H18: Gene extends Audi's lead

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The leading Audi R18 e-tron quattro put the second-placed Porsche a lap down over the course of the 18th hour of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Audi driver Marc Gene comprehensively outpaced the Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Mark Webber and was able to lap him into the Dunlop Chicane just after halfway through the hour.

Gene subsequently stopped for fuel, but the Audi's one-lap advantage was restored when Webber made his scheduled stop for fuel.

The #2 Audi was consistently the fastest car on the circuit as Marcel Fassler strived to make up the ground lost with a 20-minute stop to replace the turbocharger in the previous hour.

The Swiss was consistently five or six seconds a lap faster than ex-Formula 1 driver Webber, suggesting that Audi can make it a one-two before the end of the race.

The fourth-place Toyota was nine laps down, but setting fast times in the remaining TS040 HYBRID.

The #35 OAK Ligier continues to dominate LMP2, with Jann Mardenborough leading the #36 Signatech Alpine ORECA, which was taken over by Paul-Loup Chatin shortly before the 18-hour mark.

Ludovic Badey runs third in the #46 TDS Ligier, while the #38 Jota Sport Zytek of Oliver Turvey has moved up to fourth after the #34 Race Performance ORECA had a lengthy stay in the pits to fix a problem.

Rene Rast is now fifth in the Sebastian Loeb Racing ORECA.

The remaining GTE Pro Aston Martin Vantage and AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia engaged in a thrilling fight for class honors through the hour.

Stefan Mucke took the lead from Giancarlo Fisichella early on, but the Ferrari fought back in Gianmaria Bruni's hands and was challenging Bruno Senna for the top spot in class at the top of the hour and looking set to take the lead.

In GTE Am, the #95 Aston Martin has a two-lap lead over the #88 Porsche.