Instead, the cars use a large flywheel that collects the energy created under braking and converts it into power for an electric motor connected to the front wheels.

Audi No.1 and No.2 swapped the lead in the 14th hour when Fassler spun the lead car at the Porsche curves, causing it to clip a wall. Fortunately for the No.1 team the car sustained only minor damage and regained the head of the race when McNish crashed Audi No.2   into a wall at the same spot in the 22nd hour.

image via Audi Sport

The win for Audi cemented its dominance of the event, which it has now won eight times out of the last nine races. The last carmaker to beat it at Le Mans was Peugeot, who took the title in 2009. Only Porsche has won more Le Mans.

Audi’s chairman of the board Rupert Stadler, who was at the race, said in a statement: “With the e-tron quattro in combination with ultra lightweight design, we put a completely new technology on the grid and immediately won with it — this cannot be taken for granted by any means, particularly here at Le Mans.”

In total 56 cars started the race, which is now in its 80th year, with only 35 managing to finish.

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