LeMans Hour 20: Kristensen Audi leads

The #45 Thiriet by TDS Ligier has taken a late lead in the LMP2 class from the sister OAK Ligier as the 2014 Le Mans Hours enters its latter stages.

The #35 G-Drive by OAK Ligier had been the comfortable leader of the LMP2 class since the fifth hour, pulling out a margin over more than a lap over the competition, headed up by the identical TDS machine, which in turn had only just risen to a new peak of second due to problems for the Signatech Alpine.

However, a technical issue at the start of the hour would consign the OAK car to the garage for two laps, allowing driver-owner Pierre Thiriet to take his eponymous car to the front and move a lap ahead in the process.

Meanwhile, Andre Lotterer pumped in a new fastest lap in the third place #2 Audi, his time on lap 299 usurping the previous best – set by the #7 Toyota at the start of the race – by three tenths.

He remains in third place, with Tom Kristensen having taken over from Marc Gene at the front of the field, while the #20 Porsche Timo Bernhard circulates in a lonely second place.

In GTE Pro, the #97 Aston Martin is back out after suffering power steering issues, but is now five laps off the lead. It means the #51 AF Corse Ferrari is well on track for the win, two laps ahead of the #92 Porsche and the #73 Corvette.

The #95 Aston Martin still leads the GTE AM class by two laps from the #88 Proton Porsche and the #61 AF Corse Ferrari.

Hour 20 Standings