Image: APA/AFP/JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER
58 years after Jochen Rindt’s victory, Ferrari has won the 100th edition of the “24 Hours of Le Mans” again. The number 51 Ferrari AFCore, driven by Italians Pier Guidi and ex-Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi and Britain’s James Calado, beat a Toyota with last year’s winners Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley after a late pit drama yesterday . The Japanese missed their sixth consecutive triumph in the long-distance classic.
The finish of the anniversary race, which is also part of the Endurance World Championship, was tough. After the final pit stop, Guidi was only able to drive off after restarting the car. The Toyota team around the Swiss ex-Formula 1 driver Buemi, who had already been defeated, once again sensed their chance. Ferrari’s lead had melted to 51 seconds, but in the end it should be enough. At the Le Mans comeback after 50 years in the premier class (“Hypercars”), the Scuderia’s bolide finally finished 1:22 minutes ahead of the Toyota GR010 Hybrid.
The day also ended successfully for the Austrian Rene Binder. The Tyrolean finished third in the LMP2 class. Neel Jani from Switzerland and Nico Pino from Chile drove the Oreca 07 together with him. In the overall ranking, the trio starting for the French Duqueine team finished twelfth. Austria’s Ferdinand Habsburg landed two places behind with the Belgian team WRT.
Huge scenery and many failures
300,000 fans followed the spectacle along the route, more than a third of the 62 registered cars did not finish. US basketball star LeBron James started the race on Saturday. The premiere of the classic took place in May 1923.
Source: Nachrichten
