Gearbox trouble ends Brundle's dream

13 April 2012

Martin Brundle's dream of giving Bentley a first Le Mans 24-Hour Race victory for 71 years ended as rain wreaked havoc in the famous French marathon.  

It was not the terrible conditions that ended Brundle's bid but a gearbox problem that left his co-driver Guy Smith stuck in sixth gear and with no option but to retire as the car kept stalling.

Despite Brundle's reservations about how the brand-new Bentley would cope in the wet, he actually capitalised on a downpour just 15 minutes into the event when a timely pit-stop proved a wise move as his rivals skidded off.

The ITV Formula One commentator led after one hour but was overhauled by the works Audi duo and gradually dropped off the pace as the circuit became more and more treacherous.

Brundle handed over to Smith when the rain was at its most torrential, with the safety car spending more time on the track than off it.

And it proved to be Brundle's one and only spell behind the wheel for towards the end of the fifth hour, Smith was seen touring along the Mulsanne Straight and soon pulled onto the grass with smoke billowing from the car.

"I was stuck in second and third gear for a time and then sixth, which meant the car kept stalling," said 26-year-old Smith, from Cottingham near Hull.

"The clutch set on fire and although I tried everything to keep going, it meant the end of our race.

"We gave it everything we had and it's disappointing to go out this way. But the car was fast and the spectators were fantastic - I'm sure Bentley are very grateful for their support."

Bentley still had one chance of a decent result with Andy Wallace the top non-Audi in fourth position, but another one-two-three for the German manufacturer to repeat last year's feat was looking increasingly likely.

Johnny Herbert was running third in the Audi entered by the Florida-based Champion Racing team, lapping as quickly as anyone in the rain to suggest the factory cars would not have things all their own way.

MG, who like Bentley are at Le Mans with a fledgling project, produced some impressive speed but had more than their share of mechanical problems.

Ex-Formula One star Mark Blundell drove superbly to hold a place in the top three at one stage but brake problems pushed him back down the order.

The sister car also went well during the opening stint for Anthony Reid but engine problems when Warren Hughes was at the wheel meant retirement.

Hopes of a British winner diminished greatly when both Herbert and Wallace met trouble as the race approached one-third distance.

Herbert had vacated the cockpit for Belgian colleague Didier Theys, but he had trouble starting the car in the pits and then stopped halfway around the circuit with a gearbox problem.

Theys was stationary for several minutes while he tried to work out a way of getting the Audi back to the pits having refused to give up the cause, but all the time he was dropping down the standings.

Wallace was about to take over from American team-mate Butch Leizinger when a technical gremlin was identified in the Bentley and the car underwent lengthy repair work in the pits.

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