Le Mans 24 Hour - Sarrazin takes Le Mans pole

Eurosport - Fri, 12 Jun 16:42:00 2009

Stephane Sarrazin took a dramatic third successive pole position for Peugeot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2009 Le Mans Peugeot Bourdais Montagny Sarrazin - 0

Sarrazin, who partners Formula One driver Sebastien Bourdais and Franck Montagny in the number eight 908, produced a stunning drive in the darkness in dry and mild conditions.

His time of three minutes and 22.888 seconds on La Sarthe circuit bettered that of Audi's Scot Allan McNish from first qualifying on Wednesday evening by seven-tenths of a second.

The number one car was the only entry from champions Audi - who have eight wins in the last nine years - to make it into the top five.

"It is a very close fight between us and Audi. Starting from pole is not essential but it makes things easier," Sarrazin told Eurosport.

Two efforts prior to Sarrazin's late charge were nipped in the bud by traffic - specifically Andre Lotterer's Kolles Audi R10 and Tom Kristensen's number one Audi R15.

Nicolas Minassian produced a 3:24.860 in his Pescarolo-run 908, which will start from fourth behind the 908 of Jean-Christophe Boullion and ahead of another 908, that of Marc Gene.

Starting from sixth in the world's oldest endurance race will be Marco Werner's number two Audi, with Audi's number three car in seventh the only one of the top entries not to improve its time from the first session.

Stefan Mucke in the #007 Lola Aston Martin pipped its sister #008 with a great lap of 3:27.180 before Jan Charouz took over driving duties and crashed into the barriers at the second chicane.

Former F1 driver Briton Anthony Davidson improved the #008's best time to stay ahead of Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola Aston Martin.

Casper Elgaard took pole in the LMP2 class in the Team Essex Porsche RS Spyder while the number 63 Corvette swiped GT1 pole thanks to Jan Magnussen's lap from first qualifying.

The GT2 pole was also won via a time from Wednesday, Jorg Bergmeister's effort in the Flying Lizards Porsche doing the job.

Meanwhile Peugeot have complained that Audi's bodywork is illegal: an FIA panel will rule on that issue in the next month.

Qualifying times:

1. Bourdais/Montagny/Sarrazin Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi 3min 22.888secs LMP1

2. Capello/Kristensen/McNish Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDi 3min 23.650secs LMP1

3. Minassian/Lamy/Klien Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi 3min 24.860secs LMP1

4. Boullion/Treluyer/Pagenaud Pescarolo Sport Peugeot 908 HDi 3min 25.062secs LMP1

5. Brabham/Gene/Wurz Peugeot Total Sport Peugeot 908 HDi 3min 25.252secs LMP1

6. Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner Audi Sport North America Audi R15 TDi 3min 25.780secs LMP1

7. Bernhard/Dumas/Premat Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDi 3min 27.106secs LMP1

8. Charouz/Enge/Mucke AMR Eastern Europe Lola Aston Martin 3min 27.180secs LMP1

9. Davidson/Turner/Verstappen Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin 3min 27.704secs LMP1

10. Belicchi/Jani/Prost Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola Aston Martin 3min 28.134secs LMP1

11. Hardman/Leventis/Watts Strakka Racing Ginetta Zytek 3min 29.798secs LMP1

12. Tinseau/Jouanny/Barbosa Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Judd 3min 30.466secs LMP1

13. Albers/Bakkerud/Mondini Kolles Audi R10 TDi 3min 31.192secs LMP1

14. Karthikeyan/Zwolsman/Lotterer Kolles Audi R10 TDi 3min 31.548secs LMP1

15. Senna/Ortelli/Monteiro Team ORECA Matmut AIM Courage-ORECA AIM 3min 33.514secs LMP1

16. Panis/Lapierre/Ayari Team ORECA Matmut AIM Courage-ORECA AIM 3min 33.860secs LMP1

17. Hall/Primat/Kox Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin 3min 33.968secs LMP1

18. Tomlinson/Dean/Moore Team LNT Ginetta Zytek 3min 35.804secs LMP1

19. Campbell-Walter/Ickx/Iannetta Creation Autosportif Creation Judd 3min 35.960secs LMP1

20. Elgaard/Poulsen/Collard Team Essex Porsche RS Spyder 3min 37.720secs LMP2

21. Ara/Kunimoto/Massen NAVI Team Goh Porsche RS Spyder 3min 37.802secs LMP2

22. Ragues/Mailleux/Andre Signature Plus Courage Judd 3min 39.326secs LMP1

23. Kane/Leuenberger/Pompidou Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola Judd Coupe 3min 41.724secs LMP2

24. Newton/Erdos/Dyson RML Lola Mazda Coupe 3min 41.952secs LMP2

25. Amaral/Pla/Smith Quifel-ASM Team Ginetta Zytek 09S 3min 42.012secs LMP2

26. Piccini/Bobbi/Biagi Racing Box SRL Lola Judd Coupe 3min 42.848secs LMP2

27. Ojjeh/Gosselin/Peter GAC Racing Team Zytek 07S 3min 44.830secs LMP2

28. Lahaye/Ajlani/Moreau Oak Racing Pescarolo Mazda 3min 45.032secs LMP2

29. Barazi/Bennett/Moseley Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S 3min 52.956secs LMP2

30. Noda/de Pourtales/Marsh KSM Lola Mazda 3min 53.072secs LMP2

31. O'Connell/Magnussen/Garcia Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R 3min 54.230secs GT1

32. Beretta/Gavin/Fassler Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R 3min 54.702secs GT1

33. Bruneau/Rostan/Greaves Bruichladdich Bruneau Radical AER 3min 55.320secs LMP2

34. Lichtner-Hoyer/Gruber/Muller Jetalliance Racing Aston Martin DBR9 3min 56.126secs GT1

35. Alphand/Gregoire/Goueslard Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R 3min 57.170secs GT1

36. Nicolet/Hein/Yvon Oak Racing Pescarolo Mazda 3min 57.524secs LMP2

37. Jousse/Maasen/Clairay Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R 3min 58.564secsGT1

38. Bergmeister/Neiman/Law Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 997 RSR 4min 03.202secs GT2

39. Lieb/Lietz/Henzler Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 997 RSR 4min 03.232secs GT2

40. Melo/Kaffer/Salo Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 4min 04.056secs GT2

41. Rodrigues/Lebon/Bouchut JMB Racing Ferrari 430 4min 04.084secs GT2

42. Babini/Malucelli/Ruberti BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 430 4min 04.222secs GT2

43. Narac/Pilet/Long IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997 RSR 4min 04.648secs GT2

44. Companc/Russo/Bruni AF Corse Ferrari 430 4min 04.938secs GT2

45. Bell/Sugden/Kirkaldy JMW Motorsport Ferrari 430 4min 05.168secs GT2

46. Drayson/Cocker/Franchitti Drayson Racing Aston Martin V8 Vantage 4min 06.482secs GT2

47. Simonsen/Farnbacher/Montanari Hankook Team Farnbacher Ferrari 430 4min 06.612secs GT2

48. Coronel/Bleekemolen/Janis Snoras Spykder Squadron Spyker C8 Laviolette 4min 08.348secs GT2

49. Mansell/Ehret/Rusinov Team Modena Ferrari 430 4min 08.508secs GT2

50. Krohn/Jonsson/van de Poele Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 4min 08.758secs GT2

51. Felbermayr/Felbermayr/Lecourt IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997 RSR 4min 10.014secs GT2

52. O'Young/Hesnault/Kralev Endurance Asia Team Porsche 997 RSR 4min 10.456secs GT2

53. McInerney/McInerney/Vergers Virgo Motorsport Ferrari 430 4min 10.664secs GT2

54. Kitch/Foster/Dempsey Advanced Engineering Ferrari 430 4min 13.920secs GT2

55. Apicella/Yogo/Yamagishi JLOC ISAO Noritake Lamborghini Murcielago 4min 21.812secs GT1

Le Mans 24 Hours: Watch the entire event LIVE on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 10 of 10

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  1. Stephane is my best friends cousin great guy

    From Andrew, on Thu 6 Aug 11:44PM

  2. Good Luck Ginetta !
    ( Aston Martin aren't the only­ British team there... in fact come to think of it, they­ aren't actually British at all these days ! )

    From Ricardo, on Sat 13 Jun 3:04PM

  3. Team B E A V E R Trim! Yes yellow shirts

    From IAN T, on Fri 12 Jun 8:01PM

  4. Regards from Team @#$% Trim, unable to make Arnage this­ year, due to the @#$% pound, look forword to next year,­ have a beer on us at the Harliquin.

    From IAN T, on Fri 12 Jun 7:59PM

  5. peugeot on pole again, but audi to win again. the 908­ is super fast, but very fragile
    as proven last year­ with that gearbox problem after 5 hour's. Audi for­ win number 9.

    From Mike, on Fri 12 Jun 4:49PM

  6. Good luck ASTON MARTIN-50 years since their first win -­ go for it lads-lets have the top three places!!

    From child protector, on Fri 12 Jun 2:32PM

  7. Good luck ASTON MARTIN-50 years since their first win -­ go for it lads-lets have the top three places!!

    From child protector, on Fri 12 Jun 1:36PM

  8. I dream to be French

    From Bastien, on Fri 12 Jun 7:33AM

  9. The frogs are crying before they start again. Illegal­ bodywork on the Audi's - Rubbish, same as the­ diffuser gripes from Ferrari et al. Let them RACE and­ enjoy the fight.

    From Rob, on Fri 12 Jun 5:21AM

  10. Good Luck Alan McNish & team from Dumfriesxxxx

    From lizbeth, on Fri 12 Jun 4:56AM
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