NATIVE TALENT; FRENCH END GERMAN DOMINATION AT LE MANS.(NEWS)

Byline: GARY WATKINS

Peugeot's 24 Hours of Le Mans win did not come as a shock, but the way the French manufacturer performed did provide some surprise. Peugeot trounced its German archrival Audi and outperformed it in almost every way.

The win went to the least favored of Peugeot's driver lineups, the combination of Alex Wurz, David Brabham and Marc Gene, with a performance best described as, well, Audi-esque. Their 908 HDi turbo-diesel was not the fastest Peugeot, but it made the kind of trouble-free run reminiscent of so many Audi wins over the years. That was just enough to give the trio of thinking drivers a one-lap victory over the all-French lineup of Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and Sebastien Bourdais.

Peugeot did not squander its performance advantage this year as it did in 2008, a critical factor considering that the advantage was narrower than before. In fact, the 2009 version of the 908 was more reliable than Audi's new R15 TDI LMP1 prototype, and the in-house Peugeot Sport team was quicker than the Joest Audi operation in the pits. The 908 matched its German rival on fuel economy and tire wear, and, crucially, the team made all the right tactical calls. Audi never looked like a potential winner except for a spell during the night, and then only with one car.

The R15s were off the pace from the start, but the Allan McNish/Tom Kristensen/Rinaldo Capello-driven machine emerged briefly as a potential front-runner. A switch to a high-downforce nose helped, but the car really came into its own when the temperature dropped and McNish climbed back aboard, equipped with Michelin's soft-compound tires. In reality, the R15 was simply not good enough to beat the 908, and Audi's lead drivers could only salvage a distant third-place finish. But McNish was encouraged by their performance.

"Now the car is a real racing car, he said afterward. "Yes, they are a bit quicker, but now we're in the ballpark.

Any hope of ...