H23: Audi closing on one-two result

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Audi closed in on a one-two finish as the Le Mans 24 Hours neared its conclusion, while both Porsches stopped with technical problems.

After Mark Webber's second-placed 919 Hybrid slowed dramatically at the end of the 22nd hour, the car was wheeled into the garage and the team quickly decided against trying to fix whatever had caused the problem. That allowed the #1 Audi into second place behind the leading #2 R18, while Anthony Davidson moved Toyota back into a podium position with the #8 TS040.

The second Porsche of Marc Lieb then joined its sister car in the garage, but that was still being worked on at the top of the hour, suggesting it could return to the track to take the finish.

Oliver Turvey, a late stand-in for the #38 Jota Zytek squad after Marc Gene was called up by Audi, leads LMP2, although he will imminently pit to hand the lead to the #46 TDS Ligier of Tristan Gommendy.

LMP2 is set to produce a close finish, with less than half a minute likely to separate the top two after Turvey stops and the Signatech Alpine ORECA of Nelson Panciatici on the lead lap in third ahead of the recovering #35 OAK Ligier of Mark Shulzhitskiy.

The AF Corse Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander is just one hour away from completing a controlled GTE victory.

Fisichella continued his impressive performance over the course of the race to maintain the advantage the #51 458 Italia has held over the field since the 19th hour.

Behind, Antonio Garcia jumped the #73 Corvette C7.R ahead of Frederic Makowiecki after the Frenchman was delayed in the pits.

Garcia had been taking large chunks out of the gap to the Manthey Porsche but an on-track pass was not necessary when mechanics swarmed over the 911 RSR's front end when Makowiecki pitted for new tyres.

Aston Martin survived a scare for the Am class-leading #95 Vantage, which stopped at the pitlane exit just as Kristian Poulsen had taken over from Nicki Thiim.

Poulsen lost a couple of minutes with the delay but remains well clear of the #88 Proton Competition Porsche, with the #61 AF Corse Ferrari third.