2003 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 71st 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 71e 24 Heures du Mans) was an automobile endurance race held for Le Mans Prototype and Grand Touring cars from 14 to 15 June 2003 at the Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans, France before approximately 220,000 people. It was the 71st edition of the 24 Hour race, as organised by the automotive group, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) since 1923. Unlike other events, it was not a part of any endurance motor racing championship. A test day was held seven weeks prior to the race on 4 May.

2003 24 Hours of Le Mans
Previous: 2002 Next: 2004
Index: Races | Winners
The race-winning No. 7 Bentley Speed 8, driven at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

A Bentley Speed 8 shared by Dane Tom Kristensen, Italian Rinaldo Capello and Englishman Guy Smith started from the pole position after Kristensen set the fastest overall lap time in the second qualifying session. The team won the race, two laps ahead of the sister Bentley of Mark Blundell, David Brabham and Johnny Herbert in second place. It was Capello and Smith's first Le Mans victory and Kristensen's fifth. This was the sixth overall victory for Bentley, and their first since the 1930 edition. The overall podium was completed by Champion Racing's Audi R8 of JJ Lehto, Emanuele Pirro and Stefan Johansson, which won the Le Mans Prototype 900 (LMP900) category from Audi Sport Japan Team Goh's entry driven by Seiji Ara, Jan Magnussen and Marco Werner.

A Noël del Bello Racing Reynard 2KQ-LM driven by Jean-Luc Maury-Laribière, Christophe Pillon and Didier André won the Le Mans Prototype 675 (LMP675) class, 32 laps ahead of the second-placed RN Motorsport DBA4 03S-Zytek car of John Nielsen, Casper Elgaard and Hayanari Shimoda. The Veloqx Prodrive Racing team took the victory in the Le Mans Grand Touring Sport (LMGTS) class with drivers Jamie Davies, Tomáš Enge, Peter Kox in a Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello, securing Ferrari its first GT win since the 1981 race. Corvette Racing completed the category podium positions a further ten laps behind in second and third with the No. 50 and No. 53 C5-Rs. Porsche took the first six positions in the Le Mans Grand Touring (LMGT) category with an Alex Job Racing 911-GT3 RS of Sascha Maassen, Emmanuel Collard and Lucas Luhr winning on the team's debut appearance at Le Mans.

Background and regulation changes

The 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 71st edition of the race and took place at the 8.482 mi (13.650 km) Circuit de la Sarthe from 14 to 15 June.[1] The automotive journalist Charles Faroux proposed the race to Georges Durand, the president of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), and the industrialist Emile Coquile for a test of vehicle reliability and fuel-efficiency, which was first held in 1923.[2][3] The 24 Hours of Le Mans is considered one of the world's most prestigious motor races and is part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport.[4]

After the 2002 race, the ACO reduced the overall amount of horsepower for the Le Mans Grand Touring Prototype (LMGTP), Le Mans Prototype 900 (LMP900), Le Mans Prototype 675 (LMP675), Le Mans Grand Touring Sports (LMGTS) and LMGT (Le Mans Grand Touring) categories by 10 per cent. It allowed carbon fibre chassis to be introduced in the LMGTS class and permitted original automatic and semi-automatic gearboxes to be retained in a homologated road vehicle entered in the LMGTS and LMGT categories. Air restrictors were installed on every engine and boost pressures were altered in an attempt to create a parity of performance within all four categories.[5] Drivers were told at a public meeting that they were barred from putting two wheels of a car over the white line denoting the boundaries of the circuit and onto the kerbing; otherwise, they would incur a stop-and-go penalty that would increase in severity if the transgression was repeated.[6]

Entries

The ACO received 72 applications (31 for the Prototype classes and 41 for the Grand Touring categories) by the deadline for entries on 20 February 2003. It granted 50 invitations to the race and entries were divided between the LMP900, LMGTP, LMP675, LMGTS and LMGT classes.[7]

Automatic entries

Six automatic entry invitations were earned by teams of two cars that won their class in the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans or in the 2002 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season-closing round, the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, designated a qualifying race by the ACO as part of an agreement with the ALMS.[8] As entries were designated for teams, the squads were not allowed to change their cars from the previous year to the next. They were permitted to change category provided there was no change in the make of car and the ACO consented to the switch.[9] The teams who received an automatic entry based on victory in their class at the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans were Audi Sport Team Joest in both of the LMP categories, Corvette Racing for the LMGTS class and The Racer's Group in the LMGT category. Audi Sport North America and Corvette also earned berths for securing victories in their respective classes at the Petit Le Mans and Alex Job Racing in the LMGT category.[9] However, Audi chose not to accept its automatic invitations after the manufacturer announced the withdrawal of its factory operations and forwent its defense of the overall victory.[10]

Entry list

On 25 March 2003, the selection committee of the ACO announced the full 50-car entry list for Le Mans, plus six reserves. The field was composed of an equal amount of Prototype and GT cars, representing 22 different makes of car (14 in the GT classes and 8 in the Prototype categories).[11] After a protest was raised by Larbre Compétition owner Jack Leconte and alpine skier Luc Alphand over their respective teams being allocated one entry,[12][13] Michel Cosson, the president of the ACO, said that entries selected appeared to be of high quality and the automotive group wanted the field to be heterogeneous. He stated it was not the right way to select entries for the race, but he disliked those who sought to spoil the excitement of the event.[12]

Bio-ethanol car

Team Nasamax, an operation based in Sittingbourne, England, entered the first renewable-fuelled sports prototype racing car at the Le Mans event to increase awareness of renewable fuels.[14][15] The car, called the Reynard 01Q, ran a 2.65 l (0.58 imp gal; 0.70 US gal) Cosworth V8 turbocharged engine on bio-ethanol fuel,[14] which does not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere because it is produced from crops.[15] The car's fuel systems and inlet air system were modified to allow for the efficient combustion of fuel. An alternative exhaust system was built and the housing and vanes on the turbocharger were altered.[14]

Testing

A mandatory pre-Le Mans testing day split into two daytime sessions of four hours each was held at the circuit on 4 May, involving all 50 entries as well as all six reserve cars.[9] The weather was clear and dry.[16] Bentley was fastest with a lap of 3 minutes and 34.820 seconds set by Tom Kristensen in the No. 7 Speed 8 in the final minutes of testing. Jan Magnussen was the fastest of the privateer Audi R8s for Team Goh in second place and the No. 7 Bentley was third. The Audi Sport UK and the Champion Racing entries completed the top five overall cars.[17] Late in testing, Frank Biela lost control on a patch of oil laid by a Pagani Zonda at the Porsche Curves, crashing into a barrier at 120 mph (190 km/h) and damaging the right-rear corner of the Audi Sport UK car.[18][19] The No. 26 RN Motorsport DBA4 03S-Zytek car led in LMP675 with a 3 minutes and 47.708 seconds lap, followed by the No. 29 Noël del Bello Racing Reynard 2KQ-LM and the No. 27 Intersport Racing MG-Lola EX257vehicles.[17] Tomáš Enge's No. 88 Prodrive Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello recorded the fastest lap in LMGTS at 3 minutes and 57.180 seconds, the sister No. 80 car of Kelvin Burt placed second and Jérôme Policand completed a top-three sweep of Ferraris in the class in the No. 72 Luc Alphand Aventures entry.[16][19] Jörg Bergmeister's No. 81 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3-RS led the LMGT category at 4 minutes and 8.636 seconds and the No. 93 Alex Job Racing car of Sascha Maassen was second.[17]

Qualifying

Eight hours of qualifying divided into four two-hour sessions were available to all the entrants on 11 and 12 June. During the sessions, all entrants were required to set a time within 110 per cent of the fastest lap established by the fastest vehicle in each of the four categories to qualify for the race.[9] The weather was overcast and humid,[20] and teams focused on car setup.[21] Bentley led early on with a flying lap from Mark Blundell's No. 8 car, followed by Kristensen and Johnny Herbert, who bettered his effort. Ultimately, Blundell went to the top with a lap of 3 minutes and 35.321 seconds. Kristensen's No. 7 vehicle was a quarter of a second slower in second and Jan Magnussen was the fastest Audi privateer in third.[22] Jan Lammers' No. 15 Racing for Holland Dome S101 improved on each of his timed laps to finish fourth,[20] and JJ Lehto of Champion Racing rounded out the top five.[22] John Nielsen carried RN Motorsport's DBA4 03S-Zytek car to provisional pole position in LMP675 with a time of 3 minutes and 45.243 seconds, eight seconds ahead of the Intersport and Automotive Durango SRL teams.[22] A lap of 3 minutes and 55.613 seconds set with five minutes to go put Oliver Gavin's No. 50 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R at the top of the LMGTS category and he demoted Enge's Prodrive Ferrari to second. Johnny O'Connell's No. 53 car was third after a lap recorded in the final ten minutes. Alex Job Racing's Porsche of Maassen topped the timing charts in LMGT, almost three seconds faster than Timo Bernhard's The Racer's Group car and another seven-tenths ahead of Marc Lieb's No. 87 Orbit entry.[23] Separate spins from Chris McMurry, Kevin Buckler, Peter Kox and Andrew Bagnall did not disrupt the session.[21]

Wednesday night's qualifying session was held with lower asphalt temperatures and teams performed scheduled simulation runs to see how their cars would behave on heavy fuel loads and worn tyres under darkness in its final 75 minutes.[24] A lack of slower traffic and better grip allowed Kristensen to displace Blundell as the fastest overall and twice improve the overall fastest lap to 3 minutes and 32.843 seconds, followed by David Brabham's sister No. 8 Bentley in second and Biela's No. 10 Audi third. Emanuele Pirro put the No. 6 Audi fourth as Lammers fell to fifth.[24] Marco Werner's Team Goh Audi ran into a gravel trap; he continued driving.[22] In LMP675, Nielsen improved the RN Motorsport Zytek car's lap by a second to 3 minutes and 44.343 and increased its advantage over the Intersport team to almost ten seconds.[24][25] 75 minutes into the session, the Team Bucknum Racing Pilbeam-JPX MP91 car had an engine fault at Indianapolis corner and laid oil on the track. Marshals took 20 minutes to dry the spilled oil and qualifying resumed.[22][24] Enge's Prodrive Ferrari led from the start in the LMGTS class. He improved on Corvette Racing's lap from the first session to a 3 minutes and 53.278 seconds. Maassen in the Alex Job Racing Porsche remained at the top of the LMGT category after a session-long battle with Bernhard.[23][25] Bagnall lost control of the Seikel Motorsport Porsche and got beached in a gravel trap.[24] David Warnock's PK Sport car sustained track rod damage in a collision with a Prototype in the Dunlop Chicane.[23]

Thursday's first qualifying session was stopped after seven minutes because of an accident.[26] Jamie Campbell-Walter spun a Lister Storm LMP car after hitting a bump on the exit of the Dunlop Esses.[27] He crashed backwards against a left-hand side barrier at the Dunlop Curve at 146 mph (235 km/h).[26][28] The impact was measured at 14 g0 (140 m/s2),[28] and marshals and safety teams spent ten minutes extricating Campbell-Walter from the car. They removing a section of carbon fibre bodywork trapping his legs and then put him into an ambulance.[27][28] The Lister Storm LMP car was later withdrawn due to a lack of spare parts.[27] Later, Ian Khan's Thierry Perrier Porsche engine failed and laid oil on the circuit at the Dunlop Chicane. Robin Liddell was caught out, hit the oil and spun into a gravel trap. At the same time, Roland Bervillé spun, hit a barrier with his front-right hand corner and broke the rear wing on the T2M Motorsport car, temporarily stopping the session.[26][29] Herbert's No. 8 Bentley led the session with a lap of 3 minutes and 35.126 seconds. It remained in second position on the provisional grid. Magnussen used lower air temperatures to improve the Team Goh Audi's lap and pass Lammers for third at the close of the session. Lehto bettered the Champion Racing's entry to maintain fourth.[26] Although the RN Motorsport Zytek car did not better its lap, it remained on provisional pole in LMP675, while the Intersport Lola vehicle improved by more than five seconds to remain in second in class.[26] Enge's lap from the second session kept him at the top of LMGTS as Darren Turner in the sister Prodrive Ferrari moved ahead of the No. 50 Corvette for second. Alex Job Racing continued to lead the LMGT class due to its lap from the previous day.[30]

The final session was used to test cars under race conditions and saw more incidents. Thomas Erdos in the Graham Nash Motorsport Saleen S7-R stopped on his out-lap in a gravel trap at the Dunlop Chicane, requiring recovery from trackside marshals. Gavin Pickering's Rachel Welter WR-Peugeot car stopped at the exit of the pit lane with bodywork flailing from it.[29][31] Kristensen allowed his co-drivers Rinaldo Capello and Guy Smith to become familiar with the No. 7 Bentley,[32] which led the session and secured the pole position through Kristensen's lap from the second qualifying session.[33] Herbert improved the sister No. 8 Bentley's lap on his second attempt by one-tenth of a second; it remained in second overall due to slower traffic delaying it.[28][32] Audi were unable to challenge though Biela's Audi Sport UK entry improved its fastest lap to take third and Magnussen qualified the Team Goh car fifth; they were separated by Lammers' Racing for Holland Dome car. Intersport's MG-Lola vehicle bettered its lap but it was not fast enough to displace the RN Motorsport Zytek car, which was impaired by a broken throttle linkage, from the top of the LMP675 category and was two seconds slower.[33] The GT categories remained mostly the same with the second session lap of Enge's No. 88 Prodrive Ferrari in LMGTS class again not being improved upon as his teammate Turner moved to within four-tenths of a second.[29] Porsche took the first three positions in the LMGT category,[33] with Lucas Luhr's Alex Job Racing car resetting the category lap record to a 4 minutes and 6.984 seconds and Bernhard's The Racer's Group entry was four-hundredths of a seconds behind in second.[29]

Qualifying results

Pole position winners in each class are indicated in bold and by a The fastest time set by each entry is denoted in gray.

Pos Class No. Team Car Day 1 Day 2 Gap
1 LMGTP 7 Team Bentley Bentley Speed 8 3:32.843 3:33.158 —
2 LMGTP 8 Team Bentley Bentley Speed 8 3:35.222 3:35.098 +2.255
3 LMP900 10 Audi Sport UK Audi R8 3:37.076 3:35.745 +2.902
4 LMP900 15 Racing for Holland Dome S101 3:37.350 3:36.156 +3.313
5 LMP900 5 Audi Sport Japan Team Goh Audi R8 3:37.691 3:36.418 +3.575
6 LMP900 6 Champion Racing Audi R8 3:37.316 3:36.857 +4.014
7 LMP900 4 Riley & Scott Racing Riley & Scott Mk III C 3:43.528 3:37.476 +4.633
8 LMP900 16 Racing for Holland Dome S101 3:38.908 3:38.058 +5.215
9 LMP900 13 Courage Compétition Courage C60 3:42.558 3:40.400 +6.257
10 LMP900 11 JML Team Panoz Panoz LMP01 Evo 3:40.766 3:40.826 +6.933
11 LMP900 17 Pescarolo Sport Courage C60 3:40.839 3:41.311 +7.006
12 LMP900 9 Kondo Racing Dome S101 3:41.608 3:43.371 +8.775
13 LMP900 18 Pescarolo Sport Courage C60 3:43.151 3:48.052 +10.308
WD LMP900 20 Lister Racing Lister Storm LMP 3:43.857 — +11.1141
14 LMP900 12 JML Team Panoz Panoz LMP01 Evo 3:43.924 3:43.970 +11.177
15 LMP675 26 RN Motorsport Ltd. DBA4 03S 3:44.333 3:44.518 +11.490
16 LMP675 27 Intersport Racing MG-Lola EX257 3:53.212 3:46.404 +13.561
17 LMP675 31 Courage Compétition Courage C65 3:55.003 3:51.550 +18.707
18 LMP900 19 Automotive Durango SRL Durango LMP1 3:53.252 3:52.194 +19.351
19 LMGTS 88 Veloqx Prodrive Racing Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello 3:53.278 3:54.355 +20.435
20 LMP900 14 Team Nasamax Reynard 01Q 4:01.666 3:54.320 +21.477
21 LMGTS 80 Veloqx Prodrive Racing Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello 3:56.267 3:54.725 +21.878
22 LMP675 29 Noël del Bello Racing Reynard 2KQ-LM 3:55.234 3:58.867 +22.391
23 LMGTS 50 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 3:55.613 3:56.905 +22.770
24 LMGTS 72 Luc Alphand Aventures Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello 3:56.834 3:56.216 +23.373
25 LMGTS 53 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5-R 3:58.941 3:59.974 +26.198
26 LMP675 24 Rachel Welter WR LMP01 3:59.477 4:04.593 +26.594
27 LMGTS 64 Ray Mallock Ltd. Saleen S7-R 4:01.163 4:07.943 +28.320
28 LMGTS 66 Konrad Motorsport Saleen S7-R 4:02.090 4:01.331 +28.488
29 LMGTS 86 Larbre Compétition Chrysler Viper GTS-R 4:05.193 4:01.927 +29.077
30 LMP675 23 Team Bucknum Racing Pilbeam MP91 4:02.753 4:35.436 +29.910
31 LMGTS 61 Carsport America Pagani Zonda GR 4:19.885 4:04.437 +31.604
32 LMGTS 68 Scorp Motorsport Communication Chrysler Viper GTS-R 4:11.816 4:04.822 +31.979
33 LMGT 93 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:07.996 4:06.984 +34.141
34 LMGT 81 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:08.105 4:07.028 +34.186
35 LMP900 21 Edouard Sezionale Norma M2000-2 4:08.081 4:09.120 +34.238
36 LMGT 87 Orbit Racing Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:10:292 5:14.276 +37.449
37 LMGT 78 PK Sport Ltd. Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:11.623 4:15.722 +38.780
38 LMGT 94 Risi Competizione Ferrari 360 Modena GT 4:12.016 4:11.865 +39.023
39 LMGT 77 Team Taisan Advan Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:14.802 4:13.104 +40.261
40 LMP675 25 Gerard Welter WR LMP02 4:14.785 4:26.336 +41.942
41 LMGT 95 Risi Competizione Ferrari 360 Modena GT 4:18.268 4:15.342 +42.499
42 LMGT 83 Seikel Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:18.592 4:16.792 +43.949
43 LMGT 92 Dewalt Racesports Salisbury TVR Tuscan T400R 4:19.378 4:16.872 +44.029
44 LMGT 70 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena GT 4:18.161 4:17.138 +44.295
45 LMGT 75 Thierry Perrier Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:18.579 17:59.928 +45.736
46 LMGT 85 ST Team Orange Spyker Spyker C8 Double-12R 4:21.473 4:18.887 +46.044
47 LMGT 99 XL Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello 4:21.459 4:20.245 +47.402
48 LMGT 91 Dewalt Racesport Salisbury TVR Tuscan T400R 4:23.425 4:20.288 +47.445
49 LMGT 84 T2M Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-RS 4:26.499 22:10.735 +53.656
Source:[34]

Notes:

Warm-up

The drivers took to the track at 09:00 Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00) for a 45-minute warm-up session in overcast and cool weather.[9][35] Bentley continued to be fastest overall as Blundell's No. 8 car recorded a lap of 3 minutes and 35.319 seconds. He was 2.615 seconds faster than the No. 7 Bentley in second place. The Audi Sport UK R8 was third, Champion Racing was fourth and the Racing for Holland Home car rounded out the top five. RN Motorsport's Zytek car continued to lead in LMP675, as the No. 50 Corvette led the LMGTS field and The Racer's Group Porsche led in LMGT.[35] Shortly after the session commenced, Romain Dumas' Team Nasamax Reynard had an ignition problem caused by a heat leak at the right of the engine's cylinder bank, significantly damaging its engine compartment and required a significant change of car components.[36][37]

Race

Start

Thunderstorms were forecast, and despite an earlier heavy rain shower, the weather at the start of the race was clear. The air temperature approached 28 °C (82 °F).[38] Approximately 220,000 people attended the event.[39] The two Bentley Speed 8s underwent checks to their ride heights,[40] Ray Mallock rectified a faulty gearbox that leaked oil in the No. 64 Saleen S7-R, and Kondo Racing replaced the No. 9 Dome S101's V8 engine after a water leak.[41] The French tricolour was waved by the founder of the ALMS Don Panoz at 16:00 Central European Summer Time to signal the start of the race,[42] led by the starting pole sitter Capello's No. 7 Bentley.[38] 49 cars planned to take the start following the withdrawal of the Lister Storm LMP,[43] but the No. 25 Gerard Welter WR LMP02 was in the pit lane with a mechanical fault.[41] Capello maintained the lead and Lammers' Racing for Holland car passed Magnussen's Team Goh Audi for third.[38] At the end of the first lap, Gavin brought the No. 50 Corvette into the pit lane with a throttle linkage problem that lost the car 26 minutes and dropped it to last overall.[44] Lammers fell from second to sixth when the three privateer Audis passed him as Bentley quickly pulled away from the rest of the field. Herbert briefly took the lead from Capello before making the No. 8 Bentley's first pit stop of the event on lap 10. Meanwhile, Intersport's Lola-MG vehicle moved to the front of LMP675 after the RN Motorsport Zytek developed car trouble and Alex Job Racing led the LMGT category.[45]

The first hour of the race ended with the first crash as the No. 91 TVR Tuscan T400R of Richard Stanton was hit from behind by a Gerard Walter WR LMP02 car in the Porsche Curves, sending him into the outside concrete barrier at the exit to the complex.[46] The impact broke the Tuscan's right-rear suspension, stranding Stanton at the complex of turns.[46] The car was retired after repairs made to its differential by Stanton to make it drive-able for a return to the pit lane proved unsuccessful.[41] Not long after, Capello locked the No. 7 Bentley's brakes going into the right-hand Mulsanne Corner and he slowed to stop the car from spinning into a gravel trap. He held off Herbert in a large amount of slower traffic until Herbert passed him to retake the lead on the 23rd lap. Kristensen relieved Capello in the No. 7 Bentley and retook the overall lead from Lehto's Audi R8 three laps later. Brabham's sister No. 8 car was called into the pit lane to have a loose door frame fixed in a ten-second stop. Casper Elgaard had been the fastest driver in LMP675 at the time, returning the RN Motorsport Zytek to the lead of the class.[47] Audi Sport UK instructed Birla to enter the pit lane on lap 28. He was prevented from doing so by a Panoz prototype vehicle to his right and was required to complete an additional lap.[48] The R8 slowed with a lack of fuel through Mulsanne Corner and it was retired at the side of the track after Biela's attempt to weave and keep the car running on its starter failed.[47]

In the third hour, Kristensen almost made contact with Jean-Marc Gounon's Courage Compétition Judd exiting the pit lane.[49] Beppe Gabbiani's Racing for Holland car hit Kelly Collins' No. 50 Corvette at Arnage corner and both cars spun.[41] Brabham's No. 8 Bentley passed Werner's Team Goh Audi R8 for second at the Dunlop Curve though Werner used slower traffic to retake the position. Brabham returned to second when Werner entered the pit lane as the RN Motorsport Zytek car lost the lead of the LMP675 class to Noël del Bello Racing's Reynard car of Didier André as its alternator was changed.[49] Safety cars were deployed after 3 hours and 40 minutes to slow the race because oil was laid by an unknown car between the Mulsanne and Indianapolis turns.[50] This prompted several cars to make pit stops and brought much of the field closer.[51] In the main LMP categories, the safety cars separated the field, leaving the Bentleys more than 2 minutes and 17 seconds of each other, 50 seconds ahead of Werner's Team Goh Audi and another 50 seconds in front of Stefan Johansson's Champion Racing car.[52] The lead of LMGT changed as Emmanuel Collard's Alex Job Racing Porsche was forced into the pit lane with a malfunctioning gearshift, allowing Buckler's The Racer's Group vehicle to take the category lead until Bernhard made an unscheduled pit stop to replace a heavily slipping clutch.[50] The No. 88 Prodrive Ferrari of Jamie Davies came to the pit lane for a two-minute stop to rectify a water leak, ceding the lead to the sister No. 80 car of Kelvin Burt.[50]

Night

As night fell, the lead of the LMP675 category switched from the No. 29 Noël del Bello Racing's Reynard vehicle to the Intersport Racing MG-Lola car,[50] which later had an anxious moment when driver Duncan Dayton spun at the PlayStation chicane. He managed to retain the lead in the class.[53] Soon after, Tom Coronel's St Team Orange Spyker C8 Double-12R stopped at the entry to the pit lane with a clutch failure. He exited the car to push it beyond a white line denoting where his pit crew could provide assistance. Coronel was then told by a trackside marshal that he was not permitted to push the car any further and it dropped out of reach of completing the laps necessary for classification.[50] At the front of the field, the gap between Smith and Capello's No. 7 Bentley and Blundell and Herbert's sister No. 8 car was 33 seconds. Third position was the Champion Racing Audi R8 of Pirro and Seiji Ara's Team Goh entry was fourth.[53] The LMGTS category was a close battle between the Prodrive pair of Kox and Anthony Davidson,[54] as both cars set next to identical lap times during the seventh hour.[55] Ron Fellows' No. 53 Corvette equalled their pace until the Ferraris responded by increasing their speed.[54] In the eighth hour, Davidson spun into a gravel trap at the PlayStation chicane.[56] The resulting pit stop to change the No. 80 Prodrive Ferrari's tyres and a precautionary check lost Davidson two laps and third place in LMGTS to Fellows.[54][56][57]

Eighth place overall became a multi-car battle between David Saelens' Panoz, the Courage Compétition of Gounon and Christophe Tinseau's Riley & Scott Mk III C-Ford; all three drivers were within 20 seconds of each other. Tinseau bowed out of the battle after a routine pit stop, leaving Saelens and Gounon 18 seconds apart.[56] On lap 116, Herbert's No. 8 Bentley made a pit stop; a miscommunication between the mechanic holding a jack and a rear tyre fitter lost him ten seconds.[56][57] 19 laps later, Lammers' Racing for Holland car lowered a 15-second gap through its faster pace to pass Olivier Beretta's Riley & Scott Ford in the final third of the lap for fifth overall.[58] Soon after, Beretta picked up a puncture from hitting debris on the dirty side of the Mulsanne Straight at 190 mph (310 km/h) and slowed en route to the pit lane.[59] The second-place car in the LMGTS category, the No. 50 Corvette of Fellows, was hindered by a suspected alternator belt failure and entered the pit lane. Mechanics found it was a broken pulley operating the vehicle's oil pump. They replaced the support and the battery, enabling Fellows to rejoin the circuit fourth in class.[60] Kristensen's No. 7 Bentley had a 1-minute and 40-second pit stop to have minor damage at the front of the car repaired; he retained the overall lead over Brabham's sister No. 8 car. Luhr's No. 83 Alex Job Racing Porsche succumbed to raised oil and water temperatures caused by a sharp rock penetrating its radiator. It spent 24 minutes and five laps having its radiator replaced and Luhr ceded the LMGT class lead to Kazuyuki Nishizawa's No. 77 Team Taisan Advan car.[61][62]

Magnussen spun at the Ford chicane and damaged the front suspension on Team Goh's Audi R8.[63] He drove the car to the pit lane and mechanics took 8 minutes and 53 seconds to make repairs. The car rejoined in fourth place with Werner driving.[61] Noël del Bello Racing had an anxious moment when driver Jean-Luc Maury-Laribière spun into a gravel trap at the Dunlop Curves. He recovered with assistance from trackside marshals without losing the LMP675 class lead. Soheil Ayari's No. 18 Courage vehicle overtook Scott Maxwell's No. 12 Panoz LMP01 Evo car for ninth overall and pulled away.[64] All three of the top cars in LMGT were within a lap of each other, led by Johnny Mowlem's No. 94 Risi Competizione Ferrari after Team Taisan Advan made a pit stop to replace the driver's-side door. Mowlem held it until his car's engine failed on the Mulsanne Straight and ceded the lead of the class to Lieb's Orbit Porsche.[63] Werner's Team Goh Audi R8 twice drove into its garage for repairs to its engine control unit and lost 10 minutes and 14 seconds. Werner rejoined 3 minutes and 20 seconds in front of Andy Wallace's No. 15 Racing for Holland car.[64][65] As the race approached its halfway point, the No. 7 Bentley of Smith lapped two to five seconds faster than Blundell's No. 8 car and increased the vehicle's overall lead to 1 minute and 20 seconds.[64]

Morning to early afternoon

In the 12th hour, the second-placed car in LMGTS, Davidson's No. 80 Prodrive Ferrari had a right-front wheel bearing fault at 175 mph (282 km/h) and was sent into a barrier at the end of the Mulsanne Straight.[66] He extricated himself from the car and was tended to by trackside marshals. Davidson was transported by ambulance to the infield medical centre for circuit doctors to examine him.[67] They found he had sustained bruising and a head concussion from hitting his head against a door; he was taken to Centre Hospitalier Le Mans for a brain scan.[67][68] The Ferrari's retirement elevated the No. 50 Corvette C5-R of Gavin to second in LMGTS. Prodrive asked Kox in the No. 88 Ferrari to enter the pit lane for a precautionary brake check. Not long after, a low voltage indicator warning and no radio communication to the No. 8 Bentley's pit stall prompted Blundell to make a pit stop for a replacement battery, losing the car two laps to the sister No. 7 entry. The lead of LMGT continued to be closely fought with the No. 93 Alex Job Racing Porsche heading the field until a front splitter problem forced it into the pit lane for four minutes, giving the position to Lieb's Orbit vehicle. Because of the mechanical attrition affecting the Porsche 996s in the LMGT category, only two Porsches remained in contention for a victory and Ferrari could not challenge the marque.[69] Front suspension problems for the No. 12 Panoz car and an engine failure that curtailed the No. 4 Riley & Scott Mk III C's race promoted the No. 88 Prodrive Ferrari to tenth overall.[69][70]

Luhr and Maashen's No. 93 Alex Job Racing Porsche was able to fight with Lieb and later Leo Hindery's No. 87 Orbit car and eventually retake the lead of the LMGT category it had lost when it entered the pit lane for car repairs.[71] An hour and 20 minutes later, Lammers picked up a left-rear puncture, losing control of the No. 15 Racing For Holland car when he braked.[71] He spun several times backwards into a gravel trap at Indianapolis corner and damaged one of the car's rear wheels. The car was pushed back onto the circuit by track marshals and Lammers drove to the pit lane to repair the damage. At the same time, Gunnar Jeannette's No. 11 Panoz LMP01 Evo car locked up and made light contact with the tyre barrier at Arnage corner.[72][73] Further up the field, Brabham made an unscheduled pit stop in the No. 8 Bentley to undergo a second battery replacement. The change took 3 minutes and 32 seconds and the car returned to the race in second overall. Not long after Collins' No. 50 Corvette bowed out of the battle for the LMGTS lead to have its transmission bearing replaced and it was completed in 15 minutes. Lehto's Champion Racing R8 could not take advantage of the No. 8 Bentley's mechanical impairments and lost one additional lap after a spin.[71][72] At the start of the 18th hour, Saelens in the No. 12 Panoz car lost grip through Mulsanne corner and made left-front contact with a tyre barrier at high speed. Saelens was unhurt; the damage to the car forced its retirement.[74]

The No. 93 Alex Job Racing Porsche of Maassen entered the garage with loss of voltage that was rectified by a six-minute change of the alternator. Maassen returned to the track still in the lead of the LMGT category.[75] Soon after, Wallace's No. 15 Racing for Holland Dome had a flat battery that dropped the car from fifth to eighth overall.[76] Gabbiani's sister No. 16 car had its front-left tyre delaminate and carbon fibre debris was launched from the car's front-left corner. Safety cars were required for the second time as the track needed cleaning and prompted several cars to make pit stops. Beretta's No. 11 Panoz car was the main beneficiary from the safety car period and he passed Jonathan Cochet's No. 13 Courage C60 vehicle on the Mulsanne Straight for fifth overall.[74] Towards the end of the 20th hour, the LMP675 class leading Noël del Bello Reynard slowed with a misfiring engine but the car's 35-lap advantage kept it in the category lead.[77] The No. 15 Racing for Holland car of John Bosch returned to seventh[76] when Ayari's No. 18 Courage C60 began leaking fluids at the car's rear and entered the pit lane for a 22-minute repair.[78] With the first four positions stable, attention focused on the battle for fifth place between the No. 11 Panoz LMP01 Evo and the No. 13 Courage C60 cars.[79] The No. 99 XL Racing Ferrari of Gaël Lasoudier had an rear engine bay fire at the PlayStation Chicane, causing the deployment of the safety cars for the third time in the race.[78]

Finish

As the safety car period ended, Max Papis in the No. 11 Panoz LMP01 Evo car caught and passed Stéphan Grégoire's No. 13 Courage C60 vehicle at Tetre Rouge corner. Fellows overtook his Corvette Racing teammate Collins in the final third of the lap for second in LMGTS. Collins retook the position from Fellows two laps later until they made pit stops for fuel, tyres and a change of driver. O'Connell relieved Fellows and returned to second by having a faster stop than Andy Pilgrim. The No. 17 Pescarolo Courage 60 car of Jean-Christophe Boullion's had a flash fire when fuel ignited during a pit stop. An intervention from the team's mechanics to extinguish the fire allowed him to continue driving.[78] The Champion Racing Audi of Johansson stalled during a pit stop for tyres, fuel and a driver switch with co-driver Pirro. The fault was rectified by replacing the car's battery at the right-hand corner of its cockpit. It rejoined the track still in third place and ahead of Ara's Team Goh Audi.[80] Lammers' No. 15 Racing for Holland Dome car in seventh caught and overtook Gounon's No. 13 Courage Compétition C60 vehicle on the race's final lap to claim sixth overall for his team. In the meantime, Tristan Gommendy crashed at the Indianapolis corner. He drove the No. 16 Racing for Holland car into the pit lane to retire.[81]

Unhindered in the final hours of the race, Smith took the chequered flag for the No. 8 Bentley, two laps ahead of the No. 7 Bentley of Brabham.[81] Audi, in their first defeat at Le Mans since the 2000 edition, were a further three laps behind in third to win the LMP900 class with Champion Racing's R8 and Team Goh took fourth.[82][83] It was Smith and Capello's first Le Mans victory and Kristensen's fifth.[84] Kristensen became the first driver in history to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in a row.[85] He also equalled Derek Bell's record of five victories and was one behind Jacky Ickx's all-time record of six wins.[85] It was Bentley's sixth overall Le Mans victory and its first since the 1930 race.[86] Prodrive held their ten-lap lead in the LMGTS category,[87] earning Enge, Kox and Davies their first class victories and the first for Ferrari in a GT class since the 1981 edition.[88] Corvette Racing completed the class podium with the No. 50 ahead of the No. 53.[39] Porsche took the first six places in the LMGT class with Alex Job Racing taking the category win on the team's first visit to Le Mans. Orbit Racing and Thierry Perrier were the final two category podium finishers in second and third.[89] Noël del Bello Racing, unchallenged since the night, were victorious in the LMP675 class,[90] 31 laps ahead of the RN Motorsport Zytek and 84 laps in front of Rachel Welter's WR LMP01.[39]

Race classification

The minimum number of laps for classification (70% of the overall winning car's race distance) was 264 laps. Class winners are denoted with bold and .

Pos Class No. Team Drivers Chassis Tyre Laps Time/Retired
Engine
1 LMGTP 7 Team Bentley Rinaldo Capello
Tom Kristensen
Guy Smith		 Bentley Speed 8 M 377 24:00:40.928
Bentley 4.0L Turbo V8
2 LMGTP 8 Team Bentley Mark Blundell
David Brabham
Johnny Herbert		 Bentley Speed 8 M 375 +2 Laps
Bentley 4.0L Turbo V8
3 LMP900 6 Champion Racing JJ Lehto
Emanuele Pirro
Stefan Johansson		 Audi R8 M 372 +5 Laps
Audi 3.6L Turbo V8
4 LMP900 5 Audi Sport Japan Team Goh Seiji Ara
Jan Magnussen
Marco Werner		 Audi R8 M 370 +7 Laps
Audi 3.6L Turbo V8
5 LMP900 11 JML Team Panoz Olivier Beretta
Gunnar Jeannette
Max Papis		 Panoz LMP01 Evo M 360 +17 Laps
Élan 6L8 6.0L V8
6 LMP900 15 Racing for Holland Jan Lammers
John Bosch
Andy Wallace		 Dome S101 M 360 +17 Laps
Judd GV4 4.0L V10
7 LMP900 13 Courage Compétition Jonathan Cochet
Stéphan Grégoire
Jean-Marc Gounon		 Courage C60 M 360 +17 Laps
Judd GV4 4.0L V10
8 LMP900 17 Pescarolo Sport Jean-Christophe Boullion
Franck Lagorce
Stéphane Sarrazin		 Courage C60 M 356 +21 Laps
Peugeot 3.2L Turbo V6
9 LMP900 18 Pescarolo Sport Éric Hélary
Nicolas Minassian
Soheil Ayari		 Courage C60 M 352 +25 Laps
Peugeot 3.2L Turbo V6
10 GTS 88 Veloqx Prodrive Racing Tomáš Enge
Peter Kox
Jamie Davies		 Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello M 336 +41 Laps
Ferrari F133 5.9L V12
11 GTS 50 Corvette Racing Oliver Gavin
Kelly Collins
Andy Pilgrim		 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R G 326 +51 Laps
Chevrolet 7.0L V8
12 GTS 53 Corvette Racing Ron Fellows
Johnny O'Connell
Franck Fréon		 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R G 326 +51 Laps
Chevrolet 7.0L V8
13 LMP900 9 Kondo Racing Masahiko Kondō
Ukyo Katayama
Ryō Fukuda		 Dome S101 Y 322 +55 Laps
Mugen MF408S 4.0L V8
14 GT 93 Alex Job Racing
Petersen Motorsports		 Sascha Maassen
Emmanuel Collard
Lucas Luhr		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS M 320 +57 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
15 LMP675 29 Noël del Bello Racing Jean-Luc Maury-Laribière
Christophe Pillon
Didier André		 Reynard 2KQ-LM M 319 +58 Laps
Volkswagen HPT16 2.0L Turbo I4
16 GTS 86 Larbre Compétition Patrice Goueslard
Christophe Bouchut
Steve Zacchia		 Chrysler Viper GTS-R M 317 +60 Laps
Chrysler 8.0L V10
17 GT 87 Orbit Racing Leo Hindery Jr.
Peter Baron
Marc Lieb		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS M 314 +63 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
18 GT 75 Thierry Perrier
Perspective Racing		 Michel Neugarten
Nigel Smith
Ian Khan		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS P 305 +72 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
19 GT 77 Team Taisan Advan Atsushi Yogo
Akira Iida
Kazuyuki Nishizawa		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS Y 304 +73 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
20 GT 81 The Racer's Group Kevin Buckler
Timo Bernhard
Jörg Bergmeister		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS M 304 +73 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
21 GTS 72 Luc Alphand Aventures Luc Alphand
Jérôme Policand
Frédéric Dor		 Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello M 298 +79 Laps
Ferrari F133 6.0L V12
22 LMP675 26 RN Motorsport Ltd. John Nielsen
Hayanari Shimoda
Casper Elgaard		 DBA4 03S D 288 +89 Laps
Zytek ZG348 3.4L V8
23 GT 78 PK Sport, Ltd. Robin Liddell
David Warnock
Piers Masarati		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS P 285 +92 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
24 LMP900 19 Automotive Durango SRL Sylvain Boulay
Michele Rugolo
Jean-Bernard Bouvet		 Durango LMP1 D 277 +100 Laps
Judd GV4 4.0L V10
25 GT 70 JMB Racing David Terrien
Fabrizio de Simone
Fabio Babini		 Ferrari 360 Modena GT P 273 +104 Laps
Ferrari F131 3.6L V8
26 GT 94 Risi Competizione Anthony Lazzaro
Ralf Kelleners
Terry Borcheller		 Ferrari 360 Modena GT M 269 +108 Laps
Ferrari F131 3.6L V8
27 GT 84 T2M Motorsport Vanina Ickx
Roland Bervillé
Patrick Bourdais		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS M 264 +113 Laps
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
28
NC		 GTS 64 Graham Nash Motorsport
Ray Mallock Ltd.		 Pedro Chaves
Thomas Erdos
Mike Newton		 Saleen S7-R D 292 Engine
Ford 7.0L V8
29
NC		 GT 85 ST Team Orange Spyker Norman Simon
Tom Coronel
Hans Hugenholtz		 Spyker C8 Double-12R D 229 Not classified
Audi 4.0L V8
30
NC		 LMP675 24 Rachel Welter Yojiro Terada
Olivier Porta
Gavin Pickering		 WR LMP01 M 235 Not classified
Peugeot 2.0L Turbo I4
31
DNF		 LMP900 16 Racing for Holland Felipe Ortiz
Beppe Gabbiani
Tristan Gommendy		 Dome S101 M 316 Accident
Judd GV4 4.0L V10
32
DNF		 LMP900 12 JML Team Panoz Benjamin Leuenberger
David Saelens
Scott Maxwell		 Panoz LMP01 Evo M 233 Accident
Élan 6L8 6.0L V8
33
DNF		 GTS 68 Scorp Motorsport Communication Luis Marques
Olivier Thévenin
Denis Dupuis		 Chrysler Viper GTS-R D 229 Engine
Chrysler 8.0L V10
34
DNF		 GT 99 XL Racing Ange Barde
Michel Ferté
Gaël Lasoudier		 Ferrari 550 Maranello P 227 Fire
Ferrari F131 5.5L V12
35
DNF		 LMP900 4 Riley & Scott Racing Jim Matthews
Marc Goossens
Christophe Tinseau		 Riley & Scott Mk III C M 214 Engine
Ford (Yates) 6.0L V8
36
DNF		 LMP675 25 Gerard Welter Bastien Brière
Jean-René de Fournoux
Stéphane Daoudi		 WR LMP02 M 176 Engine
Peugeot 3.0L V6
37
DNF		 GTS 80 Veloqx Prodrive Racing Anthony Davidson
Kelvin Burt
Darren Turner		 Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello M 176 Accident
Ferrari F131 5.9L V12
38
DNF		 LMP900 14 Team Nasamax
McNeil Engineering		 Romain Dumas
Robbie Sterling
Werner Lupberger		 Reynard 01Q G 138 Fire
Cosworth XDE 2.7L Turbo V8
(Bioethanol)
39
DNF		 GT 95 Risi Competizione Shane Lewis
Butch Leitzinger
Johnny Mowlem		 Ferrari 360 Modena GT Y 138 Engine
Ferrari F133 3.6L V8
40
DNF		 GT 83 Seikel Motorsport Anthony Burgess
David Shep
Andrew Bagnall		 Porsche 911 GT3-RS Y 134 Gearbox
Porsche 3.6L Flat-6
41
DNF		 LMP675 27 Intersport Racing Jon Field
Duncan Dayton
Rick Sutherland		 MG-Lola EX257 G 107 Engine
MG (AER) XP20 2.0L Turbo I4
42
DNF		 GT 92 Dewalt Racesports Salisbury Mike Jordan
Michael Caine
Tim Sugden		 TVR Tuscan T400R D 93 Gearbox
TVR Speed Six 4.0L I6
43
DNF		 GTS 66 Konrad Motorsport Franz Konrad
Toni Seiler
Walter Brun		 Saleen S7-R D 91 Gearbox
Ford 7.0L V8
44
DNF		 LMP900 21 Edouard Sezionale Patrice Roussel
Edouard Sezionale
Lucas Lasserre		 Norma M2000-2 D 82 Engine
Ford (Roush) 6.0L V8
45
DNF		 LMP675 31 Courage Compétition David Hallyday
Philippe Alliot
Carl Rosenblad		 Courage C65 M 41 Engine
JPX 3.4L V6
46
DNF		 LMP900 10 Audi Sport UK
Arena Motorsport		 Frank Biela
Perry McCarthy
Mika Salo		 Audi R8 M 28 Fuel
Audi 3.6L Turbo V8
47
DNF		 LMP675 23 Team Bucknum Racing Jeff Bucknum
Bryan Willman
Chris McMurry		 Pilbeam MP91 D 27 Engine
JPX 3.4L V6
48
DNF		 GT 91 Dewalt Racesport Salisbury Rob Barff
Richard Hay
Richard Stanton		 TVR Tuscan T400R D 11 Crash
TVR Speed Six 4.0L I6
49
DNF		 GTS 61 Carsport America Mike Hezemans
Anthony Kumpen
David Hart		 Pagani Zonda GR P 10 Gearbox
Mercedes-Benz AMG 6.0L V12
DNS LMP900 20 Lister Racing Jamie Campbell-Walter
Nathan Kinch
Vincent Vosse		 Lister Storm LMP D – Did not start
Chevrolet LS1 6.0L V8
Source:[39][91]
gollark: Somehow, the giant machine learning model™ *still* uses half as much RAM as `gitea`.
gollark: ++experimental_qa Bee Why are bees?
gollark: Truly, GEORGE is inevitable.
gollark: It uses very slow™ apiaristic intelligence™.
gollark: ++experimental_qa "George (surname)" How inevitable is GEORGE?

References
  1. McGill, Jim (14 June 2003). "Audi and Bentley gear up for monumental Le Mans battle Famous endurance test is still world's greatest race". The Herald. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  2. "Commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Le Mans 24 Hours". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  3. "Le Mans — How It Began". Road & Track. 16 May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  4. Hargreaves, Eilidh (13 May 2019). "An insider's guide to the Le Mans 24hours: how to experience the ultimate endurance race in style". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  5. "Competitor Information: 2003 Regulations: Appendix A" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 3 October 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2003. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  6. Legangneux, David (4 June 2003). "Le Mans – White Lines (Kerbs) & Things". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  7. "Le Mans Accepts 72 Entries for 24 Hours". Speed. 4 March 2003. Archived from the original on 31 March 2003. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  8. Wilkins, Robert (17 October 2002). "Le Mans in 2003 beckons for Petit winners". Crash. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  9. "24 Heures du Mans 2003: Supplementary Regulations" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 18 December 2002. pp. 6–7 & 11–12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2003. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  10. "Audi boss confirms Le Mans pull-out". Autosport. 22 November 2002. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  11. "Fifty selected cars announced for Le Mans". Autoweek. 25 March 2003. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  12. Virfeu, Jean-Claude (1 April 2003). "A propos de la sélection pour les 24 Heures : 3 questions à Michel Cosson: " On a pris les cinquante meilleurs "". Ouest-France (in French). Archived from the original on 10 July 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  13. "Following the LM Entry Saga". DailySportsCar. 2 April 2003. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  14. Wagstaff, Ian (26 June 2003). "Bio-ethanol at Le Mans – raising the profile of 'renewable' fuels". Just-Auto.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  15. "'Green fuel' to challenge for pole at Le Mans". Crash. 5 February 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  16. Wilkins, Robert (5 May 2003). "Prodrive set the GTS class pace". Crash. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  17. "Bentleys, Audis lead the way in preliminaries". motorsport.com. 4 May 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  18. "Biela unhurt in major accident". Autosport. 6 May 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  19. "Le Mans Test Day Round Up". DailySportsCar. 5 May 2003. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  20. "Qualifying 1: Bentleys dominate". Autosport. 11 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  21. "Bentley fast for first qualifying, part one". motorsport.com. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  22. "Wednesday Qualifying Report – Prototypes". DailySportsCar. 11 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  23. "Wednesday Qualifying Report - GTS & GT". DailySportsCar. 11 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  24. "Kristensen turns two quick laps to take provisional pole". motorsport.com. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 18 June 2003.
  25. "Qualifying 2: Bentleys on top again". Autosport. 11 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  26. "Bentley remains fastest on second qualifying, part one". motorsport.com. 13 June 2003. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  27. "It was my fault says Campbell-Walter". Crash. 13 June 2003. Archived from the original on 15 September 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  28. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Thursday Qualifying Report – 900 & 675". DailySportsCar. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  29. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Thursday Qualifying Report – GTS & GT". DailySportsCar. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  30. "Qualifying 3: No change at the top". Autosport. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  31. "Bentleys on front row for 24 Hours of Le Mans". motorsport.com. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  32. Thomas, Barry (13 June 2003). "Bentley Secure Front Row". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 8 July 2003. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  33. "Final qualifying: Kristensen holds pole". Autosport. 12 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  34. "Le Mans 24 Hours (Qualifying Results)". Racing Sports Cars. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  35. "Warm-up: Blundell fastest". Autosport. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  36. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Race Morning Warmup". DailySportsCar. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  37. "Heat leak hits Team Nasamax". Crash. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  38. "The race is go!". Autosport. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  39. "2003 24 Hours of Le Mans". Racing-Reference. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  40. "Le Mans 2003 is go!!". Crash. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 15 September 2003. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  41. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 1 – 3". DailySportsCar. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  42. "80th Le Mans 24 Hours: Engine Failure Ends AMECO's Charge Into GT Class Lead at Le Mans". ItaliaSpeed.com. 16 June 2003. Archived from the original on 7 October 2003. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  43. "80° édition: 49 voitures au départ" (in French). Spirit Of. 13 June 2003. Archived from the original on 25 June 2003. Retrieved 25 June 2019.,
  44. "Early hiccup for defending GTS champs". Crash. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  45. "Hour 1: Bentley leads the way". Autosport. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  46. "TVR challenged halved inside one hour?". Crash. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  47. "No. 8 Bentley survives, but Biela comes up empty". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  48. Hergault, Julien; Light, Tony (30 October 2013). "Frank Biela: out of gas..." Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  49. "Bentley has close call but maintains lead". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  50. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 4 – 6". DailySportsCar. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  51. "Hour 4: Oil on the track". Autosport. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  52. "Oil spill at Mulsanne brings out safety cars". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  53. "Bentley leads the way into darkness". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  54. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 7 – 9". DailySportsCar. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  55. "Hour 7: Green and red in the dark". Autosport. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  56. "Pit confusion adds to Herbert's woes, still trails Capello". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  57. "Hour 8: dropping like flies". Autosport. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  58. "Jan Lammers flies into fifth, Bentleys still lead". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  59. "Beretta dodges a bullet". Crash. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  60. "Le Mans Nine-Hour Report: Corvette On The Move" (Press release). Corvette Racing. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 20 August 2003. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  61. "Audis attack, falter in the wee hours". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  62. "AJR strikes problems". Crash. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  63. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 10 – 12". DailySportsCar. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  64. "Kristensen, Smith hang on to lead at midway point". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  65. "Hour 12: Battles everywhere but the front". Autosport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  66. "2003 24 Heures du Le Mans". European Car. 20 February 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  67. "Davidson bruised but otherwise okay". Crash. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  68. Allsop, Derick (16 June 2003). "Bentley power to first 24-hour victory in seven decades". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  69. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 13 – 15". DailySportsCar. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  70. "Hour 16: It's easy being green". Autosport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  71. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 16 – 18". DailySportsCar. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  72. "Bentley motors on". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  73. "Hour 17: Lammers spins but survives". Autosport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  74. "Safety cars back out before high noon". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  75. "Alex Job Racing – Petersen Motorsports/White Lightining Racing: Fifth Report (8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)" (Press release). Alex Job Racing. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 26 June 2003. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  76. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 19 – 21". DailySportsCar. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  77. "Hour 20: Drama at high noon". Autosport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  78. "Bentleys, Audis hold station into the final two hours". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  79. "Hour 21: Bentley closes on win". Autosport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  80. "Final hour begins at Le Mans". motorsport.com. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  81. "The 71st Le Mans 24 Hours: Hours 22 - 24". DailySportsCar. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  82. "Privateer Audi proud of podium". Crash. 16 June 2003. Archived from the original on 27 January 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  83. "The 2003 season in review" (Press release). Audi Media Center. 27 November 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  84. "Historic 1-2 for Bentley". Eurosport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 17 June 2003. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  85. "Bentley's historic Le Mans win". Car Magazine. 16 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  86. "Bentley claim Le Mans crown". BBC Sport. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 4 July 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  87. "First Ferrari GT victory at Le Mans since 1974 – looking forward to UK FIA GT Race on 29 June". Classic Driver. 18 June 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  88. Panighini, Phillipe (16 June 2003). "LM GTS: Ferrari redore son prestigieux blason". Ouest-France (in French). Archived from the original on 10 July 2005. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  89. "Porsche rivals combine for Le Mans win". Crash. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 27 January 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  90. Virfeu, Boris (16 June 2003). "LMP 675. – Nouvelle victoire de la Reynard-Lehmann: Noël Del Bello double la mise". Ouest-France (in French). Archived from the original on 10 July 2005. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  91. "24 Hours of Le Mans (Race Results)". Racing Sports Cars. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.