Michael Fassbender crashes out of 24 Hours of Le Mans race

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Michael Fassbender is out of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race in France after losing control of his Porsche and hitting a tyre barrier.

The Oscar-nominated Irish actor has been devoting more of his time to circuit racing in recent years.

His team Proton Competition entered the endurance race on Saturday, and Fassbender had 18 minutes left to complete his six-hour stint when he hit the barrier on Sunday morning.

In a Twitter post, his racing group wrote: “We are gutted! Car #911 is no longer running the Le Mans 24 race.

“Few minutes before the end of his stint #MichaelFassbender lost control of the car and went into the barrier with no chances to repair the damage. Le Mans was no(t) kind to us this year!”

X-Men: First Class star Fassbender, 46, is part of a team that includes Estonian driver Martin Rump and Austrian professional Richard Lietz.

In 2019, Fassbender raced in the Porsche Sports Cup Germany and also had his first race in front of a home crowd at the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, Ireland, to celebrate the event’s 40th anniversary.

Fassbender, who received Oscar nominations for his performances in 12 Years A Slave and Steve Jobs, is set for upcoming projects with director Taika Waititi and Arnold Schwarzenegger.