2008 24 Hours of Le Mans

On 20 December 2007, the ACO confirmed the previously announced rule changes for the 2008 race and 2008 Le Mans Series season.

[2][3] Prior to the Le Mans Test Day, Audi announced that they would be the first team to adapt their cars to use 10% biodiesel as allowed by the new rules, with partner Shell developing a biomass to liquid fuel.

[6] On 19 February, the ACO published their full list of fifty-five entries plus eight reserves, chosen from a total of 88 applications.

[7] The fifty-five main entries were required to appear at the Le Mans test day in order to compete.

[11] The first remaining reserve, Epsilon Euskadi's second entry, was allowed to take its place at the start of Wednesday qualifying.

[12] Drivers, team, and equipment for fifty-five cars arrived at the Circuit de la Sarthe on June 1 to participate in a mandatory test session.

[15] Stéphane Sarrazin, in the #8 Peugeot, was able to set the fastest lap during a brief dry period in the second session, recording a time of 3:22.222.

The fastest car not running a diesel engine was the #17 Pescarolo, recording a time of 3:33.939, over eleven seconds behind the overall leader.

[16] The Grand Touring categories were led by the previous year's winner in GT1 class, the factory Aston Martin squad.

Risi Competizione's #82 Ferrari set a 4:05.561 lap time, only three one thousandths of a second ahead of the Flying Lizard Porsche.

During the first session, the JMB Ferrari spun and hit a wall at Arnage, requiring it to be towed from the track.

[18] Shortly after the beginning of the second test session, the Risi-Krohn Ferrari also had a spin, impacting the wall at the Ford Chicane, leading to driver Tracy Krohn being briefly hospitalized.

[19] Less than an hour later, Marc Gené in the #7 Peugeot spun in the Karting curve and his 908 became airborne, impacting the wall heavily.

In the early hours, the Peugeot #8, Pole setter and only car to set a fast race lap under 3:20, by black flag[24] had been ordered into the pits to repair the headlights.

In a desperate attempt to adapt the Peugeots to the wet conditions all 3 cars were fitted with high-downforce nose and tail sections.

Minassian decided to stick with slicks and as a result spun in front of the Lizard Porsche just before the Dunlop Esses.

Of the five Ferraris which had led the GT2 class, three made it to the finish ahead of the remaining Porsches which had been lapping slightly faster.