Audi quickest so far in free practice

The #1 Audi R15 has set a best time so far of 3:30.708, just half a tenth quicker than the German manufacturer's #2 car of Mike Rockenfeller, Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr.

The closest of the Peugeots is less than half a second behind the lead Audi, with the #9 car of Alexander Wurz, David Brabham and Marc Gene lapping in 3:31.102.

The Pescarolo-run customer Peugeot 908 of Jean-Christophe Boullion, Simon Pagenaud and Benoit Treluyer is currently fourth overall after a spell at the top of the timesheet earlier in the session.

All three of the Lola Aston Martins have now posted times in the session, the quickest of which is the #008 car of Darren Turner, Anthony Davidson and Jos Verstappen at a 3:35.996.

The Team Essex Porsche RS Spyder is the quickest LMP2 car so far, while the #63 factory Corvette and the #77 Felbermayer Porsche lead the GT1 and GT2 times respectively.

A dry line had begun to emerge on the circuit after an hour's running, but steady rain has been falling over the pits and first part of the lap since around 19:30 local time, forcing everyone to switch to intermediate tyres. The session will run until midnight local time.

Incidents so far include Jean de Pourtales crashing the #39 KSM Lola-Mazda into the wall at the Ford chicance, Alex Muller having a trip over the gravel at the Dunlop Curves in the Jetalliance Aston Martin and the Japanese Lamborghini Murcielago stopping on its out lap, seemingly with a mechanical problem.

Pos      Drivers                        Car                      Time
LMP1
 1.   #1 McNish/Kristensen/Capello      Audi R15             3:30.708
 2.   #2 Rockenfeller/Werner/Luhr       Audi R15             3:30.762
 3.   #9 Wurz/Brabham/Gene              Peugeot 908          3:31.102
 4.  #17 Boullion/Pagenaud/Treluyer     Peugeot 908          3:33.028
 5.   #8 Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais     Peugeot 908          3:33.426 
 6.   #3 Bernhard/Dumas/Premat          Audi R15             3:34.716
 7.  #16 Tinseau/Barbosa/Jouanny        Pescarolo            3:35.868
 8. #008 Turner/Davidson/Verstappen     Lola Aston Martin    3:35.996
 9. #007 Mucke/Enge/Charouz             Lola Aston Martin    3:36.732
10.   #7 Minassian/Lamy/Klien           Peugeot 908          3:37.980
                                                             
LMP2                                                         
 1.  #31 Collard/Elgaard/Poulsen        Porsche              3:46.426
 2.   #5 Ara/Kunimoto/Maassen           Porsche              3:48.096
 3.  #40 Smith/Pla/Amaral               Ginetta Zytek        3:56.200
                                                             
GT1                                                          
 1.  #63 Magnussen/O'Connell/Garcia     Corvette             3:57.876
 2.  #64 Gavin/Beretta/Fassler          Corvette             3:59.586
 3.  #66 Muller/Lichtner-Hoyer/Gruber   Aston Martin         4:06.606
                                                             
GT2                                                          
 1.  #77 Lieb/Lietz/Henzler             Porsche              4:08.304
 2.  #82 Salo/Melo/Kaffer               Ferrari              4:10.980
 3.  #85 Coronel/Bleekemolen/Janis      Spyker               4:13.196