The fifth hour of the race started with the two Peugeots still at some distance from the chasing Audi’s. Way behind is the #009 Lola Aston Martin after having been in the pit for almost twenty minutes.
In GT2 the second placed Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT was given a warning for not respecting the track limits. Unfortunately for the team Mika Salo did repeat it and at 7.30pm a stop and go for the Ferrari was issued.
The next Ferrari team to hit trouble was the Hankook-Farnbacher Racing team. Their #89 Ferrari F430 GT suffered a big blow-out out on the track.
But even more trouble just a few minutes later down the Ford Chicane. Stuart Hall in the #009 Lola, only back on the track for just over twenty minutes changed his line and moved straight into the path of the Bruichladdich-Bruneau Radical SR9. The cars collided and the #26 Radical slammed into the wall and then into the tyres. Debris was all over the place and the safety car was sent out again. Tim Greaves did however continue to his pit on three wheels.
As a result of the safety car period most teams decided to come in quickly for their stop. For the Quifel-ASM Team the race came to an end during the SC as the damage done to the car was irrepairable and the team decided to retire.
Almost minutes after the safety car was deployed the race was restarted, despite the asphalt breaking up at the Mulsanne Corner. Salo came in for his stop and go the moment the race went green.
Five minutes before the end of the fifth hour the #3 Audi came into the pit after a slow lap. The car was quickly pushed back into the pit box.
Peugeot #8 and #9 were leading the race, ahead of the #1 Audi. In LMP2 the Team Essex #31 Porsche was still ahead of the Team Goh car and the Speedy Lola. Leading GT2 was the IMSA Porsche ahead of the #82 and #92 Ferrari’s.
But coming into the sixth hour the LMP2 lead changed for the first time with the Team Goh Porsche passing the Team Essex.
Other teams hit problems (or had problems continuing) at the start of the sixth hour. Both the #76 and #75 Porsche came into the pit with technical problems. The #76 seemed to have an engine related problem while the Endurance Asia Team car lost a wheel, at least it found back the pace after its earlier problems.
In the box the Audi engineers kept working on the #3 car, with Radio Le Mans reporting a possible engine problem. It apparently didn’t fire up.
At 8.20pm the Lizard Porsche was seen slow on the track, way off the pace. After a lap of over 7 minutes the car returned to the box and was handed over to Darren Law. Strakka meanwhile had a terrible pit stop with a flap hanging at the front and the left rear wheel not coming off!
Just fifteen minutes left in the sixth hour when the Peugeot came back in for an unscheduled stop. Having only completed four laps after its previous stop the car is moved back into the box where the engine cover came off and the team scrambled to work.
As a result of the lengthy pit stop the #9 Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP took the lead with just over eight minutes left. Three minutes later the #8 returned to the track after the suspension problems had been solved.
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