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• Ex F1 ace Webber's porsche leads
• Turbo troubles for Audis
LE MANS, France - Austrialian former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber was leading the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race with just three hours to go on Sunday after cashing in on the Audi team's misfortunes.
Webber, returning to the circuit in western France for the first time in 15 years, had completed 330 laps in his Porsche 919 hybrid to move 1min11 clear of Benoit Treluyer's Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
Danish driver Tom Kristensen, who was aiming for a record 10th victory, had taken the lead on Sunday morning but had slipped back to third, three laps behind the leader.
SPLUTTERING TOYOTA
Kristensen's luck ran out again after he had taken the lead when Stephane Sarrazin's Toyota was forced to retire after holding a commanding lead for more than 10 hours, with the two Audis trailing.
The Toyota spluttered to a halt at the side of the track, victim of an electrical fault in the early hours of Sunday morning.
That handed first place to Treluyer's Audi with a three-lap advantage over its sister car.
But two hours later the leading Audi was forced to make a long stop for a turbo change, surrendering six laps in the process, and Kristensen's Audi, the car that had to be rebuilt after a huge crash during Wednesday practice, became the race's fourth leader since the start.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Audi also had to stop for more than a quarter-hour to change a turbo, a fate similar to that befell Treluyer hours earlier.
• Turbo troubles for Audis
LE MANS, France - Austrialian former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber was leading the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race with just three hours to go on Sunday after cashing in on the Audi team's misfortunes.
Webber, returning to the circuit in western France for the first time in 15 years, had completed 330 laps in his Porsche 919 hybrid to move 1min11 clear of Benoit Treluyer's Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
Danish driver Tom Kristensen, who was aiming for a record 10th victory, had taken the lead on Sunday morning but had slipped back to third, three laps behind the leader.
SPLUTTERING TOYOTA
Kristensen's luck ran out again after he had taken the lead when Stephane Sarrazin's Toyota was forced to retire after holding a commanding lead for more than 10 hours, with the two Audis trailing.
The Toyota spluttered to a halt at the side of the track, victim of an electrical fault in the early hours of Sunday morning.
That handed first place to Treluyer's Audi with a three-lap advantage over its sister car.
But two hours later the leading Audi was forced to make a long stop for a turbo change, surrendering six laps in the process, and Kristensen's Audi, the car that had to be rebuilt after a huge crash during Wednesday practice, became the race's fourth leader since the start.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Audi also had to stop for more than a quarter-hour to change a turbo, a fate similar to that befell Treluyer hours earlier.
