H+3: Audi in the lead, the 908 Oreca lagging behind

The Audi R15 TDI got the best start at the 8 Hours of Le Castellet. In the first hectometers of the race, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP showed a lack of grip, undoubtedly due to the freshness of the track, which pushed the 908 Oreca of Stéphane Sarrazin behind the Audi R15 Plus of Allan McNish, who was able to keep a regular pace for widen the gap, over the laps, on the Peugeot.

Second, Stéphane Sarrazin managed to maintain a relatively small gap (8 to 12 seconds) during the first hour of the race, before returning to the pits. This is where Oreca encountered a serious problem, no longer being able to lift the car using the pneumatic jack (airjack), the air inlet socket having been damaged, probably during contact with the Audi R15 during the first minute of the race. The Peugeot 908 therefore lingered in its stand, leaving nine laps behind the Audi R15 TDI.

Stéphane Sarrazin then Nicolas lapierre then strove to move up, over the laps, in the hierarchy, before returning to the LMP1 level. However, we can no longer speak of victory in the Peugeot-Oreca clan, unless there is a failure of the five leading cars: Audi R15 TDI Plus, Lola Aston Martin Racing, Lola Rebellion n°13, Lola Aston Martin Signature, Oreca 01-AIM. These five cars run in three laps and the Audi is clearly favorite for victory, if it does not encounter any problems.

In LMP2, the race is led by the Lola HPD Coupé from RML. Strakka Racing's HPD ARX-01c lost a body part after a good start to the race and is now four laps behind. As for Oak Racing's Pescarolo Judd, they occupy 2nd and 3rd places in the category standings.

En GT2, les Porsche dominent ce début de course puisque, après trois heures, la 997 GT3 RSR n°77 du team Felbelmayr Proton occupent la tête du classement, devant une deuxième Porsche, celle du team français IMSA Performance. Follow the Ferrari F430 from the AF Corse and CRS Racing teams.