Le Mans News

Martin Brundle has taken the lead for the returning Bentley marque under pace car conditions when Laurent Aiello made a lengthy pit-stop under caution but the race has already ended for Ray Rowan's Pilbeam operation.

Le Mans 24 Hours 2001 - Qualifying times.

Rinaldo Capello repeated his Le Mans trials feat and pipped Audi team-mate Tom Kristensen to pole position for the 69th edition of the Le Mans 24 hours, but it took a last session effort to dislodge the Dane.

Just days before the all-new MG Lola sportscar launched its attack on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, members of the MG Owners Club joined Lola to participate in a procession of historic MGs through the streets of Lola's home town Huntingdon.

A total of 23 cars will be riding on Michelin tyres at Le Mans this year, as the French manufacturer fields runners throughout the sportscar classic's field.

As expected, Audis dominated the first two qualifying sessions for this weekend's Le Mans, with only the Johansson example missing out on the party.

French single-seater convert Xavier Pompidou has replaced compatriot Patrick Lemarie in the second Ascari entry for Le Mans.

Ricardo is helping British team PK Sport to prepare the only UK-based GT3 Porsche 911 RS entry for this year's Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Johnny Herbert will be closely monitoring what he eats in between driving his 220mph Audi at Le Mans this weekend, after being deprived of his moment of glory ten years ago.

MG is making an historic return to Le Mans to compete in the world-famous 24-hour endurance race on Saturday and Sunday June 16/17, 2001.

The MG Lola Le Mans sports car - EX257 - was again critically tested by drivers Mark Blundell and Julian Bailey at Snetterton Race Circuit on Tuesday May 22, and by Anthony Reid and Warren Hughes at MIRA on Wednesday May 23, 2001.

The latest addition to the Speedvision '24-Hour crew' is three-time Le Mans participant Allan McNish, who joins a list of racing luminaries in the commentary box.

For almost four years, Steve Saleen and his Speedlab team have been looking toward the future and eyeing their strategic return to the world's greatest sportscar race.

Audi confirmed their status as top dogs at Le Mans as Tom Kristensen set fastest time in the factory Audi, ahead of the first customer chassis of Ralf Kelleners in the Champion-prepared R8.

Panoz's preparations for the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans began in the worst possible way on Sunday when a small fire damaged the lead LMP07 slated for David Brabham, Jan Magnussen and Franck Lagorce ending their test day after less than a dozen laps.

While the grand prix world mourned the death of Michele Alboreto, speculation as to the cause of his death continued.

Family, friends, companions and fans attended the funeral of Audi works driver Michele Alboreto at a service held at the Catholic Parrocchia Gesu Salvatore church in Basiglio, Italy, this afternoon [Friday].

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo will attend Michele Alboreto's funeral, which takes place this afternoon in Milan. Alongside Montezemolo will be some of the mechanics who had worked with the driver during the five years he spent with the Prancing Horse team.

Niki Lauda and Alain Prost are among those paying tribute to former grand prix star Michele Alboreto killed yesterday while testing for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The flagship MG racing project for 2001 will be the Le Mans 24 hour sports car race, where they will enter the all-new MG Lola EX257, designed and built by Lola Cars International, with input from MG Rover.

Former F1 driver Michele Alboreto was killed today in an Audi R8 on the Lausitzring circuit near Dresden in Germany while preparing for the Le Mans 24 Hours.