Allan McNish made a spectacular and triumphant homecoming when the Flying Scotsman steered his diesel-engined Audi to an amazing victory in the Autosport 1,000km of Silverstone.

The 38-year-old, with co-driver Dindo Capello, swept his Audi R10 TDI to a magnificent two-lap victory in yesterday's 620-mile race marking a memorable British race début for the history-making Audi – a car that has won the twice-around-the-clock French race for the last three years.

Fourth-place earned Alexandre Prémat/Mike Rockenfeller in the “sister” Audi R10 TDI the Le Mans Series Driver’s title with Audi also clinching the LMS Manufacturers’ Championship. A LMS record crowd of 53,000 were captivated by a race of high-drama that included a tremendous fight back through the field by McNish and Capello.

“I started this race with a very clear objective and that was to add a Silverstone victory to this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours triumph,” reflected Allan.

“We’ve been very competitive in the previous four LMS races but for various reasons, race victory had eluded Dindo and I and after our early setback here, it looked like victory was going to elude us again.

“So to ultimately triumph against the odds makes today’s champagne taste even sweeter.”

McNish, a previous two time winner of the corresponding race and racing in Britain for the first time since 2005, started the 195-lap race from third place on the 46-car grid staged on the 3.19-mile Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire.

The Flying Scotsman bullied his way in to second place in typically aggressive fashion at the first corner – despite contact with the Peugeot of Nicolas Minassian – while co-driver Capello took over from McNish during a safety car period when Minassian crashed out of third place on 78mins.

But moments after the race action resumed, Capello and pole-starter Stephane Sarrazin collided at Copse Corner dicing for second place – the Audi of Prémat/Rockenfeller having inherited the lead after not pitting during the caution period.

The Peugeot and eventually the Audi extricated themselves from the safety gravel trap and limped slowly back to the pits, the Peugeot requiring lengthy repairs while Capello resumed in 19th position after just a tyre change – a left rear puncture the only damage incurred after its high-speed excursion.

Capello had recovered superbly to second place when he pitted to McNish just after half-distance, over a lap behind the leading Prémat/ Rockenfeller Audi while the Briton unlapped himself and reduced the gap to 17secs with 30-laps remaining.

Then McNish swept into the lead with 22-laps remaining when Prémat pitted with a rear suspension problem. The Frenchman resumed in fourth and briefly regained third but then served a stop-go penalty, for a driving infringement, dropping to fourth again shortly before the chequered flag.