Audi take advantage of Peugeot problems

Audi claimed a dramatic podium clean sweep at Le Mans yesterday at the end of a 24-hour race in which Peugeot starkly demonstrated that raw pace alone is no guarantee of success at the legendary endurance event.

The number nine Audi R15 TDI of Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas enjoyed a faultless run from fifth place on the grid to secure the German manufacturer's ninth win at La Sarthe in 11 years.

With German driver Bernhard at the wheel, the number nine Audi crossed the line at the end of 24 gruelling hours having completed 397 laps, in doing so setting a new distance record at the event.

Second place went to the number eight Audi of Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer while the number seven car of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello was third.

Home favourites Peugeot had set the pace in practice and qualifying in the past week and had the legs on the Audis in the race but mechanical gremlins struck hard to derail their charge, with the trio of factory 908s each succumbing to problems.

Just 27 cars were classified at the finish out of the 55 starters that took to the grid on Saturday.