ALL THREE CARS INSIDE LAP RECORD

+ Click to Enlarge PEUGEOT IN CONTROL: French Peugeot driver Nicolas Minassian runs ahead of an Audi R10 diesel prototype being driven by Dane Tom Kristensen on the Le Mans track during first qualifying for the Le Mans 24-Hours. Peugeot, so far, has the top three times – and the outright lap record. Image: AFP

June 12, 2008

Peugeot has shattered the Le Mans lap record and filled the top three places after first qualifying for this weekend's 24-Hours sports car race.

French driver Stephane Sarrazin, who will be partnered by Portugal's Pedro Lamy and Austrian Alex Wurz in a diesel 908 in the race, demolished the existing record by 7.8sec with a time of 3min18.513 in the first session.

The remaining two Peugeots were also inside the lap record, with the three works Audi diesel R10 cars filling the next three places.

Sarrazin said: "Even if Audi is six seconds behind Peugeot, the race will be very different and we are expecting Audi to be a strong opponent."

Final qualifying will end late on Thursday.

Another trio of ex-Formula 1 drivers filled the second slot with France's Franck Montagny, partnered by Austrian Christian Klien and Brazilian Ricardo Zonta, lapping in 3min18.682.

Canada's 1997 F1 World champion Jacques Villeneuve, Spaniard Marc Gene and France's Nicolas Minassian were third fastest in 3min20.451.

'Can't beat the time'

The Audi team, with seven-times Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in fourth place, said it was focusing more on set-up for the race that will start on Saturday.

"We cannot do a better lap time than Peugeot," Dane Kristensen said. "That is why we focus mostly on race preparation. We haven't used our best tyres and haven't got yet the best settings.

"We are sure we can improve our times, even if Peugeot will probably be in pole position."

Audi has won at Le Mans for the past four years and in seven of the last eight outings. However Peugeot has won all three LMS series races so far this season. - Reuters