Double LMP2 winners RML endured a difficult Le Mans 24 Hours at La Sarthe after the team was forced out of the event following a number of incidents for the MG Lola EX265.

The team became the latest to suffer a high-speed accident that saw a prototype car leave the ground during the race and although the Lola was able to return to the action, the decision was later taken to withdraw on safety grounds – and with the prospect that the team wouldn't complete the required number of laps to be classified as a finisher.

The race had started quite well for the 2005/06 LMP2 champions, with Tommy Erdos climbing from sixth in class to third in the early stages. However, contact with the LMP1 Cytosport Lola of Greg Pickett saw Erdos turned into the wall on the Mulsanne Straight and left the car nursing severe frontal damage.

Erdos nursed the car back to the pits where it underwent repairs and was back on track within half an hour, with the Brazilian completing his stint before Mike Newton and Andy Wallace completed double stints to take the car back up the order.

After seeing Erdos complete his second stint, Newton then took to the track but coming through the Porsche Curves – scene of Marc Gene's huge accident on the test day – the Lola snapped to the right and lifted off the ground.

Almost at the point when the car was upside down, the front corner dug in, spinning the car violently back the other way, until the left rear hit the ground in turn. The car bucked again before finally settling back on its wheels – with Newton slowly coming back to the pits.

Onboard footage of the incident allowed the team to focus repair work on the areas of impact and after two hours of rebuilding work, Wallace took the car back onto the track. However, with the car proving to be difficult to drive because of the damage sustained, there was little option but to retire on safety grounds.

"The truth is, we simply couldn't achieve a classified finish," Adam Wiseberg, motorsport director of AD Group. "Even if we could get the car to handle properly again, there were insufficient hours left in the race for us to complete the minimum number of laps required to meet the 70 per cent rule. Accepting that was a very difficult decision."

Ray Mallock, founder of RML, was in the garage to witness the final hours and admitted it was a tough end to the race.

"Although the team did a remarkable job in getting the car back together again, we were unable to recover the chassis settings that would enable our drivers to race competitively, or safely," he said. "Sadly, there was nothing to be gained by pressing on."