get temperatures in the mid to high 20s.
00:17:27And yet, here we are.
00:17:28It looks as beautiful as ever.
00:17:3030 degrees on the grid just before I came up.
00:17:32That's how warm it is down there, just standing in that concrete cabin.
00:17:35The track, of course, even longer.
00:17:37Liz, the other thing about Le Mans, it's the longest track in the world for road racing.
00:17:41I mean, look how long this formation lap's taking.
00:17:43How can you learn every corner of this track as a race driver?
00:17:47I think a lot of these drivers this week, especially because they've not had the previous test
00:17:52weekend, you've got a lot of rookie drivers, a lot of these drivers are going to be learning
00:17:56this track throughout their stints.
00:17:58That's going to be a big part of it.
00:17:59I think the more you go, the more you settle in to how you need to drive the track.
00:18:02But it is a very long circuit.
00:18:04It takes some getting used to.
00:18:05But the one good thing is at least you get a bit of a rest.
00:18:07And as a driver, for you, which is the most difficult part of the circuit?
00:18:10I think the most difficult place to gain time and the easiest place to lose it is the Porsche curbs.
00:18:15That's what everyone else says.
00:18:16Absolutely.
00:18:17And that is where I've found the most time.
00:18:20So we are getting ready for the start of this race at three o'clock.
00:18:25We're just moments away.
00:18:27Cars on the warm-up lap at Le Mans, the evocative sight as they win their way down through the countryside, as they have done for nearly a century from Arnage back towards the city of Le Mans.
00:18:48In the early days, they drove right down into the city around a hairpin, a poignet, and back out on public roads.
00:18:55Now that run through the traffic has fairly wisely been diverted around part of the Bugatti circuit, the permanent facility here.
00:19:03But for the greater part, it is still a public road race.
00:19:08White lines, drains, trees, ditches, grass verges, cambers, all sorts of hazards to trap the unwary.
00:19:16And that is why Le Mans is still the tough race that everyone wants to win.
00:19:22And this year, as last, it is the two behemoths of diesel racing and sports car genius at the moment, Audi and Peugeot, that sit atop the field.
00:19:33Behind them, we have got a plethora of cars and constructors like Pescarolo, Lola and Courage.
00:19:41We've got the Orica chassis, a petrol engine class of LMP1 cars, LMP2 cars and GT cars from Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and the rest.
00:19:5424 hours is about to start here in Le Mans for the 77th time.
00:20:00They will come to the line at three o'clock and then the race is on.
00:20:05And it is unlikely in the extreme that it will be settled within much of that 24 hours.
00:20:13Yeah, the time is absolutely perfectly. Look, there's just 10 seconds to go to the actual bang on three o'clock.
00:20:18Everyone ready, everyone extremely tense. They've got to watch out on the track though.
00:20:22Oil dropped by a lot of cars this morning in the Legends race.
00:20:25So they've got to feel their way through these opening laps, Liz.
00:20:28Yeah, they will have been looking at this all the way around the recon laps and around this green flag lap.
00:20:32And this is what it all comes down to. We're about to throw the green flag.
00:20:36Luca de Montezemolo waves away the 2007 Le Mans 24 hours.
00:20:41The pole-sitting Bourgeois of Frank Montagne races into the Dunlop curve.
00:20:46Alan McNish looked inside, looked outside. From the first corner to the last of this race.
00:20:52It is going to be an epic duel between Peugeot and Audi for outright honours.
00:20:58Down into the S's they plunge. And already the battle is on.
00:21:05Montagne knows without a doubt that Peugeot would love him to lead the first lap.
00:21:11We have our first pit call of the Cruze Schiller Lola Master team in trouble all weekend.
00:21:17But as the Peugeot and the Audi stream out onto the circuit, their teammates are behind them.
00:21:23Yeah, it's Montagne, McNish, Lamy, Bouillon, Wurz, Rockenfeller, Premat, Mucca, Turner and Balicci.
00:21:29And leading down in LMP2, it's Manuel Collard. He's starting for Team Essex.
00:21:35Jan Magnussen for the Corvette pole position car.
00:21:38And Jörg Bergmeister for the Flying Lizards Porsche GT2 pole setter.
00:21:44And at the moment we've got Peugeot, Audi, Peugeot, Peugeot, Peugeot, Audi, Audi.
00:21:48So it's definitely still in the mix.
00:21:50But it's looking like Peugeot has really taken a good run off the start.
00:21:53Well, we wondered a little bit how well prepared Audi are.
00:21:56There's no question they have rehearsed what they're doing.
00:21:58But is everything running according to plan?
00:22:01Certainly, practice was very truncated compared to any other year.
00:22:05Already, though, the number two Audi, Rockenfeller, looking to make a move on the man in front, Alex Wurz.
00:22:10Wurz, of course, a former winner. He's been here twice.
00:22:13Won his first ever race, fifth last year.
00:22:16He's looking to try and up the average a little.
00:22:19And in the petrol engine class, it is Stefan Mukher, the first of the Lola Aston Martins.
00:22:25But I saw one of the Coles Audis moving up.
00:22:29That'll be Christian Albers moving ahead of Christophe Tanso.
00:22:32So from the first moment to the last, battle is joined.
00:22:35And in fact, it looks like the third of the Audi's number three, Alex Premat, has dropped behind Stefan Mukher.
00:22:41He's in 007, right behind 008.
00:22:44We're onboarding car number three.
00:22:46Yeah, but just look at the speed these Peugeots are carrying.
00:22:48They're first and second now.
00:22:49They're about to come third and fourth, if you don't look out.
00:22:52Christophe Bouillon started ahead of Wurz in the number nine Peugeot, but he's been pushed back.
00:22:57And I think we're going to have three factory Peugeots leading by the end of this first lap.
00:23:01McNish is defending hard at the moment.
00:23:05So Montani and Lamy first and second.
00:23:08McNish holds on to third at the moment, but Wurz is menacing.
00:23:12And right behind him, Jules Bouillon, that lighter blue and green Pescarolo colored Peugeot.
00:23:19It's one of last year's cars updated.
00:23:22And we hear that Peugeot are already starting to complain that the Audi was too close to the Peugeot at the start.
00:23:28Well, it's supposed to be alongside it, so I'm not sure how that could be a problem.
00:23:31I thought this was a motor race as well.
00:23:33It is a motor race, but Peugeot seem to be spitting the dummy at every available opportunity.
00:23:37We are a couple of minutes into this race already and already having complaints between Peugeot and Audi.
00:23:42Could this be a very long 24 hours?
00:23:45They will get a lot closer than that before the chequered flag comes out, that's for certain.
00:23:49I think definitely, you know, what we're seeing from Audi right now, they're not panicking about the fact that maybe the Peugeot's gone in front,
00:23:55or they've let the odd car forward, because it is a 24-hour race, and that is what Audi does best.
00:23:59And you're not going to win that in the first three laps of the race.
00:24:02So it really doesn't matter.
00:24:03You know, by the time things settle in and, you know, the pit stops start happening, I don't think they're panicking yet.
00:24:08So it's still Peugeot 1-2, they couldn't quite make it 1-2-3.
00:24:12McNish has really got into the groove now, and he's holding off first.
00:24:16Bouillon, Rockenfeller in sixth.
00:24:17Mucca in the first of the Lola Aston Martins in seventh.
00:24:20Well, a huge roar from the crowd.
00:24:24I'm sure there are a lot of Peugeot flags waving, and you saw there Alex Premal looking inside.
00:24:29Stefan Mucca's Lola Aston trying to take that place back.
00:24:32This is not an endurance race anymore.
00:24:35It is a 24-hour sprint.
00:24:37The days of the hair like Stirling Moss did in 1959 for Aston Martin setting off at a furious pace to try and break the rivals.
00:24:46Those are gone.
00:24:47If you don't set off at a furious pace, Mark, you spend the entire race trying to catch up.
00:24:51Yeah, and Montagne's opening lap would have been good enough for tenth on the grid, and that was from the start.
00:24:56I mean, how good is that?
00:24:57And that's a rolling start on full tanks of fuel as well.
00:25:00Full tanks of fuel and tires which definitely would not have been warming up after sitting on the grid, we have to keep in mind.
00:25:06Fair enough, when they go straight on, they're warm out of the oven.
00:25:08After sitting on the grid, they will hold off.
00:25:10Alan's still resisting the pressure there from Alex Wurtz.
00:25:13He's just doing all he can to keep the tall Austrian off his back.
00:25:16But I think, inevitably, Alex with that coupe, that's the crux of it.
00:25:20He's in a coupe. It's so much more slippery.
00:25:23Well, the theory is, possibly, that it should be more slippery.
00:25:27But again, Audi, with the chance to completely revise the car last year, went once more for the open car.
00:25:32So, it may not be the aerodynamics, it may just be the gearing and the grunt.
00:25:37Might partly be that Peugeot are playing the speed game and Audi might be playing the fuel game.
00:25:44We'll have to wait and see how long they go on a tank of, I was going to say gas, but obviously I mean oil.
00:25:50I think we'll find that Audi is definitely pushing hard, but I don't think they're panicking.
00:25:55That's the best thing I can say.
00:25:56I think Alan is pushing that Audi very hard, but he's not going to be panicking quite yet if they're in front.
00:26:02Let them find their pace and Audi will just follow, just keep them in sight.
00:26:06Settle in and quietly work their way towards a win.
00:26:08That's always been the plan.
00:26:09Yeah.
00:26:10So, Frank Montagny leading for Peugeot, Pedro Lamy second and Alex Wurtz now up to third place.
00:26:16And already Lamy on another faster lap than Montagny's first and indeed that Montagny is at the moment the second place car.
00:26:24Peugeot number seven is closing on the leader.
00:26:27It is eight, seven and nine in that order with Alex Wurtz in third.
00:26:32And then Jean-Christophe Bouillon in fifth position was a second behind Magnichen Wurtz a lap ago.
00:26:39Have to wait and see what he can produce.
00:26:41There he is in that Pescarolo colour Peugeot.
00:26:44You'll be able to identify it easily.
00:26:46It's got a Dayglo version of the P green helmet that Henri Pescarolo won in 33 Le Mans starts,
00:26:51including three consecutive wins for Mazda.
00:26:55One with Graham Hill and two with Gerard LaRusse.
00:26:58So, the first of the open cars here this afternoon at the moment is that little Stracca.
00:27:04Junetta Zytek, Peter Hardman at the wheel of that, 23 car running in 12th.
00:27:08All the cars ahead of him at Coupes, Peugeots, Audis.
00:27:12I would point out that the Audi is an open car as well.
00:27:14That's cool.
00:27:15I'm sorry.
00:27:16The petrol cars I meant.
00:27:17Yes, indeed.
00:27:18The word petrol escape.
00:27:19We haven't seen the Aston Martin Golf cars yet.
00:27:21And I know millions of you are waiting just for a glimpse of these gorgeous evocative golf cars.
00:27:26Let's have a look again.
00:27:27View of the start.
00:27:28Oh, what?
00:27:29He's saying that McNish was ahead at the line because the Peugeot was so slow out of the chicane.
00:27:34Okay.
00:27:36Obviously compromised their race, didn't it?
00:27:38Well, luckily, 23 hours and 59 minutes to go.
00:27:41Definitely 24 hours.
00:27:42I'm not sure there actually is a rule about the start line at Le Mans.
00:27:45I think if he'd been miles ahead, that might have been a problem.
00:27:48But since Peugeot had the lead into the first turn, I'm not sure it particularly is.
00:27:51I think once the flag has dropped, go.
00:27:53Can I just update you on what's happening elsewhere?
00:27:55LMP2, Manuel Collard is leading in the Essex Porsche Spyder.
00:27:59That car's green this year, not blue.
00:28:01The reason for that is they are supporting the Michelin green challenge.
00:28:04We'll talk more about that later.
00:28:06That's due for the colour.
00:28:07Jan Magnussen in the factory Corvette.
00:28:09He's running in 29th, leading GT1 and GT2 Ferrari.
00:28:14Much to Luca de Montes de Memelo's pleasure is led by someone visible name, Jaime Melo.
00:28:19And they've just gone ahead of Jörg Bergmeister's visit Porsche.
00:28:23We're hearing that there are electrical problems on one of the Aston Martins, the 66 car.
00:28:30That's the Jet Alliance GT1 car.
00:28:33So that's one less rival for Corvette to worry about in the GT1 category in the first hour.
00:28:38The other car that is in problem still is the Cruze Schiller Motorsport car.
00:28:44They pulled an all-nighter yesterday.
00:28:46The crew arrived here on Friday morning and have not left.
00:28:49So an all-nighter the night before the Le Mans 24 hours all-nighter.
00:28:53Jean de Portales started that car.
00:28:55Hideki Noda has got food poisoning and may not be fit to drive.
00:28:59So Jean de Portales leaving the pit lane now, sharing with Matthew Marsh.
00:29:05And I spoke to Matthew earlier and the Hong Kong-based Englishman saying it might be a long race.
00:29:12What am I talking about?
00:29:13It's already a long race.
00:29:14And that was only at 10 this morning.
00:29:16Let's just put Hideki Noda's food poisoning problem perspective.
00:29:191959, 60 years ago when Aston Martin won.
00:29:23Roy Salvadori was feeling pretty rough, but Carroll Shelby was even worse.
00:29:27He had dysentery.
00:29:28The two of them drove the whole race, both feeling very, very unwell.
00:29:32Still managed to take off the win.
00:29:34Now, we're also hearing there's a puncture for the Drayson Aston Martin.
00:29:41Johnny Cocker was starting that one, sharing with Paul Lord Drayson and Marino Franchitti.
00:29:46Lord Drayson, of course, this week in the Cabinet reshuffle in Great Britain, appointed not only as the Minister for Defence,
00:29:53but also for technology and innovation.
00:29:57So, two portfolios and a racing career.
00:30:00Liz, you would think at least one of those would be more than enough for a mere mortal.
00:30:04Well, I think he'd actually like to be doing more of his racing career, if I'm being honest, but yes.
00:30:09Oh, and one of the collies out.
00:30:12He goes off in a big way.
00:30:14Let's see if he's missed the wall.
00:30:15That's at Indianapolis.
00:30:16Just missed his braking point completely there, didn't he?
00:30:19In the second, yeah.
00:30:20That's Marco Werner.
00:30:21Yeah, Werner.
00:30:22In the R15.
00:30:23Yep, it's Werner.
00:30:24And looks, has he hit the tyres hard?
00:30:25It looks like he has.
00:30:26Oh, sorry, no.
00:30:27It's the car number three.
00:30:28That is Alex Premat.
00:30:29Stay in the car, Alex.
00:30:31You're French.
00:30:32You're in France.
00:30:33He will be towed out of there.
00:30:34It is a dangerous gravel trap.
00:30:36Well, it looks like there's some damage done.
00:30:37It's very short.
00:30:38They're going to tow him out onto Terra Firma.
00:30:39Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich watches.
00:30:41He's not looking happy.
00:30:42Something must have broken, surely.
00:30:43Let's have a look.
00:30:44On board with three.
00:30:45Into Indianapolis.
00:30:46This is an extremely fast corner as well.
00:30:47Brakes.
00:30:48Okay, just as soon as he gets the apex, Liz, it goes off to his left.
00:30:52Something, something must have gone wrong there.
00:30:54He wasn't in control with it.
00:30:55No, and he didn't see...
00:30:56On that corner, you would have held it tight to the right to have braked in a straight line and he went...
00:31:00Now remember, this is exactly the same spot at which Dindo Capello lost the wheel while leading two years ago.
00:31:06Cost him the win.
00:31:07And we've seen a lot of Audis off here this weekend, haven't we?
00:31:09The Collis cars going off backwards, frontwards, every way.
00:31:12I definitely think something must have gone wrong there because he never would have been that far left on that corner.
00:31:16As soon as he got to the apex, it just swerved out to the left on him.
00:31:20As if he changed his mind about going through the corner and that's not something a driver of Premat's experience would do.
00:31:26And he's looking quite confident, almost as if he was ready to get out, like something had broken.
00:31:30Yeah, because there wasn't a big impact with the tyre wall.
00:31:33No, it wasn't.
00:31:34The car will survive that.
00:31:35Let's have a look again.
00:31:36Going by slower traffic.
00:31:38Oh, that's just from the other angle.
00:31:40It's quite hard to see that, but certainly he never would have been that far to the left on that corner.
00:31:44Wolfgang Ulrich has looked more concerned about things, this Le Monde, than I have ever seen him at any race track.
00:31:52And things are not going well.
00:31:54Now, they will always tow the cars out here at Indianapolis because it is such a fast approach.
00:31:59That turn into Indianapolis, you're coming at the fastest speed of anywhere on the circuit.
00:32:04And there's very little room for errorless, as you know, so they will always tow you out.
00:32:09Never get out of the car when you're at Indianapolis, is the straightforward rule.
00:32:13It's such an incredibly fast approach there.
00:32:16I mean, it's going to be fairly a lift, I would have thought, for some of these cars.
00:32:19You know, you're approaching in sort of sixth gear into that, with a heavy braking down to third gear to make the left-hand turn.
00:32:24He's still got his steering, isn't he?
00:32:25Yeah, he's checking his steering.
00:32:27He's checking everything, but...
00:32:28I wonder if something on the suspension broke, possibly, or...
00:32:32Yeah, just while we're looking at that, Richard Dean in the factory, Janetta Zytek, he's in the pits at the moment, the number six car.
00:32:38That started in 15th place, is currently in 18th, but they're in the pits.
00:32:42320 km an hour fifth gear approach to Indianapolis in the Audi, so it is as flat out as they get around here.
00:32:51And, what, 100 metres on is that gravel trap.
00:32:54He got round most of that right-hander, but just carrying so much speed.
00:32:58Now, our colleague Chris Parsons has just pointed out to us that Tom Christensen had a jam throttle this morning when a cable got caught up in the pedal box.
00:33:07One just had to wonder, could anything like that have repeated itself?
00:33:10Well, he's back on track at the moment, rejoining and wending his way back.
00:33:15Peugeot, one, two, three, and five.
00:33:19So, four HDI 908s right up at the top of the timesheet.
00:33:25So, at the moment, Alan McNish lies fourth for Audi, but this is our race leader, car number eight, Frank Montagnier.
00:33:31Now, we've already, of course, talked a little bit during qualifying about the ACO making changes, particularly to the diesel cars, to try and slow them down.
00:33:39They wanted a lap time no faster than 3 minutes 30.
00:33:44We are already lapping 3 minutes 25, just three laps into the race.
00:33:49So, they have singularly failed to slow the diesels down very much in race pace.
00:33:54Qualifying was a lot slower than the 3 minutes 18 of last year, but the race pace barely any difference at all.
00:34:03And we hear the KSM Lola is again on its way into the pit, so they're not having a good start to the race.
00:34:08We're only a few laps in and they've already, this is their second pit, really.
00:34:11Engine cover has now come off. They have not completed a flying lap at all.
00:34:15Geron de Portales went out, came right back in.
00:34:18So, yes, it's going to be a very long week, a very long weekend. It already has been.
00:34:24They haven't slept since Thursday night and it doesn't look like...
00:34:27Well, actually, if they can get the car fixed, they won't get much sleep.
00:34:30If they can't get the car fixed, they may be gone to bed before supper time.
00:34:35Into the pits, finally comes the number three Audi.
00:34:38Riding on board again, down to Indianapolis, 250 miles an hour almost.
00:34:45And, Liz, the way it twitched away from him, no question that was not driver error.
00:34:50I mean, in that particular corner, you stay right, because you have to make the left.
00:34:53So you would stay right, brake in a straight line before making the left.
00:34:57So there's no way he ever would have been off to the left.
00:35:00Minimal damage on the car from that biff with the wall. They will change that.
00:35:04They're fueling it now. It'll be up on the little jacks and wheeled back into the garage.
00:35:09The reason for that is in the pit lane here, you can only have four people touching the car.
00:35:13In the garage, you can have 400 if you can get them around it.
00:35:17So, major surgery required, we're thinking. The nose is the first thing, off it comes.
00:35:23Now the mountings will have stood up to that bump, hopefully without too many dramas.
00:35:29This is where we will see the scale of Audi and see how fast they can decipher what's happened,
00:35:34get the car back on the track. This is what they do best.
00:35:36They will have trained for this. They will have gotten ready for any eventuality that could happen.
00:35:40So, I'm confident they'll be as fast as they can be.
00:35:43I mean, we talked to Audi about how quickly they can change an engine, for instance.
00:35:47It's massively complex. One hour they could do it.
00:35:49It's incredible, it truly is. So, they will be ready for this.
00:35:53Okay, let's get down to the pit lane, see if we can find out what happened.
00:35:56Our report is with Romain Dumas.
00:35:58Can you tell us what happened?
00:36:01Alex complained about something, wasn't sure. He's obviously not on a headset.
00:36:08So, checking car out in the pits.
00:36:12Sounds like a bit of power steering was causing problems.
00:36:17So, not sure exactly what it is at the moment.
00:36:20Might have been a bit of pick up on the tyres, he's suggesting.
00:36:27Peugeot quick, is that a surprise? No, not for me.
00:36:31They were quick in qualifying, so we're not surprised at all.
00:36:35But it is a long race. 24 hours to sort it out.
00:36:41The race has barely started.
00:36:43But Romain says, no, if you stop every three laps, you're going to be in real trouble.
00:36:51We'll see how it works out with the strategy, teams and so on, with the tyres.
00:36:56We'll see how it works out with the tyres.
00:36:58Thank you very much, Romain. Thank you.
00:36:59It's a 24 hour race. We'll have to wait and see where we are tomorrow.
00:37:02Well, I think, Mark Cole, you can say without question, this will not be the only car that has a problem.
00:37:06One of the factors of having such stiff competition for Audi and Peugeot is that mistakes happen and accidents happen and things break that they don't if you're taking it a little bit less frenetically.
00:37:18And their problem with the Audi is on the power steering system, as if it is a power steering failure, is that it's buried so deep under all the front end there.
00:37:25Difficult to get to. It's not a part you'd even imagine you're going to have to change or look at during the course of the race.
00:37:31But of course, this is the secrets of Audi's success. They don't just think about the things you're likely to need to change. They rehearse changing everything.
00:37:39And out the back of their three garages, the workshop area they've got there is exactly to the millimetre the same as the workshop area in the race shop.
00:37:47Everybody knows where everything is. There is no possible failure on the car that is not rehearsed.
00:37:53It might not be quick, but they know how to do it and they will go and get the steering rack box if that's what it takes.
00:37:59The car is out, so they are content that there is not a major drama with it.
00:38:05But with electric power steering, you have to worry that it might just have been a little glitch that twitched him offline.
00:38:12It may easily have been dirt and pickup on the tyres, they're saying, but we'll have to wait and see.
00:38:16It could have been the power steering actually failing mid-corner as well, mixed with a bit of pickup.
00:38:21The minute he's gone offline, he's gotten some pickup mixed with the power steering failing.
00:38:24You know, I've had that happen before in a car and it's very difficult to hold your line when you're holding one set.
00:38:29Just looking at the LMP2 leaders, the Team Essex Porsche.
00:38:32This is the Team Go Porsche, the two Porsche RS Spiders leading comfortably in LMP2.
00:38:39We'll take a quick commercial break, be back with more in just a second.
00:38:47Welcome back live to Le Mans, where the early minutes of the 24 hours have been anything but trouble-free.
00:38:54Looking there at one of our LMP2 contenders.
00:38:574th in class, Tommy Erdos, car number 25.
00:39:003rd in class, right in front.
00:39:02Johnny Kane, two long-time rivals and both very experienced Le Mans drivers.
00:39:07Johnny Kane in one of the speedy Sabah Lola Coupes and behind him in the RML car.
00:39:12They've had a pit lane crash with one of the Golf Aston Martins in this morning's warm-up and damaged its floor.
00:39:17That is Tommy Erdos in 4th place.
00:39:19Now, the two Porsche Spiders out front.
00:39:22Talking to Marino Franchetio here on, who's with the Drayson Racing Corvette in GT2.
00:39:27He's saying that the LMP2 Spiders have got such a comfortable cushion here
00:39:33that they're not even using the brand new direct injection engine
00:39:36that they used towards the end of last year's American Le Mans series.
00:39:40So, the LMP2 cars, the turbo cars, particularly been struggling, Mark, with fuel quality.
00:39:46And so, they've had to retire the ignition of the engine, bring the power levels down
00:39:51to try and make sure they'll survive the 24 hours.
00:39:53Yeah, now this is very interesting, isn't it?
00:39:55Because we're watching Tommy Erdos following Johnny Kane.
00:39:58Johnny's got the Judd, which is going absolutely flat out.
00:40:01500 horsepower, probably.
00:40:02Tommy is probably down to something like 475, maybe 470.
00:40:06Yet he's staying with him all the time.
00:40:08That is very, very impressive.
00:40:09So, AER have obviously got on top of that fine balance between saving the engine and losing power.
00:40:15They've had no problem at all this time for qualifying throughout the practice nights.
00:40:20Yet they go to Le Mans series, had two failures immediately.
00:40:23So, it's all in the luck of the draw.
00:40:25Some of that might just be a testament to Tommy Erdos' driving as well.
00:40:29Because, you know, with the turbo cars, if you need to dial them down a bit at Le Mans,
00:40:33you've really got to work very, very hard.
00:40:35I mean, when I drove a turbo car here, a lot of the time, you know, we had to take the anti-lag off and not use first gear and things like that.
00:40:42And you've really got to work to keep the revs up through the corners.
00:40:44And it's very difficult to pass things like the GT1 cars and such, because you don't have so much push out of the corners.
00:40:50So, I think that's a testament to Tommy Erdos' driving as well.
00:40:52We were just on board there for a moment with Jan Magnussen, our GT1 class leader.
00:40:56Team-mate, Oli Gav, was right behind.
00:40:57First scheduled-ish pit stop after 24 minutes.
00:41:01That is for Christian Albers, that number 15 Audi R10 TDI.
00:41:06One of last year's fleet of Audis run by the Yerst factory team.
00:41:10And Colin Collins and the team running two cars here.
00:41:13That car came in from 16th position.
00:41:16And a new team, six rookie drivers and a changed R10 TDI.
00:41:22Without the experience of racing here at Le Mans several times, they're certainly up against it with that car.
00:41:27But they have been getting quicker and quicker through the shortened practice days.
00:41:32Now, going past the Luc Alfond Aventure Corvettes, they're third and fourth in the GT1 class.
00:41:37Jan Clare ahead of Luc Alfond himself, the Crystal Globe winner in the second of those white cars.
00:41:43You saw the leaders going through.
00:41:45Meanwhile, GT battle.
00:41:47Now, our GT2 leader is on the different pages of the timing screen.
00:41:52The Flyer, you're looking at Flying Lizard's car there.
00:41:54And that is Jörg Bergmeister, car number 80.
00:41:57That's fifth and sixth, Jan Maria Bruni behind him.
00:41:59But look how close this GT1 battle, a GT2 battle is.
00:42:03Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche, Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche.
00:42:06It's going to be a long and tough race for every single one of those.
00:42:10I think we could see this go on all the way right to the checkered flag.
00:42:14I mean, this is the very best of the drivers and the best of the cars right at the front that we're seeing here.
00:42:19And I think they will all be pushing.
00:42:20This will be like a qualifying round for all of them every single lap.
00:42:23Well, that is the podium there, Mark.
00:42:25All covered by less than half a second.
00:42:27Jaime Melo leads from Mark Lieb and Patrick Long in the two Porsches.
00:42:31Let's just update you on the Christian Albers Collis Audi.
00:42:33It was not a routine stop.
00:42:34They're changing the nose on the car.
00:42:36There's a lot of work going on, a lot of running around.
00:42:38They're losing a lot of time down there.
00:42:40So Jaime Melo leading in that Ferrari.
00:42:43That's the Ricci Competizione car, engineered by Dave Beakey-Sims.
00:42:47He shares with Pierre Caffer and Mika Sarlo.
00:42:50In second place, Mark Lieb in the 77 Felbermeyer Proton Porsche.
00:42:54That blue car he shares with fellow factory drivers Richard Leitz and Wolf Hensler.
00:43:00And the third car, also a Porsche, Pat Long, the factory driver in that Imsum Atmuk Porsche
00:43:05with two very quick privateers, Raymond Narak and Patrick Pillay.
00:43:09They're not going to be much off his pace,
00:43:11but it might be enough to make the difference with the lead group.
00:43:14Now, I spoke to Patrick Long earlier today and he said they've really had a very trouble-free week.
00:43:19He said they're extremely relaxed. They've had so few problems, it's almost a bit worrying.
00:43:23And he said they can't quite match the pace, but they're very confident in the car
00:43:27and they're just going to keep ticking along, you know, banging in consistent times
00:43:30and hopefully the race is going to come to them.
00:43:32Yeah, this is coming to them, isn't it? Here we go.
00:43:34Look at this great slipstreaming battle going on down here.
00:43:37But Porsche is faster in a straight line, but Jaime Mello really has the measure, doesn't he, today?
00:43:42Yeah, he's using the brakes to his advantage, wasn't he?
00:43:45He's a fierce driver, Jaime Mello. Whenever you put him in the car, you know,
00:43:48I don't think he has anything but one speed and that is absolutely flat out and completely in control.
00:43:53And that's what you need here now, isn't it?
00:43:55It is. I mean, there is no pussyfooting about.
00:43:57There are some cars, and Cruise Schiller is going to be one,
00:44:00where just now getting it to the end of the race is going to be a moral victory
00:44:04of enormous and incalculable, you know, dedication.
00:44:07But for anybody that's got a healthy car hoping to get on the podium, there is no 99% running.
00:44:14Unless the safety car's out, you're either hard on the throttle or hard on the brakes.
00:44:18There is nowhere in between.
00:44:20Don't forget, our coverage on Eurosport International finishes in a moment or two.
00:44:25We will be going directly over to Eurosport 2.
00:44:29We will switch between our two networks throughout the weekend.
00:44:33If you are not receiving Eurosport 2 wherever you are, you can go to the Eurosport.com website
00:44:39and sign up.
00:44:404.95, I think, is the cost for the weekend for Eurosport Player.
00:44:44We will be broadcasting the entire race throughout the weekend on Eurosport Player.
00:44:49So we'll be concluding for a brief period our coverage of Le Mans here on Eurosport.
00:44:55We're going over to Belgium for the Dauphin Libere, to France for the Dauphin Libere.
00:45:00And at the end of today, of today's seventh stage, we will be returning live for an update at Le Mans.
00:45:08We will be on Eurosport 2 and returning to our main Eurosport coverage at seven central European times,
00:45:15six British time.
00:45:17Peugeot lead one, two, three.
00:45:19First crack already in the Audi armoury.
00:45:22Much, much more to come.
00:45:24Hello, welcome back live to Le Mans here on Eurosport 2 as we cover the 24 hours of Le Mans throughout our network across Europe and Asia.
00:45:38Welcome, you're looking at the second place car in the race.
00:45:42This is Pedro Lamy's number seven Peugeot.
00:45:45Still trying to close on race leader from Montani.
00:45:48But a couple of quick laps, laps three and four from Pedro.
00:45:51Once he got by Alan McNish, not enough to close enough on Montani, but just enough to wake the Frenchman up.
00:45:58And Montani now lapping his last lap three minutes twenty five, three minutes twenty seven point three.
00:46:03Pedro three twenty seven point nine.
00:46:05So Mark Cole and Liz Halliday, Liz, it looks like they put in some three twenty five laps to get clear of Audi.
00:46:13And now perhaps are settling into a mid to low twenty sevens up towards twenty eight second lap as a genuine race long pace.
00:46:21Which is actually it's an incredible time to be doing as a race pace.
00:46:24If you look at only just maybe three years ago, our poll time was around about a three minutes thirty.
00:46:29So this is incredible to be doing a twenty seven as a casual race pace.
00:46:33Well, not casual, but it's a comfortable pace for them, we have to say, based on their qualifying time.
00:46:37Yeah, this is not going to please the ACO, is it?
00:46:39Because they're still after three thirties, the optimum race lap and they're five seconds below that.
00:46:44At last, here we are.
00:46:45Yeah.
00:46:46It's the golf colours.
00:46:47How evocative.
00:46:48Steve McQueen.
00:46:49Golf Porsches.
00:46:50Eat your heart out.
00:46:51Here's Stefan Mukher at the wheel of the Lola Aston Martin Golf.
00:46:53And it just works so well, this doesn't it?
00:46:56It looks absolutely beautiful, this car.
00:46:58Audi, of course, as well, really pushing hard.
00:47:00Just a quick mention here, if we may.
00:47:02Martin and Trazer Pass, who run Audi UK's press service.
00:47:06Their daughter, Sarah, has just flown back in from Naples, Florida this morning.
00:47:10We know you're at home, Sarah, and mum and dad said all the best.
00:47:13So do we.
00:47:14Keep watching and we're rooting for you along with Audi and everyone.
00:47:16So there we go.
00:47:17And a big year here for Aston Martin to be here with three prototype race cars back at the front of the grid.
00:47:23It would be their 50th anniversary.
00:47:26Well, to wait if they could win this weekend.
00:47:28Well, it is the 50th anniversary.
00:47:30Let me just correct myself.
00:47:31It is of when Aston Martin won the race overall.
00:47:33But Aston would love to win in here today.
00:47:35But I think they'll have a battle to try and get past all those diesels.
00:47:38And while you're talking about Aston, let's give a shout for Lola at Huntingdon.
00:47:40All the guys are there.
00:47:41They built the car.
00:47:42Remember, they built the chassis part of it.
00:47:44There's been a little bit of controversy between Martin Brain of Lola and David Richards of ProDrive over what the car should be called.
00:47:51We're not going down that route as Martin said.
00:47:53But an incredible chassis.
00:47:54Great chassis.
00:47:55Well done everyone in Huntingdon.
00:47:56Well done everyone at ProDrive in Banbury.
00:47:59Great car you've got.
00:48:00Lola is still building a fantastic car.
00:48:02Always have.
00:48:03It was my favourite car to drive at Le Mans.
00:48:05So I can't hope to drive the coupe one day.
00:48:09We are hearing that we may have our first retirement of the race.
00:48:15It looks as though we are about to lose the J-Lock Lamborghini which, well frankly, probably most people have done more laps of the circuit in their road car than the Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club machine managed to do the Murcielago.
00:48:29Did no flying laps in qualifying or in the pre-race test.
00:48:35And Marco Apicello and the crew are not, it seems, going to continue in the race.
00:48:41They have an engine problem.
00:48:43They had a drive shaft go on Wednesday on the out lap.
00:48:46And it took until Thursday to get one driven down from Reiter Engineering in Germany or up or across or whichever way it was.
00:48:53So, well, they didn't have any luck.
00:48:56They didn't even really get as far as having bad luck with that car.
00:48:59So, it looks as though the J-Lock Lamborghini, we've lost our first car.
00:49:02Still the GT battle.
00:49:03Jaime Melo leading in GT2 from Mark Lieb, Patrick Long, Jörg Bergmeister and Christoph Bouchou.
00:49:10Bouchou, the man in the field with more starts than anyone else except David Brabham, we believe, both with 15 getaways here at Le Mans.
00:49:19And we're just starting to see our first few regular routine pit stops starting.
00:49:23We've just seen one of the lower Aston Martins come through.
00:49:26Yeah, that was Bellici coming in, wasn't it?
00:49:28I think he stayed on board.
00:49:29Most people are going to be triple stinting here.
00:49:31But, Liz, the ACO has been working so hard on equivalency between all the classes.
00:49:35And have they not got it right here in GT2?
00:49:37Look at that, the four cars all tied together by a piece of string.
00:49:40This is just so perfectly matched.
00:49:42It is incredible.
00:49:43And with so many strong drivers in GT2, I mean, this is bound to be one of the closest races we've ever had in that class.
00:49:49It's very possible, especially with the battle between Ferrari and Porsche.
00:49:53I think it's going to be right to the wire in that class.
00:49:55And every one of them is going to have to be going absolutely flat out the entire way.
00:49:59It's going to be interesting to see who trips up.
00:50:02Now, one of the features of this year, Mark, in terms of what goes on in the pit lane, is that instead of being allowed to have four people changing tyres on the car, we now are only allowed two.
00:50:12So the teams have worked on choreography to try and make sure they still get the pit stops done as quickly as possible.
00:50:19Down in a pit lane, one of the Ginetta Zytek LMP2 cars is in, but we saw there the Peugeot team helmeted up.
00:50:25And of course, it has always been part of the battle before that Audi have been better at pit stops, particularly driver change pit stops.
00:50:35While the fuel's going in, you can clean the windscreen, the drivers can do their change.
00:50:39Everyone else is stood ready, and then one air gun and two men for the tyre stop.
00:50:45You can't, but you can, that's a restriction, but you can have different people doing each side.
00:50:51You can only have two people over the line at one time.
00:50:53At one time, exactly.
00:50:54Until the tyres are completed.
00:50:55Once the tyres are completed, you can have four people.
00:50:57It's academic at this stage, because Peugeot, like Audi, are planning to triple stint as long as the tyres hold out.
00:51:02When we get to the night, Liz, Audi's talking about four stints on the set of tyres.
00:51:06Well, I think certainly with this new rule, a lot of teams are going to be wanting to keep the tyres on as long as I can to avoid any mistakes,
00:51:12because, you know, the way it's been for so many years has been four people on the car doing the tyres,
00:51:17so that will be what people are used to.
00:51:19So with this new strategy, I think a lot of people are saying, well, it's quicker to leave the tyres on.
00:51:23If you're going to do a driver change, though, you might as well change your tyres at the same time.
00:51:26If you need to, I think, if you need to.
00:51:27It depends.
00:51:28Because you don't lose any time, then, do you?
00:51:29Well, if you can do a driver change within your fuel window, then it doesn't matter.
00:51:32I know it's certainly Drayson Racing is thinking of doing singles all the way up until the night,
00:51:36because they've said we can do our driver change within the fuel window.
00:51:39It's absolutely no worries.
00:51:40We'll just jump in and out to our liking.
00:51:43So it really depends on that.
00:51:44Yeah, plus also, of course, in the particular case of the Drayson Aston Martin,
00:51:49they're not expecting, and indeed are not, running right at the front of GT2.
00:51:53So for them, it's about getting the mileage, finishing the race.
00:51:56Yes.
00:51:57And the best way to do that is with a fresh car and fresh drivers.
00:52:00Here, though, one, two, three, four GT2 cars.
00:52:03I mean, this could be a four-lap sprint race, really, couldn't it?
00:52:07Because there is just nothing between them.
00:52:09Even the LMP2-class leaders are having trouble getting through.
00:52:13That was the go Porsche.
00:52:14Down pit road comes Stefan Orteli.
00:52:18Fuel and good to go.
00:52:20No tyre changes.
00:52:21And, of course, all the teams want to double or triple stint the tyres if they can.
00:52:25And that's not lost on the tyre manufacturers.
00:52:27They know what the rules have been changed for.
00:52:30And Michelin are always working like all the other tyre companies
00:52:35to try and give their tyres grip and durability.
00:52:38And we do believe in the night when it's cool and the track is less abrasive
00:52:43that we should perhaps see four stints on tyres for the prototype cars,
00:52:48which is four thirteen lapsed into Le Mans, which is a very, very long way.
00:52:54This is amazing, isn't it?
00:52:55This is like a Porsche Super Cup race.
00:52:56It is.
00:52:57The only problem is that it's a Ferrari leading it.
00:52:59Luca de Montezo, oh, no, no.
00:53:00You'll be absolutely delighted at the moment.
00:53:02This is why he's here this year.
00:53:03A red Ferrari.
00:53:04The interesting thing is we have this incredible battle going on in GT2,
00:53:07but we've got four classes of racing going on at once.
00:53:10So not only are they all packed together, but keep in mind the other classes must get around them.
00:53:14And this traffic, from experience, when they're racing that hard,
00:53:18they are concerned about themselves and who's in front of that group.
00:53:21They're not worrying that much about the traffic.
00:53:23So, you know, it is the overtaking car's responsibility to get by safely,
00:53:27and that makes it a bit tricky when there's a battle going on within one class.
00:53:30Pat Long looking to get past Mark Liebner.
00:53:32That's the second time he's got alongside him.
00:53:34Can he do it again on that long run down to the first chicane?
00:53:37You can believe Pat Long will find a way if there is one.
00:53:39Well, looking at small capacity motorcycle racing,
00:53:42the guy on the back of the aerodynamic train is always the best off,
00:53:45and so that's the 80 flying listeners car of Jörg Bergmeister,
00:53:48another fully-fledged factory Porsche driver.
00:53:51He'll be looking to pass two or three of them in a line if he can.
00:53:54Frank Montani, our race leader on pit road.
00:53:56So, too, Pedro Lamy.
00:53:58Both Peugeots in on the same lap.
00:54:00So, now what they're doing is just double-checking,
00:54:03because we lost all of Wednesday to rain.
00:54:05Thursday was only four hours of running.
00:54:08They have got to double, triple-check their fuel consumption.
00:54:12For the first couple of stops they will go conservative.
00:54:14If they think they can do 13,
00:54:16they'll come in on 12.
00:54:18If they think...
00:54:19Oh, contact!
00:54:20The Peugeot and the Pescarello Peugeot get together.
00:54:23That's the second time that's happened now.
00:54:25Pedro Lamy and Jean Bouillon.
00:54:28The Pedro Lamy car released as the Pescarello car came into the pit lane.
00:54:33That's a mistake by the team.
00:54:35There'll be a drive-through for that.
00:54:36For whom?
00:54:37Yeah, for the team which released the car into the path of another one.
00:54:41So, Pedro Lamy is unlikely now to win this race.
00:54:44Those are the differences that win or lose the race.
00:54:48See, now Lamy knew there was something going on,
00:54:50because he could see the Pescarello man running towards him.
00:54:53In fact, that wasn't Lamy's on board, was it?
00:54:55That was Montagne's on board.
00:54:57And Lamy with a puncture!
00:54:58Yeah.
00:54:59That's it, race over.
00:55:00This is so often the case we've seen with Audi when it's been all about Audis.
00:55:04The first Audi to have a problem.
00:55:06They pretty much know they're not going to win the race, even if Audi do.
00:55:10And Liz, he's got to run 12 kilometers like this now.
00:55:12It's a very long way.
00:55:13And, you know, once you've got a puncture like that, you must be careful not to go too fast.
00:55:17You can start destroying bodywork.
00:55:18He'll be down to almost 30 kilometers an hour in that, possibly.
00:55:21It's a very long way.
00:55:22Who knows for the number 17 Peugeot.
00:55:25This is the Pescarello on Peugeot.
00:55:27Henri Pescarello overseeing that car himself.
00:55:30There's not going to be very much that there'll be no tire left.
00:55:33And what he has to do now, Liz, is balance getting back quickly, not losing much time,
00:55:38with trying in the next eight miles not to let the flailing car to the tire rip off,
00:55:43the turbocharger, the intercooler, the oil lines, the fuel lines, everything behind the driver.
00:55:49When this happens, especially at Le Mans, you have a long way to go.
00:55:52The hardest thing is keeping your patience.
00:55:53You must just keep telling yourself, if I go too fast, the race could be over,
00:55:58or it will be longer in the pits.
00:55:59You have to do the math in your own head and say, I'm just going to have to wait.
00:56:02New GT leader!
00:56:04He's done it, he has done it!
00:56:06He's jumped two of them!
00:56:08I said he was going to do it, and he did it a lap later.
00:56:11Well, there's a will, there's a way.
00:56:14A lot of drama.
00:56:15The Pescarello car is in the pit lane.
00:56:18Yeah, quite a lot of damage to that car as well.
00:56:20Now, we have to say, that happened already once before as well in practice,
00:56:24or in the warm-up even, wasn't it?
00:56:25Yeah, we had a clash in the pit lane in the warm-up.
00:56:27It's happened to me before at Le Mans as well.
00:56:28I mean, it is something that happens, and it shows how much the team
00:56:31has just got to get it right when they let you go,
00:56:33because as a driver, you're watching your crew chief.
00:56:35You're not watching what's behind you.
00:56:37You're focusing on them telling you what to do.
00:56:39Oh, look, it's all coming to bits now.
00:56:40Losing his body work.
00:56:41Look, it's all scattered down the straight.
00:56:43This is a disaster for Persia.
00:56:45As the Pescarello team continue to try and fix the front nose back onto the car there,
00:56:50you can see what we're seeing on our other monitors now.
00:56:53That is the car going down the straight,
00:56:55and that tire is just ripping everything apart.
00:56:58With a normally aspirated car, there's not so much you can do damage to,
00:57:02but, of course, with these cars, turbochargers, intercoolers,
00:57:05all the extra paraphernalia of the turbo diesel,
00:57:07it's ripping the body work off.
00:57:09The brake lines, the fuel lines, the oil lines.
00:57:12In the end, suspension, everything.
00:57:14I mean, it will just destroy us.
00:57:16I'm very surprised he's not slowed down a lot more than that.
00:57:18We're not going to get a safety car for all this, Liz.
00:57:20We must. We have to. This is so dangerous.
00:57:22I mean, look at these.
00:57:23The marshals are running out in the road with cars going flat out.
00:57:26Absolutely. There you go.
00:57:27That's all carbon fibre shards.
00:57:29Yeah. It's carbon fibre. It's bits of rubber.
00:57:32It's a disaster.
00:57:33I mean, look at these.
00:57:34The car's doing his best to get around it.
00:57:36Lola Aston Martin weaving his way through.
00:57:38He's done well to weave through that. He's done very well.
00:57:39Safety car is out. We're told safety car is out.
00:57:41Yes.
00:57:42And the reason is, in the cartoons,
00:57:45when Dick Darsley threw lots of tin tacks out of the back
00:57:47to punch his rival's tyres,
00:57:49that's exactly what all those bits of carbon fibre do.
00:57:51Not the big stuff, although they've got razor-sharp edges.
00:57:54It's all the fibres that get splintered off when it gets broken.
00:57:57It will be like a bed of needles.
00:57:59Now, this is going to be great news for Peugeot, potentially,
00:58:01because with a safety car,
00:58:02at least it's going to slow the entire field down.
00:58:04So if he can get that car back in,
00:58:06he's not going to lose quite as many laps as he might have.
00:58:08This is our race leader, Alan McNish.
00:58:10So you see immediately how pit stops change things.
00:58:14The Audi's coming in.
00:58:15This is after 12 laps.
00:58:17The Peugeots came in after 10 and 11,
00:58:20and that might be significant.
00:58:22Guaranteed Audi will have kept at least one lap in reserve,
00:58:26just in case, beyond their reserve tank.
00:58:28So we know that they will go 13,
00:58:30and we maybe might see them go 14.
00:58:32McNish, Rockenfeller,
00:58:34they were first and second when they came onto Pit Road,
00:58:36and they are taking tyres.
00:58:38And why are they taking tyres?
00:58:39A, because they've got time behind the safety car,
00:58:42and B, so they don't get a puncture on their outlap
00:58:44from all the rubbish they picked up on the way down the Mulsanne.
00:58:47Yeah.
00:58:48Well spotted, Martin.
00:58:49Well spotted, yes.
00:58:50And they're doing it because they can, of course.
00:58:52So here we go again.
00:58:53This is the moment.
00:58:54Oh, look at that.
00:58:55He just caught him right into the tyre.
00:58:56Straight into the tyre as well.
00:58:57Yeah.
00:58:58I think it's done more damage than even that, hasn't it?
00:59:00The suspension may well be broken.
00:59:01Yeah, it's hit quite hard.
00:59:02That's a disaster.
00:59:03I mean, and it's so difficult,
00:59:05because it's not even been done on the circuit.
00:59:07I mean, it's purely just an error of when he was released.
00:59:10Having done that,
00:59:11was there no possibility they could have stopped immediately
00:59:13and pulled the car back?
00:59:14Can you not pull the car backwards down the pit lane?
00:59:16No, no.
00:59:17You can pull the car backwards.
00:59:18You can't drive it backwards.
00:59:19No, no, but you could.
00:59:20I mean, if he'd stopped straight away,
00:59:21he could have.
00:59:22He could have done that.
00:59:23No.
00:59:24So safety cars are out on the track.
00:59:27We have three safety cars at the moment,
00:59:28because the length of the circuit to pick up.
00:59:30Well, as you can see here,
00:59:31the GT2, not quite leader.
00:59:33Olivier Canel of Peugeot Sport.
00:59:35Let's hear from him.
00:59:36Olivier, an incredible image.
00:59:38What happened?
00:59:39Well, there was a misfit.
00:59:41He said that I could go on a tour later.
00:59:44In any case, that's what we understood.
00:59:45Misunderstanding between the teams.
00:59:52And, of course, when the car came in,
00:59:55there was a collision.
00:59:56A little touch between the two of them.
00:59:58We've seen that there's a puncture, obviously.
01:00:01And, unfortunately,
01:00:03a lot of people from the crew.
01:00:04We did.
01:00:05In any case,
01:00:06in any case,
01:00:07we found out that there's a totally different type of thing.
01:00:09We went back to the camera.
01:00:10We did.
01:00:11That's what we're saying.
01:00:12We could, of course,
01:00:13we knew that there was aängt on the street,
01:00:14that we would have done that.
01:00:15And so,
01:00:16we went back to the camera.
01:00:17We did.
01:00:18We did.
01:00:19We had a moment where the camper's.
01:00:22We had a little come.
01:00:23We thought it was a little but,
01:00:24we could have to go to the camera.
Recommended
59:59
|
Up next
1:00:02
1:00:03
59:58
59:59
59:56
1:00:01
1:00:01
1:00:01
1:00:01
59:58
1:00:05
59:55
59:57
1:00:01
59:59
1:00:06
1:00:04
1:00:15
59:58
3:17
1:00:09
1:00:00
1:00:00
59:55
Be the first to comment