Release n°5 - Saturday 16h00 - 18h00

No more Mercedes-Benz in the race :
Two GT-One Toyotas held up but no.29 in the lead

Like no.35, the Bouchut-Gounon-Zonta CLK-LM Mercedes-Benz was officially retired just after 16h00 for the same reasons.

Although the no.29 Toyota was still in the lead all was not well with the other two cars. Boutsen-Kelleners-Lees took over first place around 17h30 following a long pitstop by no.28 as Eric Hélary spun on the entry to the Ford chicane due to a braking problem. After these were purged the car that he shares with Brundle and Collard was forced to make two unscheduled stops dropping back seven laps behind the leaders after 18h00.  No.27, which was in fifth spot after three hours' racing, had to pit three times because of gearbox problems falling back to 19th place at 18h00.

BMW : Withdrawn at 18h00

At 18h00 when the no.1 BMW was in fifth position it rejoined no.2 in the BMW pits and team announced the cars'withdrawal due to vibrations in the drive train.

The two GT1 98 Porsches were on the same lap as the leader and the drivers of nos 25 and 26 did double stints as was the case in the Toyota and several prototype teams.

The Nissans were playing a waiting game and were all grouped between fifth and tenth places among the prototype Porsches 7 and 8 and the no.13 Courage which had electronic problems as the dashboard instruments were not working.

GT2 : The Vipers hit the front

The last of the Konrad Porsches (no.70) went off at Mulsanne and the nos 51 and 53 Chryslers took up the running in GT2 ahead of the no.64 Roock Racing 911 GT2. The third of the Oreca Team cars went out with electrical problems and stopped only 20 meters from the pit lane entry where the mechanics could have pushed it.
Among the privately entered Porsches no.60 slowed down and was passed by no.64 which had to have its windscreen changed. The discs were replaced on the team's other car no.65