Le Mans 24 hours

Anthony Davidson, together with his team-mates Alexander Wurz and Marc Gene, drove a stunning race yesterday in France, when they came close to a podium finish in the Peugeot 908 HDi LMP1 car.

Anthony had led the race at one stage, but a night incident with a Ferrari, and then an electrical problem that took some time to fix, delayed them for awahile, until Anthony, in the sole surviving trio of team Peugeot's, was told to "push"... and "push" he did! Sadly what appeared to be a turbo failure with just 2-hours remaining, when Wurz had Audi under pressure for second place, ended their day.

Naturally there was controversy, when a back-marker GT2 car decided to visit the barriers in the Porsche Curves, and since Anthony was blitzing the Corvette driven by Emanuel Collard at the time, the commentators and forums provided some unjust commentary and statements.

Scruting of the TV footage clearly shows Anthony was not only very quick and setting fastest race laps, but he was also on the racing line, and on the inside of the Corvette as they went into the left-hander. As a journalist, I would have reported how the Corvette driver should have been aware of his position, and the fact he was being lapped again, but instead lost control on the 'marbles' and hit the barrier.

Anthony receved plaudits from his team for a superb effort, whilst others berated him for his supremacy on the track. "I'm a racing driver," Anthony said, "and I had to take a few risks." And racing drivers are paid to win, if necessary by taking risks, and are not paid to acquiesce with an 'after you...' mentality.

Well done Ant..!