Viva Peugeot!

Peugeot has taken a long awaited victory in this year's 24 Hour race at Le Mans. The Peugeot Sport #9 908 HDi FAP prototype was driven by ex-Formula One drivers Marc Gené, Alexander Wurz and Australian, David Brabham.

"It's such a great feeling to have won," said Brabham. "Peugeot Sport did a tremendous job... It's a great team -- they gave us a 100 per cent reliable car and the three of us drove a faultless race."

In second place was Team Peugeot Sport's pole-winning #8 car, driven by Stéphane Sarrazin, Franck Montagny and Le Mans local, Sébastien Bourdais.

After several stints in the pits due to mechanical problems, including ECU changeovers and overheating turbo system the #1 factory Audi Sport R15 could not catch the Peugeots and remained a lap down for most of the race to finish six laps behind in third, ahead of the #007 Lola Aston Martin.

Two of the three Audi works cars failed to finish the race due to an accident and mechanical problems.

The third factory Peugeot LMP1 car, driven by Nicolas Minassian, Pedro Lamy and Christian Klien, fared better and finished in sixth place. Minassian set the fastest time on lap 259 with 3:24.352.

Compatriot team Pescarolo was in fourth place before its Peugeot 908, driven by Benoît Tréluyer at the time, went off at the esses at la Chapelle. Treluyer was injured but conscious and taken to the medical centre.

The diesel-powered 908 first competed in 2007, up against a dominant Audi Team Joest and its diesel-powered R10 and later R15 open cars. This year's race was the seventh outing by the factory team Peugeot Sport, having first entered in 1926.

The team raced in the early 90s ('91, '92, '93) and won in '92 with Yannick Dalmas, Mark Blundell and Derek Warwick in the petrol-powered 905 car and also '93 with Christophe Bouchut, Eric Hélary and David Brabham's brother, Geoff.

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