12 Jun 2009

Peugeot pip Audi for Le Mans pole

6:42 pm on 12 June 2009

Peugeot have stunned rivals Audi to snatch pole position for the weekend's Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race in France.

Stephane Sarrazin, who partners with fellow Frenchmen Sebastien Bourdais and Franck Montagny, clocked a fastest lap of three minutes and 22.888 seconds in the dying minutes of a night qualifying session raced in dry and mild conditions.

Champions Audi, with eight wins in the last nine years, had to be content with second place after Scotland's Allan McNish was 0.762 second slower than Sarrazin, who has yet to win at Le Mans.

McNish shares his car with Dane Tom Kristensen, who has won a record eight times, and Italy's Rinaldo Capello.

The race is due to start at 1300 GMT on Saturday and end 24 hours later but the winner may have to wait until July to be officially crowned after Peugeot said they would appeal a decision by the organisers.

An International Automobile Federation (FIA) panel have a month to say whether Audi's cars conform to the regulations, as organisers stated despite Peugeot's complaints.