Skip to main content

Audi driver escapes major Le Mans crash with minor injuries

Loic Duval crash during 2014 Le Mans practice
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Racing is a dangerous business. Even today’s advanced technology can’t always account for the unpredictability that comes with rolling around at high speeds on a tiny rubber contact patch.

During a free-practice session yesterday, driver Loïc Duval lost control of the number 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro in the Porsche Corners, hitting a barrier at more than 167 mph.

Recommended Videos

Despite the car being smashed nearly beyond recognition (as seen in the above image from Eurosport 2), Duval only suffered minor abrasions, but was hospitalized. 

Marc Gené will take over his spot for now, alongside Tom Kristensen and Lucas DiGrassi in the number 1 car.

Audi rushed to repair the car last night, so the drivers will still likely make the race. They’ll have to complete their qualifying laps tonight, as will several other teams originally scheduled to qualify yesterday.

Multiple accidents caused the session to be cut short, with only 50 minutes of the planned two hours completed. The rest of the spots on the starting grid will be filled in tonight’s session.

As of the end of yesterday’s abbreviated qualifying session, the other two Audis were in fifth and sixth place, with the two Porsche 919 Hybrids in first and second, and Toyota’s pair of TS040 Hybrids in between in third and fourth.

The race itself kicks off Saturday, and we’ll be on the ground covering it. Check our Countdown to Le Mans hub for the latest updates.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Ford offers 10-year warranty as EcoBoost engine-failure probe ends
2021 ford f 150 review front three quarter

It began in July 2022 as regulators started looking into reports of engine failures affecting 2021 Bronco SUVs. It then turned into a two-year probe covering more than 411,000 vehicles outfitted with Ford’s EcoBoost engines, including the Ford F-150 Bronco, Edge and Explorer, as well as the Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus.

And now, the verdict is in.

Read more
Zero Motorcycles expands line with lighter, lower-cost models
A rider sitting on a Zero XE watching another rider doing donuts in the dirt on a Zero XB.

Zero Motorcycles announced its 2025 lineup with two new lightweight electric on- and off-road models that expand its reach to the e-bike and light e-motorcycle markets. Zero's current electric commuter, touring, and adventure motorcycles cost more than $12,000.  Zero plans to roll out six new sub-$10,000 models during the next two years in what it terms an "All Access" strategy to meet the needs of additional riders. The new models will comprise Zero's new X Line.
The Zero X-Line

The XE and XB motorcycles resemble motocross bikes with narrow knobby tires, flat saddles, relatively flat bars, and ample clearance between the wheels and fenders. When they arrive at U.S. dealerships in the summer of 2025, they will be sold for off-road riding only, although both will be sold as street-legal models in Europe.

Read more
AT&T, Voltpost bring internet connectivity to EV charging lampposts
att voltpost streetlight charging newlabdetroit 63

Move over, Supercharger network.

EV charging networks have been fast expanding across U.S. roads and highways over the past year, led by the likes of Electrify America, Tesla, and Chargescape, to name a few.

Read more