Jean-Claude Plassart, president of Le Mans organizer the ACO, has played down the severity of the dispute over the legality of the Audi R15 TDi as this year's 24 Hours weekend gets underway.

Peugeot has had a protest against the Audi's bodywork dismissed by the ACO and will take its appeal to the FIA, but Plassart says the nature of the Le Mans technical rules leaves room for different interpretations.

"A protest was lodged, but it's normal, part of life," he said. "The Le Mans regulations are not always as precise as perhaps they should be, but we don't want all the cars to be the same.

"The teams interpret the regulations and the ACO arbitrates. We tried to answer the questions from the [rival] teams. After Sebring a lot of things took place, and today's Audi is not the same as it was at Sebring."

The ACO refused to comment on the likelihood of the success of Peugeot's appeal to the FIA.