Home » Blog » News » McNish Nets Provisional Fourth Row Start Position For Le Mans 24 Hours

10 June 2010 | Posted in News

The diesel-engined Audi sportscar of Britain's Allan McNish claimed a provisional fourth row spot by setting the seventh fastest time in the opening qualifying session for this weekend's Le Mans 24 Hours last night (WED).

The 40-year-old Scotsman, who shares the Audi R15 TDI with co-drivers Dindo Capello (Italy) and Tom Kristensen (Denmark), set a personal fastest time for their car of 3min 24.688secs around the 8.47-mile circuit. Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais (Peugeot) sits on provisional pole-position (3:19.711).

"It was a little disappointing to see the pace of the Peugeots," commented McNish. "Traffic played a little part but we weren't in a position to fight with them. We spent a lot of time working on a race set-up. We [Audi] do not spend a lot of time focusing on getting the car right for qualifying - it's the race that matters."

The similar "factory" entered Audi R15 TDI sportscars of Timo Bernhard (Germany)/Romain Dumas (France)/Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) plus Marcel Fässler (Switzerland)/André Lotterer (Germany)/Benoît Treluyer (France) set the fifth (3:23.578) and sixth (3:24.430) fastest times respectively.

The two-hour official time trial which ended at midnight followed on from a four-hour opening practice session which opened on-track proceedings for the 78^th Le Mans 24 Hours which sees Audi bidding to score its ninth victory since the German manufacturer's Le Mans race début in 1999.

Two further qualifying sessions to determine starting grid positions for the 56-cars are staged tonight (THURS). Former World Champion Formula One drivers Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost are contesting this year's race.

 

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