Ferrari Ends Toyota’s Le Mans Dominance Winning For The First Time Since 1965

–>

The centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has entered the annals of racing history, with Ferrari clinching its 10th overall victory in this prestigious event. The Prancing Horse ended the 5-year dominance of Toyota Gazoo Racing which followed in second place after a brave fight in front of 325,000 spectators at the 8.467-mile (13.626 km) Circuit de la Sarthe.

Ferrari’s return to the top-tier class of Le Mans after half a century was quite spectacular, with the #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar driven by Pier Guidi, Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi taking the chequered flag after 342 laps. The #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid driven by last year’s winners Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa came second, only 1 minute and 21.793 seconds behind the Prancing Horse.

More: Toyota GR H2 Racing Concept Is A Hydrogen-Powered Hybrid Racecar For Future Le Mans

Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac, and Peugeot, were among the 16 contestants in the Hypercar segment that found themselves leading the pack at some point during the first half of the 24-Hour race that was marked by dramatic weather changes. By the morning, it was made clear that this was a fight between the Ferrari #51 and the Toyota #8, since their rivals were hit by crashes and mechanical issues.

In the closely contested race, two Cadillac V-Series.R hypercars showcased their performance, securing a commendable 3rd and 4th place finish, surpassing the #50 Ferrari which had started from pole position. Glickenhaus Racing’s entries also put up a strong showing, claiming the 6th and 7th positions, followed by Peugeot Total Energies in 8th place and Porsche Penske Motorsport in 9th.

The LPM2 class winner Oreca 07-Gibson from the team Inter Europol Competition concluded the overall top 10 standings, while the #33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R from Corvette Racing took home the trophy of the LMGTE AM Class.

Ferrari now has 10th overall wins and 29 class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its latest win narrowed the gap at the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing which retains the lead in the Manufacturers’ standings.

You can see the Le Mans podiums below, followed by the official montage showing the highlights of this year’s race.

Hypercar Class

1. #51 Ferrari 499P | Ferrari AF Corse ­| Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado/Antonio Giovinazzi | 342 laps
2. #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Sébastien Buemi/Brendon Hartley/ Ryō Hirakawa | +1:21.273
3. #2 Cadillac V-Series.R | Cadillac Racing | Earl Bamber/Alex Lynn/Richard Westbrook | 341 laps

LMP2 Class

1. #34 Oreca 07-Gibson | Inter Europol Competition | Jakub Smiechowski/Albert Costa/Fabio Scherer | 328 laps (10th overall)
2. #41 Oreca 07-Gibson | Team WRT | Rui Andrade/Robert Kubica/Louis Delétraz | +21.015
3. #30 Oreca 07-Gibson | Duqueine Team | Neel Jani/René Binder/Nicolas Pino | 327 laps

LMGTE AM Class

1. #33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R | Corvette Racing | Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nicolas Varrone – 313 laps
2. #25 Aston Martin Vantage AMR | ORT by TF | Ahmad Al Harthy/Michael Dinan/Charlie Eastwood – 312 laps
3. #86 Porsche 911 RSR-19 | GR Racing | Michael Wainwright/Benjamin Barker/Ricardo Pera – 1:21.594

Innovative Car

#24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 | Hendrick Motorsports | Jimmie Johnson/Mike Rockenfeller/Jenson Button – 285 laps (39th overall)