Capello said Gene was solely to blame for the tangle between the #2 Audi and #7 Peugeot.

"The incident with Gene destroyed the race for the #2 Audi and affected me mentally in my last stint. The car was capable of going faster, Tom and Allan showed that," said the Italian.

"Watching the television replays of the incident afterwards, it is clear I was not responsible for the accident - and only this makes me feel a little more relaxed. To have our race effectively ended before mid-distance was frustrating."

But Gene felt it was a racing incident.

"I was level with Dindo Capello, I braked fairly late, and we ended up turning into the corner at the same time and coming together," he said. "It was a real shame because our car was handling very well."

Trying to stir up the atmosphere! Le Mans will be door to door banging all the way through the Porsche curves with Quesnel and Ullrich ending the race wrestling through the pitlane