Eclipsing Ickx’s record

Tom Kristensen (picture above), JJ Lehto and Marco Werner won the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans in their Champion Racing-entered works Audi R8.

It was Werner’s first, Lehto second and Kristensen’s seventh victory at La Sarthe. Kristensen eclipsed Jacky Ickx’s all-time record of six Le Mans wins, and Marco Werner completed the Triple Crown of Endurance Racing – overall wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

It was also Audi’s fifth overall victory and the last for the R8. Unchallenged since the third hour of the race, Kristensen took the checkered flag for the no.3 Audi, at an average speed of 210.216 km/h. Second was the Pescarolo C60 Hybrid of Collard, Bouillon, Comas, two laps down (picture below, behind the winning Audi).