Ferrari were fantastic over the past day, winning the dramatic and action-packed Le Mans 24 Hours, their tenth at Circuit de la Sarthe, living up to its billing as the Race of the Century.
Indeed it was also the centenary race, in Ferrari's first return to Le Mans in the premier class as a works effort - this time the splendid Hypercar category - in half a century, And fantastic they were, surviving a last pitstop scare when the awesome Ferrari 499P wouldn't start. It was heart-in-the-mouth stuff, as the lead they enjoyed was sliced in half before the Red car fired up with Alessandro Pier Guidi at the wheel, bringing it home to etch his name and that of teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado into motorsport eternity.
The 91st edition of the greatest endurance race on the planet, was one of the most exciting in memory, with Toyota favourites before the race to claim a sixth title, while Roger Penske made it clear that his Porsche team was there to win the race and the German marques record 20th at Le Mans.
But the fairytale win goes to Ferrari, which is probably the best news for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) whose Round 4 of the 2023 series was this race. Whatever way you look at it, the great Italian sportscar manufacturer winning today is the best result the sport at this level needed, even their rivals will acknowledge that the Red cars at the sharp end have ignited a magnificent Hypercar era, a race for the ages it was.
Unlike Toyota's recent domination, without much real challenge, this year Ferrari won it amid a field of several big teams capable of taking the top spot of the podium. They had to graft hard and deliver the type of pit performances that are lessons to the faltering Scuderia in Formula 1. No panic, calm and focus resulted in this most famous of victories and one of the sweetest in the team's illustrious history.
Welcome back to Le Mans: Forza Ferrari!
For Tifosi and Italy in particular, the country reeling from lack of results in football, most recently Inter Milan losing the Champions League to Manchester City, their misfiring national team, coupled to Ferrari slump in their other national sport, F1, they now will remember why Enzo Ferrari loved this race, built his cars to win it and how victory at Le Mans was as important as the F1 World Championship to the old man, who will be smiling today wherever he is.
Ferrari in a pair of 499Ps pounced and swept the front row in qualifying and handled every challenge from Toyota. Its chances were aided overnight when Kamui Kobayashi was wrecked out of the race, making it two versus one in favor of Ferrari.
The trio of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi - with Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc in the garage watching - were the easy winner. The trio had a solid lead even before defending race winner Ryo Hirakawa locked the brakes on his Toyota and hit the wall with 104 minutes remaining.
It took roughly three minutes for repairs to the car, not enough time to help Chip Ganassi Racing, which carried the American flag at Le Mans for IMSA.
The centenary marked the first year IMSA's top class was granted participation at Le Mans, and the new hyperclass brought Cadillac back to both IMSA and WEC with Ganassi, same for Porsche with Roger Penske in the 86-year-old's attempt to win one of the very few races missing on his list.
It also brought a slew of new manufacturer interest to sports car racing, which helped draw a sold-out crowd of 300,000-plus spectators to the sprawling 8.467-mile (13.626 km) track.
The Ganassi Cadillacs were running third and fourth when Hirakawa spun - eliminating the defending champions' chances at a repeat. But it briefly created an opportunity for one or both Cadillacs to improve their finishing position.
Toyota executed flawlessly on its pit stop and the Cadillacs gained no ground. It was the WEC team of Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook taking the final spot on the podium, with the IMSA team of Sebastien Bourdais, a Le Mans native, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon finishing fourth.
Ferrari's second car finished fifth, one spot ahead of the top-finishing Porsche from Team Penske. His other two 963s both had early retirements.
The third Cadillac, fielded by Action Express Racing out of IMSA, crashed on the first lap of the race and was never in contention. That team is supported by IMSA and NASCAR owner Jim France, who successfully brought a stock car to Le Mans to represent the American series in its 75th anniversary season.
NASCAR last had a presence at Le Mans in 1976 and returned this year with a version of its second-year Next Gen car. The "Garage 56" car was fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, the winningest team, manufacturer and tire supplier in NASCAR's 75 years.
The No. 24 Camaro was in a class by itself racing against no other cars. The initial goal was simply to finish the race and showcase NASCAR - but the Chad Knaus-led project was so outstanding that until a brake issue with about five hours remaining, it seemed as though the lineup of seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button and former Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller might actually beat the entire 21-car GTE AM field.
The time to fix the brakes took that off the table, and it felt like a disappointment for all that NASCAR had accomplished. The car had a later issue that required a gear box change, but the engine lasted the distance and the car crossed under the checkered flag for a champagne celebration for the NASCAR effort.
The car finished 39th in the 62 car field - good enough for 10th among the GTE cars. The Camaro was second when it had to stop to change its brakes.
(Additional Reporting by Associated Press)
2023 Le Mans 24 Hours Top Ten Result
Below is how we reported the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours:
On board with the win contending Ferrari #51
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With four hours remaining the official Le Mans site summed up the preceding 24 hours: The Ferrari AF Corse #51 Ferrari 499P led the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans throughout the morning. The car that started the race on the front row of the grid alongside the pole-sitting #8 sister car has gradually stretched its lead over the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010-Hybrid to around a minute.
Drama struck after 255 laps. The Ferrari was left standing in its pit box after all the work had been completed. It eventually managed to edge away, but the Toyota was already exiting the pit lane in the lead.
With 16-hours of the 24 on the clock, it was the No. 51 Ferrari AF Corse leading the race as Alessandro Pier Guidi handed over the Ferrari 499P cockpit to James Calado chased by the Toyota Gazoo GR010 Hybrid Hypercar driven by Ryo Hirakawa suffered from a slow rear right puncture allowing Pier Guidi to catch the No. 8 as both cars were in the same pitstop window. The top five Hypercars were all within a lap at the 16-hour mark.
Behind the battle for the lead, No.2 and No. 3 Cadillac V Series.R cars were running third and fourth, the No. 3 driven by Alex Lynn just over two minutes down from second-placed Toyota. In the No. 3 Cadillac local driver Sebastien Bourdais at the wheel, the Frenchman setting the fastest lap of the race so far with a best effort of 3:28.298.
The No.6 Porsche Penske driven by Kevin Estre was running fifth but was in the pits getting repairs after an off-track moment for the Frenchman resulted in under-carriage damage to the Porsche Penske 963. The same car was also penalized with a 5-second penalty the hour previous after a pit stop infringement.
This promoted the No. 93 Peugeot TotalEnergies 9X8 to fifth, followed by the Glickenhaus Racing's pair of in sixth and seventh.
Out of the reckoning despite running strongly the No.5 Porsche Penske 963 was eighth, one lap ahead of the pole-winning No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari; both cars fighting back after earlier setbacks. Ditto Muller in the No. 94 Peugeot TotalEnergies, the Peugeot 9X8 clawing back time after a middle-of-the-night collision with Gustavo Menezes at the wheel.
Other less fortunate Hypercar entries included Hertz Team JOTA in 12th after losing time in the early hours after a long pit stop, while No. 4 Floyd Vanwall Racing Team retired after completing 165 laps – a new record for the team. Tristan Vautier was at the wheel when the Vanwall Vandervell stopped on track with smoke visible from the rear.
Several contenders battle it out for LMP2 and LMGTE victory today
In the tightly contested LMP2 class, running at Le Mans for the final time, the head-to-head between the #34 and #41 Oreca 07-Gibsons, respectively fielded by Inter Europol Competition and Team WRT, continued apace despite Spaniard Albert Costa making an excursion into the gravel while in the lead. The #30 Duqueine Team entry remains in third place.
A three-way battle developed in LMGTE Am between the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR-19, the #56 Project 1-AO “T-Rex” Porsche and the #33 Corvette C8.R.
Nicky Catsburg launched an attack for the American outfit before handing over to seasoned GT campaigner Ben Keating to challenge for top spot in class with Rahel Frey and PJ Hyett. ORT by TF driver Charlie Eastwood, at the wheel of the #25 Aston Martin Vantage AMR, joined the party with barely six hours remaining on the clock.
Actor Michael Fassbender lost the rear of his #911 Porsche 911 RSR-19 in the Porsche Curves, spinning and slamming into the tyre barrier. He managed to pit but the damage incurred will resulted in Proton Competition garage door being shut.
Four hours remain in this action-packed and enthralling 91st edition of the race, that's living up to its billing as the Race of the century.
Crashes, drama and lead changes aplenty
Earlier under dark skies, the centenary Le Mans 24 Hours got underway on Saturday led by Ferrari, in front of an enthusiastic record crowd heaving with anticipation of the Race of the Century and drama arrived very early!
Fittingly the sport's greatest marque - Ferrari - led the field around Circuit de la Sarthe on the formation lap, blasting down the main straight as Le Bron James waved the Tri-Color to set off the 91st edition of the world's greatest endurance race.
Conditions meant drama from Turn 1 on, Porsche tapping Toyota as they hustled for position into the first slew of corners up towards the bridge, as the #50 Ferrari led with Nicklas Nielsen at the wheel for the start of the race after Antonio Fuoco's pole-winning efforts on Thursday.
But halfway around the first lap Ryo Hirakawa led from the Ferrari. Meanwhile, across the field, there were incidents as they snaked through the wet sections and soon debris was spewing all over the place.
What ensued was an intriguing game of cat and mouse, which when Saturday turned to Sunday at midnight, the race was being led by, Peugeot but a dozen minutes later they pitted, and Ferrari assumed the lead in an endurance race run like sprint amid a slew of confusing yellow and safety car periods.
Nevertheless, it is indeed proving to be one for the ages. Below are the headlines after eight hours into the race:
Hypercar: Top ten are potential winners as the race enters Sunday
Ferrari AF Corse had taken lead of the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours in the fifth hour as the track dries out following earlier heavy rainfall. No.50 and No.51 499Ps take turns in the lead before a second significant shower hits the track at just after 22:00.
Alessandro Pier Guidi completes his second stint at the wheel and is able to open up a solid gap to ensure No.51 Ferrari 499P leading by a minute. But drama struck on the stroke of midnight as Pier Guidi spins in to gravel at first Mulsanne Chicane while trying to avoid an accident ahead of him.
This allowed Nico Muller into the lead in the No.94 Peugeot TotalEnergies 9X8 Hypercar. Earlier Loic Duval took over from Gustavo Menezes and he consolidated the position over the No.7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Hypercar.
Jose-Maria Lopez had survived a nasty moment coming into the pitlane when he almost hits several cars on entry. Kamui Kobayashi then took over the cockpit. But Kobayashi is involved in an accident with two LMP2 cars and the No.66 JMW Ferrari on approach to Tertre Rouge. No.7 Toyota is left stranded on track and tumbles down the order.
The No.50 Ferrari 499P, racing on a different overall strategy and switches early to slicks at the start of the eighth hour. Nicklas Nielsen runs in second place. No.2 Cadillac Racing V Series.R. runs in third place with Earl Bamber back for a second stint at the wheel.
No.8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Hypercar was in fifth position ahead of the recovering No.3 Cadillac V Series.R. Hertz Team Jota, who had led the race in the fourth hour see their chances of a top result compromised with an accident for Yifei Ye at the Porsche Curves.
Alessandro Pier Guidi set off in hot pursuit of Sébastien Buemi, closing the gap yard by yard until he was finally in a position to show his extra pace and pass the Swiss ace.
Brendon Hartley took over driving duties from Buemi after 267 laps while the Ferrari refuelled. With four hours remaining, the gap was next to nothing.
Elsewhere in the top class, both Glickenhaus 007s fell victim to spins coming out of Indianapolis. Olivier Pla in the #708 and Franck Mailleux in the #709 clipped the barriers but managed to pit for repairs. As the sun shone, lap times fell in keeping with the rise in track temperature.
The #94 Peugeot, which promised an upset before it crashed overnight, had to return to the garage quickly to check the oil temperature. New fastest in-race lap times were set successively by Antonio Fuoco (#50 Ferrari 499P), António Félix da Costa (#38 Porsche 963) and Fuoco again.
At midday, the Italian’s benchmark stands at 3:27.434. Da Costa, striving to make up for lost time, down in 12th place in class (21st overall), seemingly pushed too hard entering Indianapolis and clattered the barrier. As midday approached, Jack Aitken (who crashed on the opening lap) beached the #311 Cadillac V-Series.R of Action Express Racing at the Daytona Chicane.
Crashes aplenty marred the early stages of the race
The Chinese ace impacts the wall but the team does a herculean job to make repairs and car only loses 20 minutes in the pits. Gold Porsche 963 runs 13th as midnight strikes. No.5 Porsche Penske loses time with a sensor problem which briefly stops Dane Cameron on the track before the issue is cleared by the team in the pits. The recovery drive is underway and the car place seventh at midnight.
Sister No.6 Porsche 963 Hypercar suffers a puncture with Kevin Estre at the wheel and they place eighth.
No.93 Peugeot TotalEnergies 9X8 is ninth despite Jean-Eric Vergne losing time with spin in to gravel at Mulsanne Corner under safety car.
No.93 Peugeot TotalEnergies 9X8 is ninth despite Jean-Eric Vergne losing time with spin in to gravel at Mulsanne Corner under safety car.
Terminal problems for the No.75 Porsche Penske with Mathieu Jaminet aboard as he is forced to stop at Tertre Rouge with a fuel pressure issue and drops to rear of Hypercar class as the French ace struggles to get the car back to the pits. The car is retired just after 23:00.
The Glickenhaus pair of 007LMH cars encounter drama as the No.709 is forced to pit with a loose wheel as Nathanael Berthon takes over car which slips to 12th in Hypercar. No.709 also gets a 60-second stop/go penalty for a tyre pressure infraction.
No.708 car places 11th after serving a 5-minute stop-and-go penalty for causing a collision just ahead of sister Glickenhaus.
LMP2: It's all about smart strategy amid the incidents
The battle for top honours in the LMP2 class was turned on its head as nighttime descends on La Sarthe as No.34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca-Gibson takes over in the lead as Albert Costa, Fabio Scherer and Jakub Smiechowski come out on top in a complex strategy game at the front of the field.
United Autosports close in on the leaders however as Tom Blomqvist makes inroads on Polish-run Oreca-Gibson. Blomqvist takes the lead but almost immediately goes off and damages the car after a suspected brake issue. Josh Pierson takes over but the car slides down to 17th in class, handing the lead back to the Inter Europol Competition car.
No.41 Team WRT entry recovers from rear-end damage in the first rain shower to briefly lead LMP2 class. Robert Kubica gets a second stint at the wheel to place second.
‘Zebra’ liveried AF Corse was in place fourth behind the No.35 Alpine ELF Team entry which survives a gravel excursion at Mulsanne Corner in the seventh hour. AF Corse also highest placed Pro/Am line-up in the field.
Drama at Indianapolis in the seventh hour as the Racing for Turkey car driven by Salih Yoluc and No.9 Prema collide during a heavy shower. Prema entry comes off the worst and loses several laps as repairs are carried out.
Drama at Indianapolis in the seventh hour as the Racing for Turkey car driven by Salih Yoluc and No.9 Prema collide during a heavy shower. Prema entry comes off the worst and loses several laps as repairs are carried out.
Front-running Jota Oreca-Gibson loses time after Oliver Rasmussen crashes at Tertre Rouge as rain arrives. The team gets the car back out and Pietro Fittipaldi runs sixth.
More woes for the No.22 United Autosports entry as Frederick Lubin goes off at Indianapolis during rain shower. But the car continues in 19th place in the LMP2 class.
LMGTE AM: As close as it gets and anyone's guess the winner
After a heavy rain shower over Le Mans, the No.54 AF Corse Ferrari emerges back in the lead with David Rigon completing an epic triple stint. But Rigon then hands over to teammate Francesco Castellacci giving the lead over to the Iron Dames Porsche.
Sarah Bovy takes over from Rahel Frey to take over in the lead as the race endures a long second Safety Car period to complete the new pass-around system. But it’s the No.56 Project 1 AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 RSR-19 that has the lead at midnight as tight battle between the three continues.
Iron Dames settle into second ahead of the AF Corse Ferrari now with Rigon back aboard. No.57 Kessel Racing Ferrari is fourth with Scott Huffaker aboard, while the No.911 with film star Michael Fassbender among its driver squad places fifth. No.72 TF Sport Aston Martin retires after Arnold Robin crashes.
It was a chaotic opening lap with early casualties
The big victim was Jack Aitken who destroyed the front end of the Cadillac when he lost control on the slippery stuff, he recovered to make his way back with a car requiring substantial repairs. Heartbreak for Caddy and Le Maans 2023 had hardly started.
A lengthy safety car ensued, to clear up the first lap mess which also included a beached car, already it was clear this was going to be a 'sprint' endurance race packed with incidents, and only half a lap was run in anger at that point!
When they were unleashed after five laps, it was soon a Toyota 1-2 at the front #8 with Sebastien Buemi in fine fettle, stalked by the #7 with Mike Conway in the cockpit, followed by the Ferrari duo, and the Penske run #75 Porsche in fourth, chased by the #2 Cadillac ahead of a couple of Porsches and two Peugeots making up the top 10.
The ACO produced a stunning Le Mans pre-race show
Shortly before the traditional grid ceremony, a stellar collection of racing cars that have marked the history of the race took to the track for two laps of honour. Among them, the Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6, the very first Porsche entered for Le Mans (a 1951 356 SL Coupé), the 1972 Matra MS670, the 1980 Rondeau M379 and the amazing sounding 1991 Mazda 787B.
The traditional flypast from the Patrouille de France signalled that the start was imminent to roars of the packed stands heaving with enthusiasm. This year’s Grand Marshal Tom Kristensen led the field to the Tricolore flag.
The FIAWEC media site captured the intensity of the moment: "Cars in all three classes – Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGTE Am – which run on the 100% renewable fuel specially developed by TotalEnergies, gracefully approached the start line for the rolling start.
"All 300,000 trackside spectators held their breath as the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, 4th round of the FIA WEC, field was released. One hundred years after it was by founded by Emile Coquille, Georges Durand and Charles Faroux, the world’s greatest endurance race is underway again."
Le Mans Live timing
Live Timing lets you keep an eye on the team’s times and rankings during the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Social Media
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- 24 Hours of Le Mans YouTube channel
- Use these hashtags: #LEMANS24 and #LeMansCentenary
2023 Le Mans Spotter Guide
The Spotter Guide for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans has been issued in time for the first free practice and qualifying sessions scheduled tomorrow (Wednesday 7 June). Archimède is the agency behind the artwork that will help you identify the 62 cars on the grid over the coming days.
The field is split into four classes with 16 hypercars, 24 LMP2 prototypes, 21 LMGTE Am challengers and one Innovative Car.
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