Le Mans Series news

Peugeot takes first win in LMP1

Two Peugeot 908 Hdi FAPs led the field away from the lights at the start but almost immediately second-placed Nicolas Minassian was swamped by the leading Audi R10TDI of Allan McNish and the Charouz Racing System Lola of Stefan Mucke. It was the start of a dramatic opening hour at the head of the field.

As Pedro Lamy extended his lead, McNish and Minassian battled for second place while Mucke and Alexandre Premat fought over third position. The gaps ebbed and flowed in heavy traffic but the two Peugeots eventually ran nose-to-tail until the race's only safety car period, caused when Didier Theys's Porsche RS Spyder blew a front right tyre and scattered debris over the main straight.

McNish moved ahead in the pit stops and led before a rear puncture cost time, and then an alternator belt broke which meant a longer stop. He, and Rinaldo Capello, spent the remaining hours of the race clawing back the difference and finished fifth overall.

Gene survived a scare when his car was launched high into the air on a kerb while lapping the Zytek, but the same could not be said for the sister car of reigning champions Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin.

While battling McNish for the lead, Sarrazin was hit from behind by Tomas Enge's Aston Martin and lost ten laps having the floor repaired. Another trip into the gravel later in the race meant that they scored no better than eighth in class.

The Aston Martin-powered Lola of the Charouz team had an entirely trouble-free race and finished three laps down on the winning Peugeot having set competitive lap times throughout. It was an impressive debut for the car.

The Pescarolo Sport team took fourth and sixth places, while the Rollcentre team, with Martin Short, Vanina Ickx and Joao Barbosa, overcame a fuel pick up problem that shortened their driving stints. On home ground, the Epsilon Euskadi team battled an overheating problem to finish 10th, ahead of the Creation that suffered a slipping clutch. "We had the pace to be competitive, but we have to score points at every race," said Jamie Campbell-Walter.

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