Former winner Allan McNish escaped serious injury after crashing his Audi shortly after the start of the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race on Saturday.

The official race website (http://www.lemans.org) said the Scot, who stepped out of the wreckage unaided, was unhurt but taken to the circuit medical centre for precautionary checks.

The safety car was deployed after the accident involving the number three Audi R18 and the Ferrari 458 driven by Anthony Beltoise, with German Timo Bernhard leading the race in the number one Audi.