Video+Photos: Audi suffer two horrific crashes at Le Mans

The Audi Sport team have been left shell shocked after two horrific crashes at Le Mans.

Around the one hour mark, Scottish star Allan McNish made pass a for the lead and in doing so tagged the Ferrari 458 of Anthony Beltoise. This sent the #3 Audi backwards through the gravel trap before flipping and slamming into the tyre barriers at the high speed Dunlop Curves.

Photographers, race officials and spectators standing behind the barriers were all covered in debris. Miraculously, McNish climbed out unaided and is reported to be OK, even more incredibly no one trackside appears to have been seriously injured.

View photos of McNish’s crash here

Then at around 11pm local time, Audi Sport Team Joest lost the second of its three factory entries when German star and reigning champion, Mike Rockenfeller destroyed the # 1 car.

Rockenfeller caught the slower #71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 GT car of Robert Kauffman, which appeared to moved across into the path of the Audi approaching the Mulsanne kink. The R18 TDI snapped left at over 300km’h and hit the Armco head-on, disintegrated, and then rebounded into the barriers on the opposite side of the track.

In yet another testament to the safety of the Audi’s, Rockenfeller was reported to have extricated himself from the car and climbed over the barriers! Medical staff then transferred the 27-year-old to a local hospital for further assessment.

The #2 Audi of  Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer continues to lead.