Five talking points from a historic Le Mans 24 Hours

Early collision puts Buemi on the back foot

In a race that lasts so long, the ‘grand prix mentality’ that grips so many drivers at the start of Le Mans is always a puzzler. This time, a first-corner clash cost the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid a big chunk of time – and left it chasing its sister #7 car for the rest of the race. 

Olivier Pla had topped the test day the previous weekend in the new Glickenhaus-Pipo 007, proving once again that the other new LMH on the grid is much more than a vanity project for its somewhat eccentric patron Jim Glickenhaus. But at the start, Pla blotted his copybook by hitting Sebastien Buemi in the Toyota. In that moment, a fourth consecutive Le Mans victory for the #8 Buemi shared with Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley, was lost. 

Having recovered, Buemi was forced to stop and reset the electronics of his GR010 before he began an impressive catch-up. It didn’t take long for the two Toyotas to be running 1-2, as expected – but the incident handed the incentive to the pole-winning #7, and Conway and his team-mates put in a near-faultless performance to ensure they never lost it.

Win is Toyota’s greatest at Le Mans

The question that still dogs the Japanese giant is the lack of properly funded, big-beast opposition during its reign for the past four years, following withdrawals from the old LMP1 by Audi and Porsche. But that’s not Toyota’s fault. Yes, at times if feels like the team has been shooting at an open goal, but still, to build an all-new car to fresh regulations, develop it, test it and race it at one of the most gruelling events in the world and suffer only minor technical glitches is something for which Gazoo Racing – Toyota’s German-based racing department – deserves significant credit. That’s why this was Toyota’s most impressive of its four wins, and will only be topped if it can add a fifth against greater opposition. 

A fuel pick-up glitch affected both cars, but in the end, it didn’t derail the Toyota train, and Conway had every right to savour this moment for the tight-knit #7 crew. “It was a hard race,” he insisted. “We knew we had an issue on the car for the last six hours and that could have been a really big problem, but the team came up with a solution to keep us going. All credit to them for getting a one-two finish. It is really special in the circumstances. 

“This race is never easy. Even if you are out on your own at the front, anything can happen. We can enjoy it now because a weight is lifted off us.”

All five LMH cars make the finish

Of all years, this one seemed the most likely for Le Mans to spring a surprise winner, given the new machinery competing in the top class. Doubts over reliability both for the Toyotas and the Glickenhaus pair seemingly left the ‘grandfathered’ Alpine A480 a good bet, even if the old LMP1 was restricted in its performance. But as it turned out, and to the credit of all five LMH entries, reliability was strong – and they all made the finish. 

The Alpine finished a fine third, with the two Glickenhaus cars fourth and fifth – meaning predictions of an LMP2 making the podium, and perhaps even climbing to the top step if calamity really had set in at Toyota, proved well wide of the mark.

Heartbreak, late drama and a scary near-miss in LMP2

If the fight for the overall victory wasn’t exactly gripping, the same could not be said for the astonishing LMP2 division. It’s always tight and super-competitive, but the late drama that coloured this year’s race will be hard to match.

Some big accidents marred the LMP2 race during the 24 Hours, including a heavy collision between two of the United Autosports entries that ruined hopes of a repeat victory for the dominant team of 2020. Then there was poor Sophia Floersch, who was tagged into a shunt at the Porsche Curves by a rival, then T-boned by another car. Having survived a horror Formula 3 shunt at Macau in the past, she can once again count her lucky stars. This time she headed for the medical centre, but escaped any serious injury.

Late drama was to come. Races swinging in the final hour at Le Mans is far from unheard of, but it doesn’t usually happen on the last lap. This climax was almost like something out of Steve McQueen’s Le Mans movie script.

The WRT team, best known for its exploits in GT3, had put in an amazing performance with both its cars leading most of the way. Then on the final lap, the lead #41 car driven by Yifei Ye stopped at the Dunlop Curves and refused to re-fire, robbing a crew that included Robert Kubica of a debut class victory at the great race. So cruel. That left the sister #31 entry to take the class win, driven in the final stint by Robin Frijns – but this victory even now was far from in the bag. The Formula E racer had the #28 Jota entry driven by Tom Blomqvist breathing down his neck and as the majority of the field toured to the traditional ceremonial finish, they continued to sprint towards the end of the lap. As the chequered flag bearer stood in the road to wave home the Toyotas, Frijns darted through the traffic to make the line and almost ran into him. Too close. But for WRT, against a grid packed with quality, this remained a happy ending. What an achievement on its first time out.

Ferrari does the GTE double

The factory-supported AF Corse team claimed its fourth top-tier GT class victory at Le Mans as British ace James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Côme Ledogar beat the best Porsche and Corvette could throw at them. The C8.R of Nicky Catsburg, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor pushed them hard and kept it tense to the flag, the #51 Ferrari winning by just 41 seconds. The victory marks a second GTE Pro success for Calado, who must surely be well placed to land a drive with the Prancing Horse when it returns to Le Mans’ top class in 2023.

AF Corse completed the double, just as Aston Martin did last year, by also winning the GTE Am class. The #83 crew of Francois Perrodo, Nicklas Nielsen and Alessio Rovera won by almost two minutes in a class that was also hotly contested, on a day that will forever be the greatest of their sporting lives.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.