Allan McNish's terrifying Audi R18 TDI Le Mans crash

Less than an hour in to the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Audi R18 TDI of Allan McNish is out of contention. With McNish at the wheel, the R18 ran up on slower GT traffic coming into the Dunlop curve. Instead of backing off, McNish tried to shoot the gap underneath a slower Ferrari 458 Italia. As McNish reached the apex of the corner, he touched the Ferrari, sending both cars hard into the barrier.

The R18 got airborne in the gravel, and slammed into a tire wall sideways, spraying photographers and spectators with wheels, suspension pieces and large chunks of carbon fiber monocoque. Despite the severity of the crash, McNish was able to walk away under his own power after marshals righted the remains of his diesel prototype.

It's good to know McNish is ok, and our thoughts are with the photographers and marshals who got sprayed with crash debris. Ultimately, McNish probably shouldn't have shot the gap this early in the race. To see the full terrifying video, click past the jump.