Ferrari Takes Historic Win At Centenary Le Mans 24 Hours Race

Ferrari wins centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours held last weekend!

Though a Formula 1 title has eluded the storied Italian prancing horse marque of late, Ferrari can at least now call themselves masters of endurance racing. Last weekend’s centenary edition of the famed Le Mans 24 Hours enduro saw one of the two AF-Corse Ferrari 499P Hypercar entries charting a historic win.

This is the 91st running of the famed 24-hour endurance race, with this year’s edition held last weekend standing as the event’s landmark 100th anniversary too. Behind the wheel of the winning number 51 Ferrari machine were the trio of Pier Guidi, James Calado, and former Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi.

Charting the historic win were the driving trio of James Calado, Pier Guidi, and former Formula 1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi.

Starting from second, the trio successfully fended off the challenges put up defending Le Mans champions Toyota Gazoo Racing through both its GR010 Hybrid entries, as well other as key Hypercar class rivals such as Penske-runned Porsche 963s, works Peugeot 9X8s, and GM’s works Cadillac V-Series.R machines.

As the chequered flag waived, the trio successfully charted a total of342 laps of the famed 13.626 KM-long Circuit de la Sarthe course across it 24-hour running. The effort also sees Briton Calado, and his Italian teammates Guidi and Giovinazzi, chart Ferrari’s historic 10th overall Le Mans victory.

The number 51 Ferrari 499P entry started from second behind its sister number 50 car. Key Hypercar class rivals included defending champions Toyota, as well as Porsche, Peugeot, and Cadillac.

Drivers in the number 51 Ferrari 499P fended off strong advances by Toyota Gazoo Racing who were seeking to defend their Le Mans crown with their GR010 Hybrid machines.

The win didn’t come easy for the number 51 entry. Besides fending off stiff competition from class rivals, this year’s running of the enduro was also hit with several spots of torrential rain plus a number of big crashes that prompted several safety car periods plus a few slow zones that bunched up the field closer.

Compounding the challenge further was when it inherited the baton to lead Ferrari’s charge in the race as the sister number 50 car suffered and subsequently lost precious lap times whilst being repaired in the pits.

Malfunctioning electronics also bogged down the winning number 51 Ferrari during its pit stops, with one instance seeing it lose the race lead to Toyota, albeit briefly.

The number 51 machine also dealt with several bouts of malfunctioning electronics that bogged down its own pit stops. One instance even saw it lose the race lead briefly to Toyota. Nevertheless, both drivers and team faced said high-pressure situations well, clawing back up the order to reclaim the lead too.

Of course, the efforts put in proved worthwhile as reflected by the 1 minute 21.793 seconds gap from the number 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid that finished second overall, as well as the 1 lap gap ahead of the number 2 Cadillac Racing entrant that placed third overall.

Winning car and drivers being greeted with much fanfare after the chequered flag waved.

Notably, Ferrari’s return to the top step of the Le Mans 24 Hours podium comes some 58 years since its last overall Le Mans victory in 1965. That last win also doubled as the last of six that the famed Maranello-based sportscar marque charted in an undefeated streak that lasted from 1960 to 1965.

To date, Ferrari has logged in a total of 39 victories at the famed Le Mans 24 Hours, which also includes 29 class wins.