Ferrari AF Corse has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary Trophy! The Italian manufacturer, making its return to the premier league of endu...
Ferrari AF Corse has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary Trophy! The Italian manufacturer, making its return to the premier league of endurance racing after a fifty-year absence, has secured its tenth outright victory in the French classic – its first since 1965. Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado have claimed their first outright win to go with their LMGTE Pro triumph of 2019. This is the first Le Mans podium for Antonio Giovinazzi in his second appearance.
The one hundredth anniversary of the world’s greatest endurance race certainly lived up to its billing. Bumper crowds were treated to fascinating battles in every class with the outcome up in the air until the final stages.
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| HYPERCAR |
The #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar saw off the challenge mounted by the #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid. The first 12 hours saw the lead change hands numerous times. Many of the 16 Hypercars on the starting grid led at some point during the opening stages, affected by two heavy rain showers. Following a spate of accidents and race incidents, the second half of the race turned into a tense two-horse race, with the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R hovering in the background.
OVERALL PODIUM
- #51 Ferrari 499P | Ferrari AF Corse | Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado/Antonio Giovinazzi | 342 laps
- #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Sébastien Buemi/Brendon Hartley/ Ryō Hirakawa | +1:21.273
- #2 Cadillac V-Series.R | Cadillac Racing | Earl Bamber/Alex Lynn/Richard Westbrook | 341 laps
A splendid quadruple stint by Brendon Hartley kept the pressure on the three Ferrari AF Corse drivers – Pier Guidi, Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi – in turn.
Unfortunately, Hartley’s teammate Ryō Hirakawa spun off into the barrier at Arnage with less than two hours to go. Despite a rapid two-minute repair, the gap to the leader stretched to over three minutes. Sébastien Buemi, the third member of the #8 line-up, will have to wait to secure a fifth outright Le Mans win that would elevate him to third place in the all-time rankings alongside Derek Bell, Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela.
The Cadillac Racing Hypercars finished in third and fourth places after a solid, consistent race. The #2 Cadillac V-Series.R clinched the final podium spot for Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook.
Read complete report here: https://wms.ralliheart.com/2023/06/24-hours-lemans-ferrari-wins-centenary.html
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