24 Heures du Mans - 1:04:00
The No. 4 Peugeot 908 of privateer Team Oreca has been knocked out of the 24 Heures du Mans with catastrophic engine failure, apparently identical to the failure that derailed two of the three factory Peugeots. The No. 4, the last 908, was, just like the No. 1 before it, running ridiculously fast lap times, catching up with the Audis. The Oreca Peugeot had no hope of victory unless something when wrong with either the No. 8 or No. 9 R15, but at the pace they were running they were easily within striking distance of the No. 7 Audi and the third spot on the winners' podium. But by pushing so hard, just as the No. 1 had done, they pushed their engine past the breaking point. Le Mans is about more than speed. But for Audi's speed advantage in the pit lane, the Peugeots would have been comfortably in the lead. But for a spate of virtually identical engine blow-ups, the Peugeots could have sailed to victory. Endurance, not only speed, but endurance; "by endurance we conquer." Endurance is the name of the game and, with an hour yet to run, Audi appear to have endured.