TOYOTA GAZOO Racing fell narrowly short of an unforgettable Le Mans 24 Hours victory after an epic battle in changing conditions delivered a hard-earned podium in the 92nd edition of the legendary event, the fourth round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The World Champions overcame adversity to fight for honours, recovering from a difficult qualifying to meet the challenge of an ultra-competitive 23-car Hypercar field in extreme weather thanks to driver skill, efficient pit stops, smart strategy and a strong team spirit.
José María López, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries bravely challenged for victory in their #7 GR010 HYBRID heading into the closing stages but missed out on completing a remarkable comeback drive. They finished second by just 14.221secs after 311 dramatic laps, despite starting from 23rd.
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa led the race for large stages but were denied a chance at victory when their #8 GR010 HYBRID was pushed into a spin with two hours remaining. The reigning World Champions finished fifth after a gallant effort.
“For the fans it was a beautiful race, but it was heartbreaking for us at the end,” commented Hartley. “We were in a position to win for quite a lot of the race. We lost some ground in one of the safety car periods but fought back to second, challenging for the lead before I got pushed off. That basically put us out of the fight for the win in the last couple of hours.
“It feels like the victory just slipped away from us. I am happy for the team that we got one car on the podium after all the hard work from everyone to get the result here. We just fell a bit short, and it is going to take a few days to get over the emotions.”
In front of over 300,000 fans, the two GR010 HYBRIDs started at the wrong end of the Hypercar grid but showed their fighting spirit by moving through the field despite the changing weather.
Undeterred by rain showers in the second and sixth hours, the #8 car forced its way into the battle for podium positions with the #7 pushing for the top six early in the race. The complexion of the race changed midway through hour seven when a safety car brought the leading Hypercars together at the front.
The race was neutralised for more than an hour as night – and more rain – fell on La Sarthe. When it resumed, the drivers called on all their skills to conquer the conditions and guide the GR010 HYBRIDs to the front.
The #8 led the race from the ninth to the 18th hour following Ryo’s strong performance in the rain, dropping down the order only as a result of differing pit stop strategies, while the #7 held third. That period included more than four hours of continuous safety car intervention due to heavy rain around half distance.
A close battle between Cadillac, Ferrari, Porsche and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing saw the momentum ebb and flow depending on traffic, slow zone timings and race incidents. After a 19th-hour safety car, the top seven were covered by just four seconds as the action intensified.
Remarkably, the battle at the front got even more intense in the final stages. Flying laps from Brendon brought the #8 into the lead #50 Ferrari when more rain hit. That charge continued on wet tyres but the #8 car’s chances suffered a cruel blow with two hours to go when Brendon was pushed into a spin by the #51 Ferrari, dropping to sixth.
The team’s victory hopes therefore rested with the #7 and José, whose blistering pace had already recovered substantial time following two earlier punctures. He kept up the pressure and overtook the #51 Ferrari for second before moving into the lead inside the last two hours.
But the #7 still needed a fuel stop and José started the last 30 minutes with a 40-second deficit. Initially he closed the gap, but with laps running out, the task proved insurmountable. José brought the #7 home in second behind the winning #50 Ferrari, and Sébastien took the flag moments later in fifth.
Le Mans 24 Hours – Result (Top 6)
1st #50 Ferrari AF Corse (Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen) 311 laps
2nd #7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +14.221secs
3rd #51 Ferrari AF Corse (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi) +36.730secs
4th #6 Porsche Penske (Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor) +37.897secs
5th #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +1min 2.824secs
6th #5 Porsche Penske (Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki) +1mins 45.654secs
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