Le Mans 24 Hours, Final Hour

The track has dried up again and the leading trio are all back into the 3:20s. 

55 minutes to go and the Audi makes its last full stop, it will surely need a very quick splash later.  Lotterer rejoins in the lead without drama.

The word on Michael Wainwright has been updated and it is unfortunately not good.  As well as the broken rib he is reported to have a punctured lung and a broken pelvis after his side-on impact at the Porsche Curves.  We all wish him well.

Lotterer leads Pagenaud by 21 seconds after 23 hours and ten minutes, both owing us a stop although Lotterer's should be shorter.  Something as simple as a puncture now would decide this one though, this is the smallest gap in what remains of the field.

14:23 - The leader opts to pit for his extra splash of fuel plus new rubber  - Pagenaud stops straight afterwards - Fuel only for Peugeot.

Ullrich rubs his hands - the gap is going to be tiny - 7.8 seconds - 35 minutes remaining - It's Lotterer vs Pagenaud, - Audi vs Peugeot for the overall win at the 79th Le Mans 24 Hours.

Pagenaud takes a second out of the Audi in the middle sector  of Lap 345 - the gap is 6.4 seconds at the end of the lap - 6.4 seconds after over 84000 seconds of racing!

Lotterer fights back. There will be no traditional slowing down lap to the finish with marshals flag waving - this one is set to go the wire! They'll do a full slowing down lap instead. That seems to be causing some concern at Peugeot who may not have enough fuel for the additional unplanned lap!

Another stop for the increasingly troubled #10 car - they rejoin.

14:34 Pascale Gibon clangs the second in GTE Am Larbre Porsche into the tyre barrier but rejoins - Jangling nerves everywhere now as this extraordinary race draws to a close.

To cap it all it starts to rain a little!

Lotterer is pulling away - the gap up to 12 seconds.

20 minutes to go and we're into the 'Cruel Zone' anything going amiss now would be bitter gall for anyone involved - Fingers crossed for all concerned after what has been a stunning 24 Hours of action.

14:47 14 seconds the gap - Lotterer seems to have this in hand.

Meanwhile for 13th position overall RML's Ben Collins is taking 25 seconds a lap out of Giancarlo Fisichella - 39 seconds still the gap.

14:55 and Shinji Nakano is very smokey on the start finish straight - a puncture  - surely he won't lose out on the fourth place for the plucky Oak Racing squad on the last lap.

14:56 - 2 laps remaining - the gap up to 17.797 seconds.

Collins takes 13th place - passing Fisichella's GTE Ferrari - That becomes 12th as they pas the strikken Oak - RML up to 4th.

JMB have gone out as walking wounded but may have stopped on the circuit.

Lotterer passes the start finish line at 14:58 - through to the last lap - the gap 15.586 seconds - Ullrich signalls a more controlled pace for the last lap.

Audi Win The 79th Le Mans 24 Hours by an astonishing 13.420 seconds - a difference of just over half a second per hour raced!