FFSA Viper calls it quits.

The French Motorsport Federation Viper will has lost its battle to rejoin the Le MAns 24 Hours, after being involved in the early race crash at Porsche Curves.

Despite driver David Terrien's frantic - and unstinting - efforts to return the shattered car to its garage, the ORECA-assisted operation has decided that the car was too badly damaged to continue.

Terrien fought to get the car back from the grass verge at Porsche to the entrance to the pit-lane, where, its steering damaged, it simply refused to negotiate the chicane. Much effort - physical and mental, when Terrien cobbled together a repair - later, the red, white and blue Viper finally made it back to the garage, where the mechanics were finally able to help the struggling driver.

Sadly, however, its condition - which included front and rear damage, as well as a missing driver's door - precluded safe repair and the car joined fellow accident victim Rowan Racing on the sidelines.