Club Arnage the Le Mans 24 hours LIVE coverage

Live Updates
Sunday 14:00hrs-15:00hrs
By: Stella-Maria Thomas and Lynne Waite

Despite all the chaos of the previous hour, the No. 1 Audi is still going round as if on rails, albeit very slippery ones in the hands of Emmanuele Pirro with its cousin-car (rather than sister-car) as driven by Laurent Aiello.

No. 63 Corvette is in and is seemingly having a new gearbox fitted.
Scott Pruett: "We're just playing it conservative. We're checking the electronics because we do not want to stop out on the track. The only thing we can do is lose so we're going to be smart."
The No. 60 Saleen is in serious trouble with an "engine problem". They are trying to get it back out for the end of the race if they possibly can.
Meanwhile, the skies are clearing again despite the weather forecast, which says: "Changing and threatening weather. Many spells of rain."

The Safety Cars are still out there but the weather does seem to be improving a little.
The No. 17 Courage is still in the garage and has no rear bodywork on it at present. They appear to have disconnected the fuel injection system and local boy Sebastien Bourdais is looking rather distraught right now. JCB brought it back after it stopped out on the circuit then took it out for a quick exploratory lap before diving back into the garage where it has stayed ever since. Henri Pescarolo: "The car is good for maybe one lap."

The Safety Cars are about to pull in, the umbrellas are coming down and we expect to see them any time now round here.
No. 72 Porsche comes in for a quick pit stop with Atsushi Yogo at the wheel. There are mechanics under the bonnet peering at the internal workings.
John Nielsen: "It's Le Mans again. Our car never ran in the wet before and that was our problem. It's been very difficult. It's been very dangerous. We had a lot of water in the car and maybe an electrical problem."

And at 14:12 the Safety Car pulls off.
The Bentley pits unexpectedly. They are refuelling now. Eric van de Poele is being wiped down with sponges or at least the car is, and when it goes back out the Bentley fans in the grandstand opposite the Bentley garages go nuts. They have been in there all week and in fact since Wednesday and they probably deserve a medal for sticking it out in this weather - after all, there's no trace of the alternative Hawaiian Tropic "girls" or the chickens.
Laurent Aiello (No. 2) is busy attempting to unlap himself now from Emmanuele Pirro (No. 1). He makes a dive to try and take it and is right on the tail of the other car before getting back on the same lap as the No. 1 car. Whether he now stays there, or whether he tries to catch up and take the lead, remains to be seen.
Herr Ulrich: "It makes no sense to disturb the rhythm of the drivers now. They are intelligent and they know what to do."

Vic Rice about the Callaway: "If we can put the car on a diet and get it down to it's fighting weight we can start to do well next year."
There is the threat of more rain before this race ends too. With one and a half hours to go it's starting to rain again. It's not hard yet but is getting more intense. The wind is getting up and they are having the most dreadful job getting the Goodyear airship down to land.
It's very quiet out there now because the GTs are hiding out in the garages because they are afraid of falling off before the end of the race. Meanwhile, the weather is getting worse again and the wind has changed direction.

While the Safety Car was out the No, 6 Cadillac may have had a new starter motor fitted. It's on its way in for Tinseau to take over. Once it got in they couldn't get it to start. The WD40 gets a workout but they have to fight to start it again. It won't affect their position.
The No. 38 Roc Reynard dives in for a stop.
No. 64 is now out of the garage and sitting on the pit apron. They are putting in Andy Pilgrim but first they are cleaning it so that it won't look dreadful out there.
No. 2 Audi is in for a pit stop as is the No. 1 Audi. They take the No. 2 first and then the No. 1. They both get out fast.

The No. 63 Corvette comes out to take to the track again too - it has no side windows anymore because last year the drivers complained about the heat so this year they removed them.
The rain increases again; this is not nice refined rain - this is fat rain.
The Cadillac is crawling along now somewhere out on the circuit.
No. 76 comes in for a short pit stop and goes out again.
Johnny Herbert: "It's not that nice is it? I hope you're all keeping warm out there! I think if a Champ Car deal doesn't come off I'll just do this in the future."
No. 74 comes in for a stop.

The Cadillac pulls off at the Porsche Curves with just over an hour to go. The marshals push the car away behind the wall with a clutch failure.
The No. 72 car has things dangling loose on the back right hand corner and now it's shedding bits, having been tank taped back together after an impact.
No. 16 comes in for a pit stop. Beretta gets in while the mechanics clear out the air ducts.
No. 58 goes back out.

Placings at 15:00:
1, Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP900), Frank Biela (D), Tom Kristensen (DK), Emmanuele Pirro (I)
2, Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP900), Laurent Aiello (F), Rinaldo Capello (I), Christian Pescatori (I)
8, Team Bentley (LMGTP), Andy Wallace (GB), Eric Van De Poele (B), Butch Leitzinger (USA)
16, Team Playstation (LMP900), Olivier Beretta (F), Karl Wendlinger (A), Pedro Lamy (P)
38, Roc Auto (LMP675), Jordi Gene (E), Pascal Fabre (F), Jean-Denis Deletraz (CH)
17, Pescarolo Sport (LMP900), Sebastien Bourdais (F), Jean-Christophe Boullion (F), Laurent Redon (F)
6, DAMS (LMP900), Wayne Taylor (USA), Massimo Angelelli (I), Christophe Tinseau (F)
83, Seikel Motorsport (LMGT), Gabrio Rosa (I), Fabio Babini (I), Luca Drudi (I)
77, Freisinger Motorsport (LMGT), Gunnar Jeannette (USA), Romain Dumas (F), Philippe Haezebrouck (F)
63, Corvette Racing Gary Pratt (LMGTS), Ron Fellows (USA), Scott Pruett (USA), Johnny O'Connell (USA)
75, Perspective Racing (LMGT), Thierry Perrier (F), Michel Neugarten (B), Nigel Smith (GB)
80, Larbre Competition (LMGT), Patrice Goueslard (F), Jean Luc Chereau (F), Sebastien Dumez (F)
72, Team Taisan Advan (LMGT), Hideo Fukuyama (J), Atsushi Yogo (J), Kazuyuki Nishizawa (J)
82, Seikel Motorsport (LMGT), Tony Burgess (CAN), Max Cohen-Olivar (MAR), Andrew Bagnall (NZ)
64, Corvette Racing Gary Pratt (LMGTS), Andy Pilgrim (USA), Franck Freon (F), Kelly Collins (USA)
76, PK Sport Ltd (LMGT), Mike Youles (GB), Stephen Day (GB), Dave Warnock (GB)
74, Warmup Luc Alphand Adventures (LMGT), Luc Alphand (F), Michel Ligonnet (F), Luis Marques (F)
60, Saleen (LMGTS), Franz Konrad (D), Oliver Gavin (GB), Terry Borcheller (USA)
30, Welter Gerard (LMP675), Yojiro Terada (J), Jean-Rene De Fournoux (F), Stephane Daoudi (F)
79, Noel del Bello (LMGT), Sylvain Noel (F), Georges Forgeois (USA), Jean Luc Maury Laribiere (F)

Retirements:
58, Larbre Competition (LMGTS), Christophe Bouchut (F), Jean-Philippe Belloc (F), Tiago Monteiro (P)
14, Viper Team Oreca (LMP900), Ni Amorim (P), Seiji Ara (J), Masahiko Kondo (J)
62, RML (LMGTS), Bruno Lambert (B), Ian McKellar (GB), Johnny Mowlem (GB)
9, Racing For Holland (LMP900), Jan Lammers (NL), Val Hillebrand (NL), Donny Crevels (NL)
20, Team Ascari (LMP900), Werner Lupberger (RSA), Ben Collins (GB), Harri Toivonen (SF)
15, Viper Team Oreca (LMP900), Yannick Dalmas (F), Franck Montagny (F), Stephane Sarrazin (F)
70, Aspen Knolls (LMGT), Cort Wagner (USA), Bob Mazzuoccola (USA), Vic Rice (USA)
36, Dick Barbour (LMP675), Didier de Radigues (B), Sascha Maassen (D), Hideshi Matsuda (J)
32, Roock-Knight Hawk Racing (LMP675), Claudia Hürtgen (D), Christopher Gleason (USA), Rick Fairbanks (USA)
33, MG Sport & Racing Ltd (LMP675), Mark Blundell (GB), Julian Bailey (GB), Kevin McGarrity (GB)
11, Panoz Motor Sports (LMP900), Klaus Graf (D), Jamie Davis (GB), Gary Formato (RSA)
12, Panoz Motor Sports (LMP900), Jan Magnussen (DK), David Brabham (AUS), Franck Lagorce (F)
3, Champion Racing (LMP900), Johnny Herbert (GB), Ralf Kelleners (D), Didier Theys (B)
10, Team Den Bla Avis (LMP900), John Nielsen (DK), Hiroki Katoh (J), Casper Elgaard (DK)
21, Team Ascari (LMP900), Scott Maxwell (CAN), Klaas Zwart (NL), Xavier Pompidou (F)
55, Paul Belmondo Racing (LMGTS), Vincent Vosse (B), Vanina Ickx (B), Carl Rosenblad (S)
7, Team Bentley (LMGTP), Martin Brundle (GB), Stephane Ortelli (F), Guy Smith (GB)
5, DAMS (LMP900), Eric Bernard (F), Emmanuel Collard (F), Marc Goossens (B)
19, SMG (LMP900), Philippe Gache (F), Anthony Beltoise (F), Jerome Policand (F)
56, Paul Belmondo Racing (LMGTS), Anthony Kumpen (B), Gregoire de Galzian (F), Jean-Claude Lagniez (F)
71, Racing Engineering (LMGT), Robin Donovan (GB), Chris MacAllister (USA), Terry Linger (USA)
18, Pescarolo Sport (LMP900), Didier Cottaz (F), Boris Derichebourg (F), Emmanuel Clerico (F)
4, Johansson Motorsport (LMP900), Tom Coronel (NL), Stephan Johansson (S), Patrick Lemarie (F)
34, MG Sport & Racing Ltd (LMP675), Anthony Reid (GB), Warren Hughes (GB), Johnny Kane (GB)
37, Dick Barbour (LMP675), John Graham (CAN), Milka Duno (VEN), David Murry (USA)
61, Konrad Motorsport (LMGTS), Walter Brun (CH), Toni Seiler (CH), Charles Slater (USA)
57, Equipe De France FFSA (LMGTS), Davide Terrien (F), Jonathan Cochet (F), Jean-Philippe Dayraut (F)
35, S+R Rowan Racing Ltd (LMP675), Martin O'Connell (GB), Warren Carway (IRL), Francois Migault (F)