Team Bentley after twenty hours

Le Mans, 15 June 2003, midday... Starkly contrasting fortunes in the last few hours has meant the number 7 Bentley Speed 8 has been able to draw two laps ahead of its number 8 sister. Both cars still head the rest of the field.

The trouble-free run of the number 7 Bentley, driven by Tom Kristensen, Dindo Capello and Guy Smith has continued, while bad luck and small but time-consuming problems have interrupted the progress of number 8. Given some space, the speed of the second placed Bentley was proven by the scintillating 3min 35.5sec lap turned in by Johnny Herbert, the fastest lap of the race and within 0.5sec of the car's qualifying time.

Dindo Capello: "I did four stints, a total of 52 laps, on the same set of tyres and they were as good at the end as they were at the start. Given how much downforce the Bentley has and the fact we have narrower tyres than other prototypes, it is an incredible achievement from Michelin."

David Brabham: "It's a pity we had to stop to change the battery twice but the second time was a false alarm and the car appears to be fine now. I had a great time in the car this morning after a frustrating night session when I seemed to be always dodging traffic. This time I was able to get into a really good rhythm and set some decent times."

Derek Bell, Bentley Motors consultant: "It seems like we're near the end of the race but there's still more than two Grand Prix distances to cover. For now we must forget the finish and all that the winning would mean to us. All that matters right now is that the drivers and team stay focused, and keep those cars running to the end."