Le Mans 24 Hours - Hours 13-15

Hour 13

We're into the second half of this race.

03:02 - The #4 Peugeot rejoins after 13 minutes in the garage - Loic Duval rejoins in sixth place, just ahead of the #007 Lola Aston.

The second placed #9 Audi pits for a routine service - Dumas stays aboard for a triple stint. The stop drops the Audi off the lead lap for now.

There's attention to the rear right suspension for the WR Salini - the #37 car currently in 32nd place.

We've had 13 retirements thus far.

GT2 has the two Corvettes ahead of the #77 and #76 Porsches, the #89 and #95 Ferraris, the BMS Porsche and the surviving BMW followed by the #75 and #88 gentlemen racer Porsches.

With thanks to Simon Strang at Autosport, the #4 Audi's problem was a broken right driveshaft (source Hugues de Chaunac).

The #14 R10 has stopped at Karting Nord - Rodrigues at the wheel, the car seems to have hit the wall. It had been running in 16th - 12th in LMP1

The #8 Audi pits on consecutive laps after a puncture on its out lap - it retains third position.

The #12 Rebellion Lola has stopped - all lights showing - just before the Ford chicane, as the car inherited 18th place. It is pushed behind the wall by marshals.

The lead Peugeot pits - fuel and driver change only (Sarrazin out after a quadruple stint - Minassian in).

The leading GT2 runner is now up to 18th place overall.

The #75 Prospeed Porsche is pushed into the garage at 03:37.

The #11 Drayson Lola is having a new fuel cell fitted - a 60 minute plus job - the team are undertaking a myriad of other jobs at the same time.

Wurz is in for Davidson in the latest routine stop for the fourth placed Peugeot.

The Lamborghini is having its gearbox refettled in the trailer - but the team seem unsure as to when (or indeed whether) it might return to the fray.

The #12 Rebellion Lola is a confirmed retirement - no drive available.

The #6 Oreca emerges after a near half hour stay in the garage.

Dumas out of the #9 Audi after a triple stint - Mike Rockenfeller climbs aboard and the car rejoins in second place. Dumas is less than complimentary about the quality of at least one of the GT1 drivers .

Hour 14

Tom Kristensen has continued onto a fifth stint - he climbed aboard the #7 R15 at around 00:50 and looks set to complete a staggering 65 lap stint by the time this run is complete.

Andre Lotterer completes the #8 Audi's fastest lap of the race thus far - 3:23.107 on its 212th lap.

The third in GT1 #60 Matech Ford completes a routine pit stop but refuses to refire and is pushed into the garage. Water and oil is topped up but still no fire in the Ford's belly. There's much hugging amongst Matech mechanics - is their run over? Yes it is - engine. The Ford GT return is over and with the Lamborghini looking doomed to retire too that means none of the 'new for 2010' GT1s will finish.

All three Lola Astons are in the top ten overall, the only three petrol-fuelled cars therein. Pierre Ragues puts in the #008 cars fastest lap of the race at 04:19 - a 3:29.123.

Kolles Audi #14 is an official retirement too - that's 16 gone.

The Radical is in the garage again at 04:18.

Julien Canal sets the GT1 class leading Saleen's fastest lap - 3:56.469 - at 04:20.

Loic Duval too joins the post 4am fast lappery club - 3:21.073 is the Oreca 908s fastest circuit thus far.

In GT2 the second placed #63 Corvette has 100 seconds plus the length of a #77 pitstop over the chasing Felbermayr Porsche.

Nick Leventis pits after another double stint to hand the LMP2 leading #42 Strakka HPD to Jonny Kane. Its been a god controlled run from the Strakka boss - getting the car in range of daylight and his quicker team-mates as the British team continue to fend off the Highcroft attack.

The fourth placed LMP2 runner - the #40 Quifel ASM Ginetta Zytek - is slow on course at 04:29 as the #41 Bruichladdich car pits for Karim Ojjeh to replace Gary Chalandon; the car up to sixth in class and into the top 20 overall.

#40 gets back to the pits and is garaged immediately - broken driveshaft is the diagnosis. The RML Lola HPD is around a lap and a half behind and looks set to take the fourth in class and 15th overall.

The screens show that car #18 is running slowly - not too worrying, as we don't have a car #18!

Kristensen finally climbs out of the #7 Audi at 04:38 after three hours and 40 minutes - Capello climbs aboard. As Kristensen pits he is passed by Wurz in the #1 908.

Andre Lotterer sets the #8 Audi's fastest lap time thus far at 04:39 - 3:22.972 - as it continues its pursuit of the leading #2 Peugeot

Erdos goes fourth in LMP2 at 04:41.

The surviving BMW is in the garage. Attention being paid to the engine compartment - it's a steering-rack problem it appears.

Canal pits in the Larbre Saleen - he hands the car over to Roland Berville and it continues in 23rd place overall - with the leading four GT2 cars ahead.

Into the garage for thefourth place in GT2 #76 IMSA Performance Porsche - pad change it appears.

Stefan Mucke is charging along in the #007 Lola Aston - 3:25.417 is the fastest lap for the 7th placed car; faster that time around than several of the diesels at present.

Hour 15

Highcroft pit and the engine deck is removed - they seem to struggle to get the deck off. The rear wing section is replaced - gentle persuasion of the steel toecapped sort is employed. Paul Ryan tells Graham Tyler that the rear wing section was lacking some vital components and was "sans some downforce". Strakka meanwhile get a pit board that says "Look After Tyres".

The #78 BMW returns to the track at 05:02, eighth in GT2.

The JLOC Lamborghini returns to the track after hours in the garage.

Minassian is still pressing on in the lead of the race - 3:22.7 last time around on his lap 232.

The #40 Quifel ASM car is back out on track after having a driveshaft replaced - the 40 minute delay though has dropped the car down to fifth in LMP2 and 16th overall.

The third in GT2 #77 Porsche has a couple of minor problems with its brake change. That has allowed the #63 Corvette to get within 10 seconds of lapping the #77 car and puts the fourth placed #76 IMSA Porsche back onto the same lap.

The third placed LMP2 runner - the #35 Oak Racing Pescarolo - briefly has its engine cover lifted (for fluids perhaps?) and rejoins.

It's Enge time! - Tomas pops in a 3:55 in the delayed Young Driver DBR9 to get onto the tail of the third in GT1 #72 LAA Corvette.

Minassian pops in a pair of 3:21s - five seconds a lap faster than the Audis pursuing the leader.

Enge grabs third in GT1 at 05:30. He's a full nine laps behind the second place GT1 car, the #73 LAA Vette.

The Drayson Racing Lola comes out onto the pit apron after replacing the fuel cell, but is taken straight back in after a fuel leak is discovered!

3:20.943 is the fastest of the race for the leading #2 Peugeot. Minassian is really pushing on. He pits, but stays aboard - fuel only.

3:59.626 is the fastest time of the race for the third in GT2 #77 Porsche.

The KSM Lola Judd is gravel bound at Indianapolis briefly - Noda was at the wheel of the eighth in LMP2 machine.

Enge is still powering on - 3:54 last time around.

The battle for fourth in LMP2 is hotting up - Pla picking up the pace. Erdos is responding - 3:40 for the Zytek, 3:39 for the Lola HPD.

Hours 13-15 Update

It’s alive, it’s alive - well sort of, as far as the Lamborghini is concerned. The team spent several hours rebuilding the gearbox and now it’s a race for them to make the 70% percent threshold in order to qualify as a finisher.

At the serious end of the field the No. 9 Audi remains in second, but within striking distance in the event of the slightest bobble by the No. 2 Peugeot. As widely expected, the No. 1 Peugeot has long ago passed the No. 7 Audi to regain fourth place. The petrol “class” remains in the hold of the No. 007 Lola-Aston. Attrition remains relatively high with the No. 60 Ford, both Rebels, and the no. 14 Audi all gone. The Drayson Lola is very much into the realm of walking wounded with non-stop fuel system woes.

It’s at this stage that a new game emerges. Where will the various classes finish overall? The LM P2 leading HPD will likely hit the top 10 - only one spot to go. The GT2 leading Corvette is within two positions of the top 15. As for GT1, barely-standing defines the class.

As the sky lightens some quick sectors are being recorded. Race leader Minassian is one of them, while Oliver Jarvis puts down the quick time for the remaining Kolles Audi. Enge is on a tear, but his GT1 Aston is nine laps down. Then again, anything can happen and probably will over the next eight hours - another long day ahead.