Ferrari Celebrates Historic Victory at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans

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On a momentous Sunday at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari emerged triumphant, securing a historic victory despite facing last-minute challenges. The renowned race, serving as round four of the 2023 World Endurance Championship, witnessed the remarkable performance of Ferrari’s no. 51 499P LMH car.

As the race approached its climax, the no. 51 car, skillfully handled by Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi, and James Calado, held a comfortable lead. However, a setback occurred when the car failed to restart after its final pit stop. Valuable seconds ticked away as Pier Guidi struggled to reignite the engine, allowing the second-placed no. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid LMH, piloted by Brendon Hartley, Ryō Hirakawa, and Sébastien Buemi, to close in. Yet, after almost a minute of intense effort, the Ferrari roared back to life, ultimately surging to victory. This achievement marked Ferrari’s 10th overall win at Le Mans, an extraordinary feat not accomplished since 1965.

The no. 8 Toyota secured the second position, trailing behind the Ferrari by 81 seconds. Meanwhile, the no. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh, expertly driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, and Richard Westbrook, claimed third place, albeit finishing a lap behind the leaders.

Ferrari demonstrated early dominance as the no. 50 499P car secured pole position alongside the no. 51 car at the front of the grid. While the no. 50 car, manned by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen, remained competitive for a significant portion of the race, repairs were necessary during the night to replace a damaged radiator. This setback caused the car to drop several positions. Nonetheless, after a commendable fight to climb up the ranks, the no. 50 car crossed the finish line in fifth place, trailing the no. 4 V-Series.R LMDh of Sébastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, and Scott Dixon.

The race proved challenging for Porsche, as the no. 6 963 LMDh, driven by Kevin Estre, crashed early on and encountered additional time loss due to a battery issue. Similarly, the sister car, no. 5, contended for a top-five spot until a broken driveshaft in the final hour forced it down to ninth place.

Misfortune struck the Porsche customer team Jota, whose leading no. 38 963 car suffered a major crash in the fifth hour. With Yifei Ye at the wheel, the car collided with the barriers at Porsche Curves, requiring approximately 20 minutes of pit time for repairs. It eventually finished in 13th place.

Glickenhaus Racing delivered an impressive performance, maintaining its perfect finishing record at Le Mans. The No.708 and No.709 007 LMH cars secured sixth and seventh positions, respectively, despite encountering incidents at different stages of the race and necessitating pit stops for repairs at Indianapolis.

In the LMP2 class, victory belonged to the no. 31 Oreca 07 of Inter Europol Competition, skillfully driven by Jakub Śmiechowski, Fabio Scherer, and Albert Costa. Meanwhile, the no. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R from Corvette Racing emerged victorious in the GTE Am class, with Ben Keating, Nico Varrone, and Nicky Catsburg sharing driving duties.

Adding to the excitement, this year’s race featured Hendrick Motorsports’ no. 24 Camaro ZL1 NASCAR race car as a Garage 56 exhibition entry. Piloted by Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller, it finished 39th among the 62 starters. The car showcased an impressive performance early on, leading the GTE race cars, but repairs for a drive line issue cost the team an hour on the track.

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