Herbert ready for 24-hour duel with team-mate Kristensen

England against Denmark not only takes place in Japan today but also at Le Mans, where Johnny Herbert and Tom Kristensen do battle in the famous 24-hour race.

The pair are Audi team-mates and rivals, with their respective cars expected to dominate the endurance classic which begins this afternoon. That will give them time to watch the action in the Far East before Herbert launches his bid for a second Le Mans win and Kristensen a historic fourth. "I think it will be a very close game but I believe Denmark will win 1-0," said Kristensen.

For Herbert, however, he would happily watch England's World Cup come to an end if it meant the tables were turned in central France. "Tom and I will be rivals before the race gets under way and then once it starts," he said. "He wants his third straight Le Mans win while I'm eager to score my second and Audi's third."

Herbert, a Le Mans winner in 1991, shares the driving with Christian Pescatori and Rinaldo Capello, who set the fastest ever qualifying lap to claim pole on Wednesday. Capello's car has started from the front of the grid in the last two years but both times he finished second to Kristensen, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro, who now aim to become the first crew to win three in a row.

Although some other teams, including Britain's Bentley and MG, are confident of a bold show, Herbert cannot see the all-conquering Audis being denied the hat-trick. "An Audi will win Le Mans again this year barring a major catastrophe," he said. "I don't see any other car apart from the Dallara being able to live with us, and even then probably not over 24 hours."