Ferrari wins Le Mans for the second year in succession

Jun 17

Ferrari triumphed over Toyota and Porsche to secure its second consecutive victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, despite both factory cars facing issues in the latter stages of the race.

Nicklas Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco, and Miguel Molina crossed the finish line in the #50 Ferrari 499P with a 14-second lead over the #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID driven by Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez. The #51 Ferrari, piloted by defending champions Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi, completed the podium.

Drama unfolded in the penultimate hour when the right-side door of the #50 Ferrari began flapping rapidly, prompting race control to issue a black-and-orange flag. Unable to fix the issue from his cockpit, Nielsen was forced to bring the car back into the pits just six laps into the stint, but he managed to maintain the net lead over the #7 Toyota.

Nielsen’s path to victory was relieved by Lopez spinning at the Dunlop Curve and briefly halting on track, an error that diminished Toyota's hopes of emerging victorious. Ferrari had demonstrated strong pace from the start, with all three 499Ps, including the AF Corse-entered customer entry, charging to the front in the early stages. The #50 factory car and the #83 customer entry stayed out when rain briefly hit the track on Saturday evening, a strategic decision that gave them a significant advantage as most cars returned to the pits to switch back to slicks. The race, and the victory, was gradually falling into their hands.

The #50 Ferrari had a great stint in the 18th hour before the final rain shower, with Fuoco overtaking the #83 Ferrari and the #5 Porsche of Frederic Makowiecki to claim second place, which then became first when the #2 Cadillac stopped to switch to wet tires.

Pier Guidi held onto the final podium spot in the #51 Ferrari, despite immense pressure from the #6 Porsche 963 driven by Laurens Vanthoor. Pier Guidi received a five-second penalty for colliding with the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley in the penultimate hour, adding to the tension.

Throughout the weekend, Porsche initially appeared dominant, and Toyota seemed to have the upper hand during the race. However, despite fierce competition, the door issue, and Guidi's penalty, Ferrari and their drivers persevered. Their resilience and determination culminated in Ferrari's 11th Le Mans victory in an exhilarating and memorable race.

Yash Stalin

Yashwanth (Yash) Stalin has been sincerely passionate about cars for as long as he can remember. What began as a childhood hobby of simply naming cars on the road has grown into a career-defining passion. Inspired by years of consuming countless articles and videos, his love for cars evolved into a desire to write his own material and help others in the way those articles helped him. This ambition led to the creation of HEEL & TOE, through which he channels his enthusiasm and knowledge, providing readers with informative content about the automotive industry.

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