There is drama even before the start of the race, with Franck Mailleux spinning the #12 Signature Plus Oreca Judd and seemingly being unable to recover.

At the start, the #16 Pescarolo and the #009 Aston Martin have a coming together, which leaves Darren Turner going slowly round the 7km circuit to the pits.

Halfway through the lap the safety car boards are out, presumably to recover the #12. Mailleux climbs back on board and successfully restarts the car. A Peugeot source though tells dsc that the officials did not release the cars in pit lane in time and the Safety car was released to allow the race to re-form

The SC comes in at the end of lap two and racing resumes. Bruno Senna looks impatient to get by Marc Gene in the #9 Peugeot, but is unable to get by and is in danger of slipping back into the clutches of Marcel Fassler in the #13 Speedy Sebah Lola.

Olivier Pla has made a great start in LMP2, gaining three places at the start to lead the class in the Quifel-ASM Ginetta-Zytek. Peter Kox leads GT1 in the Lamborghini and Marc Lieb GT2 in the #77 Team Felbermayr Proton Porsche. Jonny Cocker has the Drayson Racing Aston in an excellent fourth in class.

As feared, the two Peugeots are beginning to break away; the lead three seconds after five laps, with Senna a further five seconds adrift.

The Q8 Lucchini has been pushed into the garage – new pads needed - and the #28 Ibanez Courage makes a delayed race debut.

Marcel Fassler challenges Senna through Bus Stop, but the Brazilian defends and stays ahead through La Source. Fassler pulls alongside on he dive downhill before Eau Rouge and the Oreca driver has to yield.

Moments later, Senna slows suddenly with a rear left puncture, letting Guy Smith up to fourth. The Oreca drives back to the pits at worrying pace – is he risking further damage?

Tyre debris at Blanchimont prompts a second safety car as Senna arrives back at the pits – and straight away misses the leader.

Meanwhile the #30 Racing Box Lola arrives at the pits with no bodywork above the engine. The team are prevented from rejoining by officials until the bodywork is replaced, but are there any spares? The car is out.   

Eventually the leader is picked up and the field bunched. The restart happens on lap 10 and Minassian makes a great getaway.

Three cars are left stranded at La Source after an incident – the #17 Pescarolo, the #96 Virgo Ferrari and the #88 Felbermayr Porsche – but all get going again. Meanwhile, the Drayson Racing Vantage lost out badly in the safety car period by pitting at the wrong time and losing a lap. Jaime Melo is just behind in seventh in class, having started from the rear.

The #15 Kolles Audi of Christian Albers has pitted for new tyres after apparently flat-spotting them.  

The previous LMP2 leader, the #40 Quifel ASM Ginetta Zytek has pitted, the car pushed into the garage, another car seemingly involved in the Pescarolo / GT2 / everyone else tangle.

The action is fast and frantic with the track very busy in places. Lapierre is having to fend off Mucke while lapping, but has already lost position to Darren Turner. Senna spins in his efforts to make up lost time, but quickly recovers.

Turner is now right with Fassler and hungry for third.

Collard takes the P2 lead in the Team Essex Porsche Spyder RS, but Pompidou is certainly not letting him get away – the lead just half a second at the end of lap 19.

Further back, Mailleux is catching Senna in the Signature Plus – seven seconds behind after 19 laps.

The #17 Pescarolo is having its right rear suspension rebuilt, while the Jetalliance Aston is also in the pits after its engine stopped.

With 54 minutes gone, Fassler becomes the first of the lead cars to make a scheduled stop.

Pla confirms that he did hit the Ferrari at the La Source melee on the second restart, after the Ferrari spun. The repairs are estimated to take 40 minutes.

Positions after 1 hour:

1 7 In "LM"P1 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP MINASSIAN Nicolas 02min 07.094 s - 1 25
2 9 In "LM"P1 Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP GENE Marc 02min 09.354 s 00min 25.460 s  1 25
3 009 Run "LM"P1 Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin TURNER Darren 02min 12.129 s - 2 24
4 11 Run "LM"P1 Team Oreca Matmut - AIM Courage-Oreca LC70 - AIM LAPIERRE Nicolas 02min 06.439 s 00min 03.200 s  0 24
5 16 Run "LM"P1 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo - Judd BOULLION Jean-Christophe 02min 06.638 s 00min 07.581 s  1 24
6 007 Run "LM"P1 Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin MUCKE Stefan 02min 11.123 s 00min 08.533 s  1 24
7 15 Run "LM"P1 Kolles Audi R10 TDI ALBERS Christian 02min 07.833 s 00min 21.734 s  1 24
8 23 In "LM"P1 Strakka Racing Ginetta - Zytek HARDMAN Peter 02min 18.886 s 00min 37.245 s  1 24
9 31 Run "LM"P2 Team Essex Porsche RS Spyder COLLARD Emmanuel 02min 11.776 s 01min 07.782 s  0 24
10 13 Run "LM"P1 Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola B08/60 Coupé - Aston Martin FASSLER Marcel 02min 04.992 s 01min 33.309 s  1 24
11 41 Run "LM"P2 G.A.C. Racing Team Zytek 07S - Zytek PETER Philipp 02min 14.125 s 01min 53.516 s  1 24
12 33 Run "LM"P2 Speedy Racing Team Sebah Lola B08/80 Coupé - Judd POMPIDOU Xavier 03min 05.800 s - 1 23
13 39 Run "LM"P2 KSM Lola B09/86 - Mazda NODA Hideki 02min 17.746 s 00min 00.030 s  1 23
14 14 Run "LM"P1 Kolles Audi R10 TDI MEYRICK Andy 02min 10.775 s 00min 11.665 s  1 23
15 25 Run "LM"P2 RML Lola B08/80 Coupé - Mazda ERDOS Tommy 03min 14.938 s 00min 23.486 s  1 23
16 29 Run "LM"P2 Racing Box Lola B08/80 Coupé - Judd FRANCIONI Filippo 02min 12.468 s 00min 29.481 s  1 23
17 22 Run "LM"P1 Team LNT Ginetta - Zytek SMITH Guy 04min 28.187 s 00min 37.046 s  2 23
18 37 Run "LM"P2 WR / Salini WR - Zytek GOMMENDY Tristan 02min 16.395 s 00min 46.709 s  1 23
19 10 Run "LM"P1 Team Oreca Matmut - AIM Courage-Oreca LC70 - AIM SENNA Bruno 02min 08.531 s 00min 52.676 s  1 23
20 32 Run "LM"P2 Team Barazi - Epsilon Zytek 07S - Zytek REES Fernando 02min 14.312 s 00min 56.947 s  2 23
21 12 Run "LM"P1 Signature Plus Courage-Oreca LC70 - Judd MAILLEUX Franck 02min 07.305 s 01min 01.367 s  1 23
22 35 In "LM"P2 Oak Racing Pescarolo - Mazda AJLANI Karim 02min 23.068 s 01min 17.908 s  1 23
23 72 Run "LM"GT1 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6.R GOUESLARD Patrice 02min 22.039 s 01min 21.212 s  1 23
24 26 In "LM"P2 Bruichladdich Bruneau Radical SR9 - AER GREAVES Tim 02min 24.864 s - 1 22
25 77 Run "LM"GT2 Team Felbermayr - Proton Porsche 997 GT3 RSR LIEB Marc 02min 25.693 s 00min 49.274 s  0 22
26 76 Run "LM"GT2 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997 GT3 RSR PILET Patrick 02min 26.521 s 00min 56.476 s  0 22
27 92 Run "LM"GT2 JMW Motorsport Ferrari F430 GT BRUNI Gianmaria 02min 26.067 s 00min 56.871 s  0 22
28 89 Run "LM"GT2 Hankook - Team Farnbacher Ferrari F430 GT KAFFER Pierre 02min 26.617 s 01min 01.246 s  0 22
29 55 Run "LM"GT1 IPB Spartak Racing Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT KOX Peter 02min 22.156 s 01min 42.075 s  1 22
30 84 Run "LM"GT2 Team Modena Ferrari F430 GT MELO Jaime 02min 24.124 s 02min 40.707 s  0 22
31 91 Run "LM"GT2 FBR Ferrari F430 GT MONTERMINI Andrea 02min 26.615 s - 1 21
32 90 Run "LM"GT2 FBR Ferrari F430 GT EHRET Pierre 02min 29.299 s 00min 01.952 s  0 21
33 94 Run "LM"GT2 Prospeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3 RSR PALTTALA Markus 02min 29.046 s 00min 11.210 s  0 21
34 87 Run "LM"GT2 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 COCKER Jonny 02min 26.163 s 00min 14.851 s  1 21
35 85 Run "LM"GT2 Snoras Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2 - R CORONEL Tom 02min 30.338 s 00min 18.733 s  0 21
36 78 Run "LM"GT2 Advanced Engineering Ferrari F430 GT GRIFFIN Matt 02min 28.680 s 00min 19.941 s  0 21
37 96 Run "LM"GT2 Virgo Motorsport Ferrari F430 GT VERGERS Michael 02min 29.088 s 00min 20.881 s  0 21
38 81 Run "LM"GT2 Easyrace Ferrari F430 GT TENCHINI GianPaolo 02min 29.264 s 00min 31.821 s  0 21
39 42 Run "LM"P2 Ranieri Randaccio Lucchini - Nicholson McLaren RANDACCIO Ranieri 02min 41.752 s 01min 14.960 s  1 21
40 38 Run "LM"P2 Pegasus Racing Courage-Oreca LC75 - AER SCHELL Julien 02min 18.533 s - 1 20
41 88 Run "LM"GT2 Team Felbermayr - Proton Porsche 997 GT3 RSR RIED Christian 02min 31.040 s 00min 25.591 s  1 20
42 17 Run "LM"P1 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo - Judd JOUANNY Bruce 02min 09.655 s - 1 18
43 28 Run "LM"P2 Ibanez Racing Service Courage LC 75 CAVAILHES William 02min 23.909 s - 2 17
44 43 Run "LM"P2 Q8 Oils Hache Team Lucchini - Judd CORTES Maximo 02min 17.352 s - 1 16
45 79 In "LM"GT2 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 BOUCHUT Christophe 02min 46.827 s - 2 15
46 66 In "LM"GT1 Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9 LICHTNER-HOYER Lukas 16min 20.997 s - 4 12
47 40 In "LM"P2 Quifel - ASM Team Ginetta-Zytek 09S - Zytek PLA Olivier 04min 58.829 s - 1 11
48 99 In "LM"GT2 JMB RACING Ferrari F430 GT RODRIGUES Manuel 03min 37.638 s - 1 10
49 30 In "LM"P2 Racing Box Lola B08/80 Coupé - Judd PICCINI Andrea 02min 16.567 s - 1 7
50 3 In "LM"P1 Scuderia Lavaggi Lavaggi LS1 - AER LAVAGGI Giovanni 02min 27.740 s - 1 6