The #26 TDS-run G-Drive entry, which Rusinov shared with Alex Lynn and Pierre Thiriet, was an early casualty at La Sarthe after the Russian driver hit the #88 Proton Porsche of Khaled Al-Qubaisi at the Porsche Curves a little over an hour into the race.

Lynn had secured the LMP2 class pole with a stunning lap in Thursday qualifying, but was denied a chance at driving the car in the race as the #26 car was declared a retirement shortly after Rusinov's crash due to suspected chassis damage.

"I'm beyond gutted," Lynn told Motorsport.com. "There isn't really a lot to say. At least I can be proud of the fact I was fastest the last time I got to drive the car [in Saturday morning warm-up]."

Stewards awarded Rusinov with a three-minute stop-and-go penalty for next month's WEC 6 Hours of Nurburgring, where factory Porsche driver Laurens Vanthoor is strongly expected to replace Lynn in the #26 line-up.

Lynn is set for his first Formula E race start that weekend in New York, as a replacement for DS Virgin drivers Sam Bird and Jose Maria Lopez, who are both likely to be unable to miss the Nurburgring race.

The #26 crew has an additional suspended three-minute stop-and-go penalty hanging over it for the following three rounds of the championship.

Second overall at Le Mans for the #38 DC Racing crew of Oliver Jarvis, Thomas Laurent and Ho-Pin Tung has put the trio at the head of the LMP2 WEC standings on 90 points, 52 clear of Rusinov, Thiriet and Lynn.