Incredible result at Le Mans for Ferrari, who wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Hypercar for the second consecutive year. After 50 years since its last participation, the Maranello team manages to achieve two consecutive successes in as many appearances, this time triumphing with the number 50 car driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen. On the French circuit, a crazy and unpredictable race unfolded, influenced by numerous uncertainties, including those related to the cold temperatures, rain, and the tire blanket ban, which made tire management and post-pit stop phases even more complicated.
Right from the start, Ferrari proved ready to fight for the victory, with the number 50 car immediately taking the lead from fourth position on the grid, confirming a top speed better than that of rivals Porsche and Cadillac. During the initial phases of the race, due to different strategies and intermittent rain showers, several teams alternated in the lead, with Toyota and Porsche emerging as the fiercest competitors.
The first major turning point of the race occurred at night, when with the setting of the sun came the first neutralizations due to several accidents that affected the events: the race direction was progressively forced to introduce several Slow Zones, then moving to Full Course Yellow periods, and finally calling the Safety Car. The first to suffer from the complex situation, between reliability issues and traffic management difficulties, were the two Alpines and the two BMW cars, both out after a few hours with their LMDh making their debut this year at Le Mans.
The second BMW was particularly unlucky in a contact with the customer Ferrari number 83 driven by Robert Kubica: the Polish driver, who had been performing incredibly up to that point, even leading the race, inadvertently crashed into the BMW during the lapping of a GT3. The race direction had no doubts in penalizing the yellow Ferrari with a 30-second Stop & Go, which temporarily put it out of the running for the victory, before its final retirement 3.5 hours from the end due to a reliability issue.
Among the night incidents to note was the one that led to the retirement of the number 46 BMW of Valentino Rossi, which had been sensationally leading in the GT3 class: the “Doctor” was, however, completely blameless, as it was his teammate with a “Bronze” license, the Omani Ahmad Al Harthy, who crashed. In addition to the cold temperatures, a heavy night rainstorm that brought about a lengthy Safety Car phase lasting about 4 hours, from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., also froze the race.
At dawn, a new beginning unfolded, with the last 8 hours representing a sort of additional round in which all the protagonists had to rebuild their race. Ferrari and Toyota continued to alternate in the lead until yet another twist occurred, namely another arrival of rain that disrupted the protagonists’ plans 2 hours from the end. After the pit stop round to switch back to wet tires, the race seemed to be a four-way affair between the two Ferrari cars and the two Toyota cars, when two more twists further changed the situation.
The number 51 Ferrari indeed hit the number 8 Toyota, in a maneuver judged to warrant a penalty by the stewards, with the Japanese car forced to restart after a spin. At the same time, the leading number 50 Ferrari with Nicklas Nielsen received a black flag with an orange circle due to the right door remaining slightly open after the pit stop. The extra stop for the number 50 handed the virtual lead to the number 7 Toyota, which had started from the back of the Hypercar grid, but also allowed Antonino Coletta’s team to change strategy, attempting the gamble of making one less stop than their rivals.
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This gamble led to an incredibly thrilling final hour and a half of the race, with Toyota pushing hard and Ferrari managing fuel, trying not to squander a lead that was about 50 seconds for the last 50 minutes of the race after the final round of stops. Astonishingly, the victory went to the 499P driven by Nicklas Nielsen, capable of managing the race like a true champion, reaching the finish line with the tank practically empty. Second at the checkered flag was the Japanese manufacturer’s prototype, which for the second consecutive year saw the victory slip away in the final stages of the Le Mans race.
Rounding out the celebration for the Maranello team was the third place of the number 51, last year’s winner and this year again on the podium. For Ferrari, it’s the eleventh victory at Le Mans, the second in the 499P era, a project strongly desired under the presidency of John Elkann with the racing team managed by Antonino Coletta with the AF Corse team.
Ferrari therefore returns to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the “overall” category with the Hypercar 499P. Absent for half a century from the prototype/endurance world championship, it has claimed the prestigious French race for two consecutive years. That alone would be enough to make us happy. Very happy. And as incurable romantics, we imagine Enzo Ferrari up there having a blast with his prancing horse back in the Olympus. Where only the greatest belong. And, perhaps, the greatest team. Returning to victory in the centennial race and repeating the success the following year. It’s enough to be overwhelmed with joy!
If the first victory after the great return was beautiful, this one was decidedly more so. For the many contenders, for the numerous variables, for the risks taken. For the hard-fought, repeated victory, and therefore absolutely incredible. In the end, car number 51 driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen triumphed in a tightly contested race that was decided only in the final moments, with the risk of running out of fuel and parking the car empty-handed.
Last year, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, with car number 50, indeed clinched the centennial edition in 2023 and confirmed their podium finish in this year’s 24-hour race by taking third place. This marks the prancing horse’s eleventh overall victory in the classic French endurance marathon and the second consecutive one, as mentioned earlier. Previous victories date back to 1949, 1954, 1958, and from 1960 to 1965 (the latter won by Masten Gregory-Jochen Rindt and Ed Hugus). The 1960s also inspired one of the finest recent films on motorsport, “Ford v Ferrari – Le Mans ’66: The Great Challenge.”
The life of a Ferrari fan had been somewhat tied almost exclusively to Formula 1 for half a century, with mixed fortunes, one dominant era, and many defeats. And then comes this incredible second consecutive victory in the most beautiful, iconic, and challenging race in the entire history of motorsport. It reminds us that Ferrari knows how to win. That it has capable people starting with Coletta. That it possesses strength, determination, strategic vision, risk-taking, and sometimes even luck.
Ferrari might not have been the fastest (which in an endurance race isn’t decisive but still relevant) but the Maranello team was always ready competes against Toyota. And at times luck helps the bold. Or misfortune turns into an unexpected help. And for a moment, Formula 1 seems distant. In a way, Ferrari seems to have returned home. Where it wrote the first, great chapters of its unique and incredible history. And never was a choice more right, focused, victorious, than wanting to return to the WEC World Championship to compete again at Le Mans. Well done, President Elkann. Now, on to Formula 1.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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