FERRARI won the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans yesterday, with Italian Alessandro Pier Guidi driving the last stint to the chequered flag, for the marque’s first overall victory in 58 years.
The success after 342 laps of the Sarthe circuit in north-west France ended a run of five straight triumphs for Toyota in the world’s oldest active endurance race.
The number 51 Ferrari 499P shared by Pier Guidi, compatriot Antonio Giovinazzi and Britain’s James Calado, beat the number eight Toyota driven by Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland, New Zealander Brendon Hartley and Japan’s Ryo Hirakawa by one minute and 21 seconds.
The number two Cadillac driven by New Zealand’s two times winner Earl Bamber and Britons Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook finished third but a lap down in the 91st edition of the race since it was first run in 1923.
It was Ferrari’s first overall victory at the Sarthe circuit since 1965, when American Masten Gregory and Austrian Formula One driver Jochen Rindt won, and 10th in total for the luxury sportscar brand.
Ferrari also have 29 class wins to their credit.
The victory was nail-biting to the end, however, after a final pitstop drama when Pier Guidi came in to fuel to the finish. The Italian failed to get going from the final stop, the Ferrari stuck as Toyota mechanics watched on, wondering if a stunning victory might after all be snatched from impending defeat.
Pier Guidi started after a reset that seemed to take an age but the AF Corse team’s lead was slashed to 51 seconds before the Toyota’s final pitstop.
Ferrari started with both the 50 and 51 cars on Saturday’s front row, a first in 50 years for the marque that waged epic battles with Ford in the 1960s before leaving in 1973 and then returning this year to the Hypercar category.
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