Audi wins 24 Hours of Le Mans for fourth straight year

Audi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, 21st June 2007 with its diesel powered R10. The winning car, driven by German drivers Frank Biela and Marco Werner and Italy’s Emmanuele Pirro, was the only one of three R10s entered that completed the race. The other two cars were eliminated in accidents ending the Audi Sport’s 100% Le Mans finishing record that dates back to 1999. This is Audi’s seventh Le Mans victory and fourth straight victory. In the GT1 category, Aston Martin finally managed to break Corvette’s stranglehold on the class by getting the No. 009 David Brabham/Rickard Rydell/Darren Turner across the line in first place.

This edition of Le Mans marked the return of French manufacturer, Peugeot. Like the Audis the Peugeots were also diesel powered. Audi led from the start of the race. Intermittent but torrential rain caused many problems for the racers, and provided plenty of excitement for spectators as the track went from dry to greasy to soaked in a matter of minutes. Despite taking an early lead, it wasn’t all easy for Audi: the number 3 car crashed out at Tertre Rouge in the second hour of the race, and Rinaldo Capello had a big off at Indianapolis when a rear wheel came off, ending his race in the number 2 car. After qualifying on pole position, the number 8 Team Peugeot Total 908 LMP1 car, driven by Stephane Sarrazin, Pedro Lamy and Sebastien Bourdais, finished the gruelling event in a commendable second place. The French manufacturer lost its second car with only a couple of hours of racing remaining, to a mechanical failure. The number 16 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo-Judd 01 LMP1 car, driven by Emmanuel Collard, Jean-Christophe Boullion and Romain Dumas finished third, a further two laps behind the winner. It was the highest-placed petrol-powered car.

There was also considerable success for Aston Martin. Aston’s works racing team’s number 009 DBR9 car, driven by Darren Turner, David Brabham and Rickard Rydell, won the GT1 class. It was a crucial victory for Aston, which had spent several years struggling to overcome Corvette’s dominance in GT1. Aston’s DBR9s also claimed third, fourth, sixth and tenth in GT1, in an impressive showing.