Dane wins seventh Le Mans title

Denmark’s Tom Kristensen created motor racing history this afternoon as he notched up a record-breaking seventh victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Kristensen brought home the Champion Audi car he was sharing with Marco Werner and JJ Lehto two laps ahead of the remaining Pescarolo of Emmanuel Collard, Jean-Christophe Boullion and Erik Comas.

The achievement broke the record Kristensen formerly shared with Jacky Ickx.

The second Champion Audi car driven by Scotland’s Allan McNish, Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela finished third, handing McNish his third career podium in the famous endurance event.

Reigning world rally champion Sebastien Loeb had his Le Mans dreams shattered after the Pescarolo car he was sharing with Soheil Ayari and Eric Helary retired from fifth place in the race with just over four hours to go.

Loeb had not long handed the car over to Ayari, who clipped the curb at the Playstation chicane before putting the car into the tyre wall.

Ayari sustained extensive damage to the car following the contact with the wall, and it was damage which could not be repaired. He drove it back into the pits and their race was ended prematurely.