The Aston Martin squad were able to defend their 2007 win
3 Hours
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21 Hours
24 Hours
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3 Hours
After 3 hours: 009 leads GT1 class at Le Mans 24 Hours
After three hours of the world's most demanding endurance race, Aston Martin DBR9 number 009 - driven by David Brabham, Antonio Garcia and Darren Turner - leads the GT1 class in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The battle for the category lead though is extremely close, as there are two Corvettes within a minute and a half of the leading Aston Martin. The 007 car of Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Andrea Piccini and Karl Wendlinger is fourth, just over one minute further back from the top trio.
None of the drivers have reported any problems with the two Gulf-liveried DBR9s, but the Aston Martin-engined LMP1 prototype hit trouble an hour and a half after the green light, following its excellent start from sixth place on the grid. Jan Charouz had a spin that damaged the front-right bodywork and steering of the car, which took just 25 minutes in the pits to repair thanks to some slick pit work.
There were no such problems for the two factory DBR9s though. David Brabham started from fourth on the GT1 grid, and did an extremely rapid initial double stint, which moved the car up the field.
"We didn't really have any dramas: the only thing is that we got held up by a car that was weaving all over the place," said Brabham. "The handling of the car went off gradually, but I think that was down to the tyre pressures climbing too high, so we stopped a little bit early at the end of my first stint in order to rectify the situation. At the start of the race, getting the tyre pressures right involves a bit of guesswork, so these things can happen. Apart from that, the car's going great and it's been a really good start." Brabham then handed over to Garcia at around 1715, and Turner is now in the car.
Wendlinger started the race in 007, and he too reported a trouble-free beginning. "Everything went according to plan: we made sure that we gave ourselves enough space on the first lap and just stayed out of trouble," he said. "There's nothing to be gained from pushing too hard too quickly, so I concentrated on lapping consistently and maintaining position. I wasn't too happy with the handling, but I think that's just down to the same tyre pressure issue that affected 009."
After Wendlinger, Piccini took over the car and now Darren Turner is embarking on a long evening stint - just as he did last year when he formed part of the winning 009 crew.
6 Hours
After 6 hours: 009 extends its GT1 lead
The fight for GT1 class honours remains as close as ever after six hours of racing at Le Mans, with the two Gulf-liveried Aston Martin DBR9s in strong positions as evening turns into night.
Darren Turner has completed a strong double-stint at the wheel of car 009, which has extended its class lead with David Brabham now driving.
Turner, who formed part of Aston Martin's GT1-winning crew last year along with Brabham, had no problems at all during his stint -- apart from the usual challenges associated with competing at the legendary La Sarthe circuit.
"It was a good few laps, although I did make one mistake where I braked slightly late, got wide and lost maybe four or five seconds," said Turner. "Other than that, it was nice and clean. I've had a few minor problems with traffic: I've just seemed to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time on a few occasions: it's the normal problem at Le Mans. But actually these are just very small things: overall, it's been a very good start to the race."
Former Grand Prix driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen enjoyed his first competitive stint behind the wheel of the 007 DBR9, and also steered clear of trouble to move up to third, completing a very positive first quarter of the race for the Aston Martin Racing team.
"I felt comfortable in the car, and I was driving at a good pace that was quite fast but mostly just consistent," he reported, stepping from the 007 car. "Towards the end of my double stint I felt a strange vibration from the front, which I think was down to me flat-spotting a tyre, although I wasn't sure at the time."
Karl Wendlinger -- another former Grand Prix driver -- has now taken over 007 for his second stint after starting the race at 3pm.
Following an earlier off-road excursion, the Aston Martin-powered LMP1 prototype has set some very fast times, currently making it the quickest petrol-powered car on track.
Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: "We're naturally very pleased with the way that the race has started for us, with one car first and the other car third. It's still far too early to make any assumptions about how it will all pan out though, as we are nowhere near halfway even yet. It's a real pity about the accident to the LMP1 car, as the pace that it is showing now is indicative of its true potential."
With night now descending, track temperatures will cool considerably -- making tyre choice another complicated aspect of this demanding challenge.
Overtaking will also be made more complicated by the reduced visibility, with drivers having to rely on their established braking points and keep a careful eye on surrounding traffic.
9 Hours
After 9 hours: Aston Martin leads a tight GT1 battle
As midnight came and went, the battle for the GT1 lead intensified -- although the 009 Aston Martin DBR9 has still managed to slightly increase its advantage at the head of the category.
With the fight so close, just one pit stop is enough to make the difference -- so the cars are having to balance performance with fuel consumption: a traditional key to success at Le Mans.
Despite the fact that the race is now nine hours old and has been run at a rapid pace, the rate of attrition so far has been remarkably low. All the DBR9s have displayed perfect reliability as the race approaches its halfway point -- and the battle for the win looks set to go all the way to the end. Last year, the 009 car spent the least time of any competitor in the pits: a crucial factor in its class victory.
Antonio Garcia handed 009 over to Darren Turner just before midnight, having put in a series of quick laps to edge out a little bit more of a cushion in the category lead. Nonetheless, he reported that the track was quite tricky -- with a number of cars stranded as the result of trips into the gravel and the marker cones missing at Mulsanne corner.
Turner said: "My biggest aim is just to keep it neat and tidy. It's good now that the race is properly underway: everyone's had the chance to settle in a bit and you can just concentrate on doing a good solid job."
With the battle at the front so tight, there can be no room for mistakes. The 007 car was delivered to Heinz-Harald Frentzen by Andrea Piccini after a flawless run to maintain third place. This is Frentzen's first competitive run in darkness with the DBR9, but he has good memories of night driving from his only previous run at Le Mans in 1992. "I managed to be quite competitive in the night at Le Mans last time and I really enjoyed it," said the German. "Hopefully the same will be the case this time, 16 years later!" In fact, Frentzen was at one point quickest during the night during his 1992 outing -- underlining his confidence even in marginal conditions.
The new LMP1 Aston Martin-powered prototype has continued to perform strongly, and is now climbing its way back up the leaderboard with Tomas Enge at the wheel. "We just have to do what we can," said the Czech driver. "This year there is no pressure for me or any of us, because the car is so new that nobody is expecting so much. We just have to get out there and show what we can do."
The two customer DBR9s, run by Team Modena and Vitaphone Racing, have had mixed fortunes so far. The Vitaphone car was reported stopped out on the circuit, but the Modena car is recovering well from an earlier puncture and is currently sixth in class with Christian Fittipaldi at the wheel.
Some weather reports are predicting the possibility of rain -- which could add yet another intriguing dimension to what is already a fascinating Le Mans 24 Hours. A safety car deployed just after midnight as the result of an accident at Mulsanne corner is also set to shake up the order.
12 Hours
After 12 hours: Aston Martin in the thick of the battle
David Brabham, currently at the wheel of the 009 DBR9, is competing on his 15th Le Mans 24 Hours this year, but he says that he cannot remember any event that has been closer.
With the halfway point of the race just gone, the gap between 009 in the lead and the second-placed Corvette in GT1 is just over half a minute, with around 2000 kilometres of competition already completed.
"I honestly can't remember anything like it," said Brabham. "Having said that, I knew it would be like this before coming here. From a sporting point of view it's a fantastic competition, but it really means that we have to keep on pushing, all the time. Every lap feels like a qualifying lap. If it carries on like this, we'll still be fighting for the lead on the final lap."
Brabham took over the DBR9 from Darren Turner, who did what was effectively a quadruple stint at around midnight.
The second DBR9, numbered 007, is still holding third place in the capable hands of Andrea Piccini, who qualified the car. Neither DBR9 has suffered any mechanical problem so far, despite the fact that both crews are having to push hard.
The Aston Martin-powered LMP1 prototype is also going well and is still the fastest petrol-powered car, lapping between three and five seconds faster than its closest petrol rival. "It's all coming together well," said Stefan Mucke, one of the three drivers. "The reliability has been very good in the race, so I think we can be very pleased by what we have achieved so far."
George Howard-Chappell, the Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing, concluded: "We're obviously very pleased by the way that the race has started but we have to remember that we are only halfway through: we have to do it all over again. The advantage that we have is negligible and anything can still happen, particularly as we are expecting rain at some point later this morning."
The Team Modena DBR9 is still sixth in GT1 after a trouble-free stint, and is currently being driven by Christian Fittipaldi.
The Aston Martin cars took charge through the night
15 Hours
After 15 hours: 009 leads but 007 hits trouble
The 009 DBR9 has once more extended its advantage at the head of the GT1 category in the Le Mans 24 Hours, despite a sudden period of rain that made the circuit extremely unpredictable. At one point, the 009 car held a lead of less than four seconds over its closest rival, the Corvette, in conditions that were extremely slippery.
Nonetheless, thanks to some calm and collected driving from Antonio Garcia, the Spaniard not only managed to keep his determined rival at bay, but also to extend his GT1 class lead by around two minutes.
The rain began to fall just after 5am, starting with a localised shower that then turned into a heavier downpour, soaking parts of the circuit. Many competitors came in for intermediate tyres and then full wets. During the course of these stops, Garcia found himself running immediately in front of the Corvette.
Despite an extremely slippery track - particularly when it had just started to rain - Garcia soaked up the pressure to build up a bigger lead.
Things were not quite so straightforward for the 007 car though. Whilst Andrea Piccini was driving it developed an electrical problem that required a change of alternator. The Aston Martin Racing mechanics were able to quickly carry out the work in the pit garage, and the car only lost two places after about 15 minutes of repair work. The car is now back to full health, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen at the wheel.
The Charouz Racing System LMP1 prototype, powered by Aston Martin, is currently 12th overall after fighting back from a half-hour delay caused by an off at the beginning of the race. The privately-entered DBR9 of Team Modena is eighth in the GT1 class.
The rain is still falling at La Sarthe, and predictions are that it might remain for a lot of the morning. The amount of damp on the circuit varies from place to place, making it extremely difficult to judge how much grip is available.
As Heinz-Harald Frentzen, an acknowledged rainmaster, points out: "If it is full wet conditions, at least you know where you are. But where it is more wet in some places than others, then it becomes tricky. You just have to try to be really careful."
Nonetheless, with the Corvettes so close behind, the Aston Martin Racing team cannot afford to drop any time being careful - even though the cars are now all running on wet tyres to combat the damp conditions.
18 Hours
After 18 hours: 009 enters final quarter of the race
With 18 hours gone, the Le Mans 24 Hours is entering its final quarter with the 009 car still leading the GT1 class - but as driver Darren Turner points out, this is still a race in itself.
"It's like we're starting a six-hour race now - and we all know just how much can happen in a six-hour race," he said. "We've got a lap, or just about, as a lead and that's really not very much in the overall scheme of things. Absolutely anything can happen, so it's only natural to be feeling a little nervous in this situation."
The 009 DBR9 has performed like clockwork so far, avoiding any mechanical problems or contact with other competitors. David Brabham is currently driving it, but he is having to cope with tricky wet conditions and variable levels of grip.=20
The rain that started at around 5am this morning has never properly gone away, although it has stopped intermittently. There is plenty of standing water, and knowing where the worst of it is forms part of the art of driving the La Sarthe circuit.
Following an alternator change in the early hours of the morning, the 007 DBR9 is back up to fourth place - currently in the hands of Karl Wendlinger.
"Personally I've had no problems at all during the race: it's gone really well," reported the Austrian. "I heard about the alternator change, but I don't think that will affect anything. This is the first time I will drive the car in the wet in this race, but I've already had plenty of experience of wet conditions so I really don't think that will be a problem."
The Charouz Racing system LMP1 prototype, powered by Aston Martin, is continuing to climb up the leaderboard with a solid run and is now 11th. The privately-run Team Modena DBR9 is currently still eighth in the GT1 class, with American Terry Borcheller at the wheel.
Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: "So far so good, but it's really still too early to make any sort of predictions as to the race outcome. The reports say that the weather will dry up, but it seems to me that there will still be quite a lot of water for quite some time - which obviously adds another unpredictable element."
21 Hours
After 21 hours: Le Mans 24 Hours set for dramatic finale
In recent years the Le Mans 24 Hours has often contained a final twist and 2008 is no exception, with intermittent localised rain falling on certain parts of the La Sarthe circuit. With the GT1-leading DBR9 009 still holding a small advantage over the Corvette, every decision has now become crucial. If there is a wrong call on the tyres, there will be no chance to come back into the pits and change again without losing the lead.
More than ever, these closing stages of the 76th Le Mans 24 Hours are illustrating that endurance racing is a true team sport. Darren Turner is currently driving the car, but he is backed up by constant support from the Aston Martin Racing technicians on the radio, and track condition updates from his team mate in the 007 car.
"You drive to a completely different set of rules in this situation," he said. "You don't try to be competitive; you just try to be safe and consistent. Even if you drop a few seconds a lap to your rivals, it doesn't matter."
Although Darren (along with David Brabham) formed part of the 009 crew that won the GT1 class at Le Mans last year, he doesn't necessarily assume that the experience will make it any easier this time round.
The 007 car is still going strongly in fourth place, now with Heinz-Harald Frentzen behind the wheel. With the end so closely in sight all the drivers are having to be careful - as many of the leading crews are getting caught out by on the slippery surfaces.
24 Hours
Aston Martin victorious at Le Mans for the second consecutive year
One year on from Aston Martin's first victory in the GT1 class in 2007 -- which was the first Le Mans win since the company triumphed overall in 1959 -- the 009 DBR9 of David Brabham, Antonio Garcia and Darren Turner has claimed another GT1 win at the La Sarthe circuit.
Just like last year, the 009 car -- this time resplendent in the iconic Gulf livery -- took the class victory at Le Mans, for sports cars based closely on their road-going equivalents.
The race was one of the closest in history, in all the classes. The 009 car took the lead within the first three hours of the endurance classic, but it was shadowed constantly by its Corvette rival. Intermittent rain and safety car periods made the duel closer still: at one point halfway through the race 009 and its pursuer were separated by less than four seconds. Even at the finish, the two cars were less than five minutes apart -- having covered more than 4,500 kilometres.
The suspense remained right up until the end of an epic race. More rain fell within an hour of the finish at 3pm on Sunday, making every decision crucial. A wrong tyre choice, or the smallest mistake from any of the drivers, would have cost the coveted victory.
As it was, all the drivers as well as the car were flawless throughout the 24 hours. Brabham, Garcia and Turner represented the perfect blend of youth and experience, each bringing their own area of expertise to the challenges of the 14-kilometre circuit.
Brabham, who started and finished the race, commented: "I've competed at Le Mans 15 times, but this is the closest race I've ever experienced. That's exactly how I thought it would be from the start of the year, and of course it makes our second win here even more satisfying. The finish was particularly tense; we really didn't know how it was going to work out up until the very last lap. I've never driven a race where I've had to push so hard from the very start to the very end: I think it's been a great show for everyone."
Antonio Garcia, a new recruit to the Aston Martin Racing team this year who qualified the 009 car in fourth and soaked up the pressure from the Corvette when it was at its closest, commented: "It was actually a perfect event for us, but there were some stressful moments. When I got the message in the middle of the night that the Corvette was right behind me, I was a bit worried at first but then I realised that we had the pace to pull away, so from then on it was a bit easier. Mechanically the car has been perfect: very quick, and very easy to drive."
Darren Turner -- who has been an Aston Martin Racing driver since the programme started in 2005 -- drove two crucial stints that were key to the victory: one quadruple stint during the night, and the penultimate stint in hazardously wet and dry conditions. "Lots of people say that winning is easier the second time round, but I'm not sure that's true," he said. "Every victory is tough but this one was something else. The fact that we managed to achieve it against such strong opposition is a huge tribute to the entire team. Conditions were far from easy, but thanks to a great car and a great team we were able to do it."
The second factory Aston Martin DBR9, 007, finished fourth in class thanks to an excellent drive from Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Andrea Piccini and Karl Wendlinger. The 007 car was running in a strong third overall when it encountered an alternator problem just after 5am on Sunday morning. Some excellent pit work from the Aston Martin Racing team meant that the car was out again in just 15 minutes, and then ran faultlessly to the finish.
Adding to Aston Martin's satisfaction over the weekend was a brilliant performance from the new Charouz Racing System LMP1 prototype powered by the same V12 engine that is at the heart of the DBR9. An impressive qualifying performance from Stefan Mucke saw it start from sixth overall on the grid on its Le Mans debut: the fastest of all the petrol cars. An accident earlier in the race meant that it lost half an hour in the pits for repairs, but the car still finished ninth in the general classification and it could have been close to the top six without the accident.
The privateer DBR9 of Team Modena finished eighth in the GT1 class, despite a couple of setbacks including a puncture.
David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin, commented: "For me, Le Mans is the greatest motor race in the world and to win it for the second consecutive year is a brilliant endorsement of a fantastic team effort -- particularly in the iconic colours of Gulf."
Dr Ulrich Bez, the Chief Executive of Aston Martin added: "I am very proud that in the space of just three weeks we have taken two major class wins in two of the most important 24-hour races: the Nurburgring 24 Hours and now the Le Mans 24 Hours for the second time. It's been an incredible day for everybody, and one that we will remember for a very long time."