Ferrari Dethrones Toyota in Historic Return at 100th Le Mans
Ferrari’s long-awaited return the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended in celebration after the Italian manufacturer dethroned five-time reigning champ Toyota, notching its first victory in 58 years at the centenary edition of the race on Sunday.
Drivers Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado guided Ferrari through its first Le Mans appearance since 1973—completing 342 laps of the 8.4-mile Sarthe circuit to win the world’s oldest active endurance race by 81 seconds.
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Ferrari, in its No. 51 Hypercar, overcame technical issues, dreary weather and late pit-stop drama to pick up its 10th top level win at Le Mans. It was Ferrari’s first win at the Sarthe circuit since 1965, and the result ended an historic run for Toyota, which was hit with a 37kg weight penalty just days before the race as part of a controversial ‘Balance of Performance’ assessment.
Toyota’s No. 8 hybrid car was the first to pass the 200-lap mark, but its chance at victory faded with a late driving error by defending race winner Ryo Hirakawa that allowed Ferrari to take a lead with an hour to go. General Motors’ Cadillac finished third and fourth while Ferrari’s second car finished fifth.
Manufacturers like Ferrari have returned to the sport with the introduction of the new ‘hypercar’ design rules, which provides an opportunity for manufacturers to unveil hybrid technology. NASCAR also returned to Le Mans this year after a 47-year hiatus through a new Hendrick Motorsports-backed initiative, Garage 56, which competed in the ‘Innovative Car’ category. Jimmy Johnson and his No. 24 car finished 39th among the 62-car field.
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