Ferrari has returned to the 24 hours of Le Mans touching the sky. 50 years after its last participation, the Italian team has prevailed in the top category of the French endurance event for the first time since 1965. In an exercise in nostalgia for the most experienced, the demonstration of strength, speed and reliability has brought them led him to achieve his tenth victory and bring the ‘tifosi’ present at the La Sarthe circuit to ecstasy. The pilots who have restored glory in the historic event in Maranello are the Italians Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro and the British James Calado.
Likewise, Albert Costa joins the list of illustrious Spaniards with victory at Le Mans. The Barcelona driver has taken victory in LMP2, the second category, with the Inter Europol team and sharing a prototype with the Polish Jakub Smiechowski and the Swiss Fabio Scherer. After his first podium finish, in Spa in the last round of the World Endurance Championship, Costa has climbed to the highest step for the first time, also in the most prestigious car race.
With the banner of LeBron James, the 24 hours of Le Mans started. A rough start left two accidents in the first five minutes of the race, including a Cadillac. The Toyota #8, winner of the last edition, did not take a single lap to snatch the first position from the Ferrari of Miguel Molina, initially driven by Nielsen. Before the first Safety Car of the day broke, Sebastian Buemi was leading the race. After the restart, the #7 prototype of the Japanese team was placed second. It seemed that the dominance of the Toyota would continue for another year. But it was only a mirage.
The rhythm of the Italians, the rain and the continuous accidents caused the race with the most alternatives in recent seasons. During the first few hours, as many as four teams led the Hypercar standings at some point. Even Peugeot, whom no one counted on for victory and whose prototypes came out tenth and eleventh, remained in contention for victory and the podium until almost the end.
Night fell and the first problems began to arise among the favourites. After midnight, a chain collision between prototypes of the three categories caused the withdrawal of Toyota #7, one of the great candidates to take the victory. Two hours later, a technical problem in Molina’s Ferrari left him six laps in the pits and no chance of victory.
Final battle Toyota – Ferrari
The fight for the victory was in the hands of two cars: the #8 of the Japanese against the #51 of the ‘Ferraristas’. After 22 hours and a half of the race, a Toyota spin, in full pursuit, took him against the protections, leaving the victory on a platter for Ferrari. The Italians did not waste it and held the pace until crossing the finish line once the 24-hour countdown had finished. In addition to putting an end to the overwhelming dominance of the Japanese team, winners in the last five editions. The podium in the top category has been completed, after the Toyota, by the Cadillac #2.
In LMP2, Albert Costa and his team have had a truly commendable career. A classification in which misfortunes followed one another made them start from thirteenth position. However, the good rhythm they brought led them to constantly climb positions. Especially during the relays of the Spanish pilot, the escalation in the classification was even greater.
Once in first place, they knew how to overcome the warnings they suffered and a ‘drive trough’ to finish on the highest step of the podium. In the third category, the LMGTE-Am, Chevrolet has won the victory, thanks to the Corvette driven by Nick Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nicolás Varrone, under the #33. Who knows if it is the precedent of what can happen next weekend in Canada.
