In a stunning turn of events, Ferrari secured an astonishing victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, which marked its 100th anniversary.
The winning team, comprising of British driver James Calado and two other drivers, triumphed over the heavily favored Toyota team and other formidable opponents. This historic win marked Ferrari's return as a top-level works team after an absence of 50 years.
James Calado, elated by the achievement, expressed his delight, stating, "It's a great accomplishment after such a long time." This victory holds significant importance and will be etched in the annals of Le Mans history, making Calado the most prominent British driver for Ferrari since Nigel Mansell in the 1980s.
The victorious car, number 51 Ferrari, crossed the finish line with Alessandro Pier Guidi at the helm, following a stint by former Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi. This triumph marks Ferrari's 10th top-level Le Mans victory, an impressive feat considering their last win was 58 years ago. The race itself proved to be one of the most thrilling in recent memory, as the sportscar racing arena witnessed the return of several manufacturers due to the introduction of new 'hypercar' regulations.
This allowed for greater design flexibility, resulting in distinctively different cars from Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, and Cadillac.
Five years ago, Toyota stood as the sole manufacturer in the sport, and they were widely expected to secure their sixth consecutive victory at Le Mans 2023, having dominated the World Endurance Championship throughout the season with their refined GR10. However, early crashes and heavy rain showers shook up the standings, providing an opportunity for Ferrari to showcase unexpected consistent speed as the race progressed into the night.
After hours of closely contested racing, with teams running within seconds of each other, Toyota's Ryo Hirakawa spun out near the end of the race at Arnage corner, clearing the way for Ferrari to maintain their lead and secure the win.
General Motors' Cadillac team finished in third place, with a driver lineup that included British drivers Richard Westbrook and Alex Lynn.
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