Ferrari took victory in the 92nd running of the 24 hours of Le Mans with the AF Corse #50 Ferrari 499p of Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen taking the chequered flag ahead of the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota of Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries Third place went to the sister Ferrari #51 Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi.

24 HOURS OF LE MANS : HYPERPOLE | PRACTISE & QUALIFYING GALLERY | 4 HOUR REPORT | 10 HOUR REPORT | 20 HOUR REPORT | CHEQUERED FLAG

The LMP2 win went to the #22 United Autosports team with Oliver Jarvis bringing the car home for teammates Bijoy Barg and Nolan Siegl. Second place went to last year’s winner, the #34 Inter EuroPol Competition team of Jakub Smiechowski, Clement Novalak and Vladislav Lomko with the #28 IDEC Sport team of Paul Lafargue, Job van Uitert and Reshad de Gurus taking third place.

In LMGT3 it was the #91 Manthey EMA Porsche took the win with Morris Schuring, Yasser Shahin and Richard Lietz bringing the car home for Manthey’s first Le Mans victory. Morris Schuring, at the tender age of 19, shattered records to become the youngest ever category winner at Le Mans. His youthful exuberance, combined with the seasoned prowess of his co-drivers, proved to be an unstoppable force. Their victory at Spa last month was no fluke; it was a precursor to their faultless display at Le Mans, where they maintained a smooth run throughout the grueling 24 hours.

Team WRT came second with the #31 BMW M4 GT3 of Augusto Farfus, Darren Leung and  Sean Gelael and third place went to the all new Ford Mustang GT3, the #88 Proton Competition  Ford Mustang of Giorgio Roda, Mikkel Pedersen and Dennis Olsen. Their third-place finish marked a historic moment for the Ford Mustang at La Sarthe, the car taking its first-ever podium position.

Elsewhere in the field saw the #11 Isotta Fraschini of Antonio Serravalle, Jean Karl Vernay and Carl Wattana Bennett driving the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 finish in P14 on the car’s Le Mans debut. Finishing in P11 and also on their debut was the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini of Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kvyat and Edoardo Mortara.

A special mention should also go to the #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 of Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Callum Ilott who looked like they wouldn’t even make the race on Thursday after a big off for Ilott saw the team attempting to rebuild the car around an entirely new tub. A process that would normally take 3 weeks, was completed in a little over 24 hours with the car getting a quick shakedown on Friday evening on the adjacent airstrip.

Despite this, the team had a largely uneventful race and finished in P8 on the lead lap and even managed to stay ahead of the sister #38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche. 

As the 92nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans entered its climactic final three hours, tension gripped the iconic circuit. The #50 Ferrari, piloted by the formidable trio of Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco, and Nicklas Nielsen, was leading the charge, with the #8 Toyota and #51 Ferrari in hot pursuit. But lurking just behind was Kevin Estre in the #5 Porsche, ready to pounce at any opportunity.

Suddenly, an announcement crackled through race control: both Ferraris were under investigation for a technical infringement. The paddock held its breath, but the result was merely a reprimand, allowing the race to continue its frenetic pace.

Then, as if on cue, the long-predicted rain began to fall, transforming the track into a treacherous battleground. Teams scrambled to the pit lane for wet tyres, setting the stage for an inevitable drama. The #8 Toyota was first to falter, a stubborn wheelnut thwarting their efforts. But it was the #50 Ferrari that faced greater turmoil: an unsafe release into the path of an oncoming LMP2 and a flapping driver’s door that refused to close.

Penalties were handed down, reshuffling positions and intensifying rivalries. Brendon Hartley’s #8 Toyota tangled with Pier Guidi’s #51 Ferrari at Mulsanne, spiraling down to P6 and earning a 5 second penalty for the Ferrari. Meanwhile, Jose Maria Lopez in the #7 Toyota showcased his mastery of the wet conditions, overtaking Pier Guidi for P2.

Amidst this chaos, Alex Lynn in the #2 Cadillac was silently slicing through the field, rapidly gaining on Pier Guidi. Oliver Rasmussen’s #38 Hertz Team Jota Porsche suffered a setback with a drive-through penalty for track limit infringements.

In a dramatic twist, as Nielsen’s #50 Ferrari pitted to slam shut its rebellious door, Lopez seized his moment and surged ahead in his #7 Toyota. But Ferrari wasn’t done yet; they played a daring game with fuel levels against Toyota’s fully-fueled charge.

As minutes ticked away, Pier Guidi lost P3 to Laurens Vanthoor’s fresher-tyred #6 Porsche. The final hour was a nail-biting duel between Ferrari and Toyota – a test of strategy and endurance.

In a triumphant crescendo, Ferrari emerged victorious. The #50 Ferrari 499p crossed the finish line first, leaving behind Toyota’s valiant effort and etching Molina, Fuoco, and Nielsen’s names into Le Mans history.

 

 
 

Please consider making a donation so we can keep bringing you our best content from the racetrack.