This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans had all the on-track drama we’ve come to expect from the great race, and the final moments saw Ferrari take a second win in a row, just pipping Toyota to the top spot in the battle of the top Hypercars.
The #50 Ferrari 499P of Nickas Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina won by 14 seconds from the #7 Toyota of former F1 drivers Nyck de Vries and Kamui Kobayashi alongside Jose Maria Lopez.
The #51 Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi was third.
The #7 Toyota at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans
After a four-hour safety car during the night, when the heavens opened and soaked the track amid thick fog, the racing continued through the morning. Then there was big drama for the leading Ferrari when its door started to flap open. It was given the black and orange ‘meatball’ flag forcing it to pit for repairs and lose its 10-second lead.
But with rain and a slow zone helping Nielsen to conserve the Ferrari’s remaining fuel and battery, he managed to get the Ferrari to the finish line without pitting again, giving the team victory over the Toyota, which had earlier looked likely to win.
Porsche cars were fourth and sixth, the second Toyota was fifth, Cadillac was seventh, Team Jota was eighth and ninth and Lamborghini finished in 10th and 13th. Former champions Peugeot had a disappointing race, finishing in 11th and 12th.
The #94 Peugeot 9X8 at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans
Ferrari’s win would have been even closer had Lopez not spun the Toyota in the race’s closing stages, ending the Japanese manufacturer’s hopes of the title.
The last-minute drama echoed last year’s Ferrari win, when the leading car had trouble restarting during a pit stop.
Other notable race moments included two hours of restricted running during the night when the #20 BMW driven by Robin Frijns crashed, prompting hefty barrier repairs at the end of the Mulsanne Straight.
The #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans
In the other classes, LMP2 was won by the #22 United Autosports Oreca, while the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Manthey EMA won the new LMGT3 class.
Same time next year, then?
