Allan McNish has become the very first Briton to seat behind the wheel of a diesel engined sportscar and race to victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours yestreday when the Scotsman’s Audi notched an exciting and enormously victory in style. The victory earned McNish his second Le Mans career win. The milestone happened 10 years after his earlier win in the French classic – and the German manufacturer’s eighth victory from the time when he débuted in 1999.

“I’m overjoyed to have finally won the Le Mans 24 Hours for Audi. I’ve come very close on numerous occasions in the past but despite fierce opposition from start to finish, some of the most demanding and difficult track conditions I’ve ever raced in, and totally unpredictable weather, I’ve finally done it,” says an overjoyed Allan McNish.

The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours showcased 55-cars competing for the glorious prize around the 8.47-mile circuit consisting of closed public roads and outspread, as foreseen by McNish, in to a twice-around-the-clock dogfight.

“I decided not to take risks at the start and was happy to follow the Peugeots. But after just over two hours, they encountered problems of varying degrees. The track was treacherous in the rain – greasy and slippery – like driving on ice. Thankfully the car was very sure-footed but driving in those conditions for over three hours required 100% concentration because if you made the slightest mistake, you just didn’t go wide, you went off the track and out of the race,” added McNish.