Tom Kristensen’s Audi R8 may not have had the pace of the fancied Pescarolo cars, but on Sunday the Dane claimed a place in motorsport history by winning his seventh Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Tom Kristensen’s Audi R8 may not have had the pace of the fancied Pescarolo cars, but on Sunday the Dane claimed a place in motorsport history by winning his seventh Le Mans 24 Hours race.


It was a seventh win in nine attempts for the Dane, who shared his Audi with team-mates JJ Lehto and Marco Werner. Second place went to the French trio of Eric Comas, Emmanuel Collard and Jean-Christophe Boullion, two laps behind the leaders in a Pescarolo. Third placed Allan McNish, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro were four laps back.


World rally championship leader Sebastien Loeb was enjoying an impressive Le Mans debut until co-driver Soheil Ayari put the car into the tyre wall and they were forced to pull out with four hours of the race remaining.


Kristensen, whose seventh win eclipsed the record set by the legendary Jackie Ickx, was understandably delighted at his team's achievement.


"Brilliant. It was a great race," he said. "I am so happy to be the record holder, to have been part of a fantastic victory."


Kristensen was at the wheel when his Audi took the lead in the race in the fourth hour of the race, and they saw off a strong challenge from the French trio in the Pescarolo to hold on for victory.


"They deserved to be near the front," Kristensen said. "But the toughest deserve to win at the end. I could not be more satisfied."

Original article from Car