Swiss driver raises Le Mans trophy

Marcel Fässler has become the first Swiss to co-pilot a sports car to victory in the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Fässler, who shared the driving of Audi No. 2 with German Andre Lotterer and Frenchman Benoît Tréluyer, claimed the 10th title for the German carmaker, moving Audi into sole possession of second place for most victories at Le Mans behind Porsche with 16 titles.

Audi No. 2 overcame two crashes and held off a charging Peugeot to win at Le Mans, which is billed as the world’s oldest sports car endurance race. It has been held annually near Le Mans, France since 1923.

The winning car completed 355 laps in 24 hours, finishing ahead of Peugeot No. 9 by 13.854 seconds.

In the 19th hour, Lotterer clocked the fastest lap in three minutes, 25.289 seconds on the 8.5-mile circuit to build a significant lead.

Audi No. 2 managed to adapt to changing conditions when rain started in the 21st hour, forcing drivers to switch tyres.