Le Mans 2020 - Present
Hypercar & LMDh Convergence
2020 — The Race Without a Crowd
The pandemic had silenced nearly everything — concerts, football, even Monaco.
But in September 2020, after a three-month delay, the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans went ahead.
No fans, no parades, no fireworks.
Just 59 cars and a world desperate for something constant.
Hour 0 (2:30 PM local) — Shadows Over Sarthe
September 19, 2020.
The grandstands are empty, the tricolour still waves.
Two Toyotas sit on the front row again — unmatched, unchallenged.
#7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid — Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / José María López
#8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid — Sébastien Buemi / Kazuki Nakajima / Brendon Hartley
#1 Rebellion R13-Gibson — Gustavo Menezes / Norman Nato / Bruno Senna
The start falls quiet — engines echo against empty concrete.
Conway’s #7 leads cleanly into Dunlop, Hartley settling the #8 behind, Rebellion already three seconds adrift.
The hybrids hum like ghosts in an empty cathedral.
Hours 1–3 (3 PM – 6 PM) — Rhythm in the Silence
Both Toyotas instantly separate themselves, lapping the field with clinical precision.
Kobayashi’s #7 holds steady around 3′20″, the #8 running six seconds behind.
The Rebellions fight among themselves, quick but fragile.
The pit wall radios are the only soundtrack: calm Japanese, clipped English, Swiss efficiency.
Even at full speed, the race feels eerie — Le Mans without its heartbeat.
Hours 4–8 (6 PM – 10 PM) — Control
The sun begins to fade, headlights cut through drizzle.
Toyota divides its strategy — the #7 set up for outright pace, the #8 for economy.
It works: the #7 stretches the gap to nearly two minutes.
Rebellion’s #1 briefly threatens second before fading with brake-cooling issues.
At 10 PM, the Toyotas remain unchallenged.
Behind them, the LMP2 fight rages — United Autosports and JOTA swapping the class lead like boxers trading jabs.
Hours 9–12 (Midnight – 3 AM) — The Loneliness of Night
No fans, no flares, no songs from the hill.
Just the howl of engines.
Kobayashi’s stints through the early morning are sensational — fast, smooth, relentless.
At 1 AM the #7 is two laps clear of its sister car.
The #8 reports intermittent hybrid-boost loss; engineers monitor the telemetry but let it run.
At 3 AM, the silence deepens.
Le Mans feels smaller, haunted — but still holy.
Hours 13–16 (3 AM – 6 AM) — Trouble Returns
5 AM.
The #7 suffers a front-right turbo sensor failure.
López radios: “No power from boost — car feels heavy.”
Within two laps, the lead that seemed eternal evaporates.
The #8 Toyota inherits first as the #7 dives into the garage for repairs.
Thirty minutes gone; victory gone with it.
The pit wall is silent except for breathing.
History repeats — even in empty grandstands, Le Mans still toys with Toyota.
Hours 17–20 (6 AM – 10 AM) — Dawn of Resilience
By sunrise, the #8 runs perfectly, Nakajima calm, Buemi calculating.
Rebellion’s #1 climbs into second; the #7 returns in third, four laps down but still charging.
The morning air is cold, but the hybrid systems thrive in it — flawless, efficient, uncatchable.
The Rebellion can’t quite match the Toyota’s electric torque; its drivers push anyway, on the ragged edge of hope.
Hours 21–23 (10 AM – 1 PM) — The Long Goodbye
As the clock winds down, the #8 controls everything.
Hartley’s stints are smooth as glass.
Rebellion’s #1 runs strong in second, Senna delivering the car’s best laps, while the #7 recovers to third.
It is not a fight; it is endurance.
The ghosts of 2016 are finally quiet.
At 12:30 PM, the engineers permit Buemi a rare message over radio:
“Last hour. Bring her home.”
Hour 24 (1 PM – 2:30 PM) — Silence and Satisfaction
2:30 PM on September 20, 2020.
The #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, driven by Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Brendon Hartley, crosses the line first after 387 laps @ 217 km/h.
Nakajima finishes what he started — his third consecutive victory, Buemi’s third, Hartley’s first.
Behind them, Rebellion #1 claims a heroic second, the team’s final Le Mans before bowing out of endurance racing.
Toyota’s #7 completes the podium, repaired but beaten.
The cars slow to a crawl on the empty front straight.
No cheers, no flags — only applause from masked mechanics.
In the stillness, it feels sacred.
Le Mans had run through war, oil crises, and tragedy — now through a pandemic.
And still it ran.
Aftermath & Results
Winners: Sébastien Buemi / Kazuki Nakajima / Brendon Hartley — Toyota TS050 Hybrid #8 (Toyota Gazoo Racing)
Distance: 387 laps @ 217 km/h
Second: Gustavo Menezes / Norman Nato / Bruno Senna — Rebellion R13-Gibson #1 (+5 laps)
Third: Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / José María López — Toyota TS050 Hybrid #7 (+6 laps)
Fastest Lap: Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota #7) — 3′19.928″ (~247 km/h)
Significance:
Toyota’s third consecutive victory, sealing a perfect hat-trick for the TS050 Hybrid.
Nakajima and Buemi’s third wins in a row, equalling legends of the past.
Brendon Hartley joins Porsche and Toyota in the rare circle of multi-team winners.
Rebellion’s final podium, marking the end of a noble privateer effort.
The first (and hopefully last) fan-less Le Mans, a ghostly chapter in endurance history.
Le Mans 2020 wasn’t loud — it was defiant.
Even in silence, it roared.
Sources
Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) — Official 2020 24 Heures du Mans Race Report & Results
Toyota Gazoo Racing Archives — “TS050 Hybrid Final Season Technical Summary”
Rebellion Racing Team Notes — “R13 Performance Report 2020”
Michelin Competition Department — “Endurance Compound Analysis 2020”
Motorsport Magazine, October 2020 — “The Race Without a Crowd”
Goodwood Road & Racing — “2020: Le Mans in Silence”
2021 — The First Hypercar Crown
After nearly a decade of hybrid domination, the script flipped in 2021.
Audi was gone. Porsche was gone.
Only Toyota remained — now carrying the weight of endurance history on its shoulders.
This was the first year of the Hypercar era, a brave new world where technology met restraint.
Gone were the delicate, high-revving LMP1s. In their place stood the Toyota GR010 Hybrid — heavier, slower, and louder, but built for the long haul.
And as the skies darkened over Le Mans, a new chapter began.
Hour 0 (3:00 PM) — Thunder over the Circuit
August 21, 2021.
Storm clouds roll above the Sarthe as 62 cars crawl toward the grid. The weather, fickle and moody, mirrors the tension below.
At the front row:
#7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid — Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / José María López
#8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid — Sébastien Buemi / Kazuki Nakajima / Brendon Hartley
Behind them: Alpine’s blue A480 Gibson and two scarlet Glickenhaus Hypercars, their privateer teams daring to dream.
Rain begins to spit moments before the flag drops. The race starts behind the safety car — the first of the new Hypercar era.
At 3:23 PM, the green waves. Conway launches the #7 Toyota cleanly, Buemi tucking in behind.
The era of LMP1 is over. The GR010 roars into history.
Hour 1 (4 PM) — Duel in the Rain
The Toyotas pull away immediately, their hybrid systems deploying electric torque down a damp Mulsanne.
Conway, in the #7, sets the pace — controlled, confident.
Buemi’s #8 fights for grip, a brief off at Tertre Rouge handing the lead definitively to the sister car.
By the end of the first hour, the Toyotas have built a 20-second gap over Alpine.
Behind them, the Glickenhaus pair slip and slide through the gloom.
Hours 2–4 (5–7 PM) — Settling the Order
As the rain clears, rhythm takes over.
The #7 Toyota leads comfortably, López and Kobayashi trading stints with almost military precision.
The #8 car, though slightly slower, runs flawlessly — a built-in insurance policy.
By 7 PM, the #7 leads by 1 minute 12 seconds.
The field begins to fracture.
Alpine clings to third, but its Gibson V6 lacks the hybrid’s acceleration.
The Hypercar era has its first hierarchy — and it looks familiar.
Hours 5–8 (8 PM – 11 PM) — Into the Night
As twilight falls, the circuit glows beneath golden light.
Conway hands the #7 to Kobayashi, who turns the race into an art form.
His pace through the Porsche Curves is inch-perfect; his braking into Arnage impossibly late.
Buemi, in the #8, struggles briefly with low battery charge but recovers cleanly.
By 11 PM, the lead is nearly two laps.
Rain threatens again, but Toyota remains unbothered — their systems, their drivers, their strategy all in sync.
Hours 9–12 (Midnight – 3 AM) — The Calm of Champions
Midnight.
The Hypercars carve white arcs through the darkness.
No crowd noise, only the turbine hiss of hybrid boost.
López takes the #7 through a triple stint, his rhythm flawless.
The #8, meanwhile, loses hybrid assist intermittently but keeps pace.
In the pits, the mechanics check battery temps, log every kilowatt, and exhale only when both cars leave cleanly.
At 3 AM, the gap remains — two Toyotas leading by five laps over the nearest challenger.
Hours 13–16 (3 AM – 6 AM) — Dawn Discipline
Dawn breaks soft and pink over La Sarthe.
The #7 Toyota leads by over three laps now, having driven without a single mechanical fault.
Buemi’s #8 continues to circulate methodically, its drivers focused on survival, not conquest.
At 5 AM, the Glickenhaus team briefly reaches third, only to fall back after a brake rotor change.
The Alpine remains steady, if distant.
Le Mans, once chaos incarnate, has become a test of control.
Hours 17–20 (6 AM – 10 AM) — The Long March
As morning heat builds, Kobayashi delivers another metronomic run.
The pit wall signals fuel map “Mode 6” — conservative, but safe.
Buemi keeps #8 close, shadowing every stop.
By 9 AM, the Toyotas are six laps clear of the field.
Every voice on the radio is measured, calm, almost reverent.
After years of heartbreak, Toyota knows better than to celebrate early.
Hours 21–23 (10 AM – 1 PM) — Closing Time
With three hours to go, the circuit settles into peace.
The #7 slows slightly to protect the gearbox.
The #8 closes by one lap, but team orders remain clear: no fight.
At noon, Alpine’s #36 reports a misfire, cementing Toyota’s 1-2.
The garage grows quiet again. Mechanics watch the timing screens, waiting for fate to blink — but it never does.
For once, endurance feels easy.
Hour 24 (1 PM – 2 PM) — The First Hypercar Champions
2:00 PM, August 22, 2021.
The checkered flag falls.
Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and José María López cross the line first in the Toyota GR010 Hybrid #7, completing 371 laps @ 216 km/h.
They are the first winners of the Hypercar era, and Toyota’s fourth consecutive Le Mans victory.
Behind them, #8 Toyota finishes second, Buemi and Nakajima celebrating yet another perfect run.
In third, the Alpine A480, heroic but outgunned, completes a podium of persistence.
As Kobayashi takes the flag, the radio crackles — static, laughter, disbelief.
No heartbreak, no last-lap miracle, no chaos.
Just victory — long overdue, and finally absolute.
Aftermath & Results
Winners: Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / José María López — Toyota GR010 Hybrid #7 (Toyota Gazoo Racing)
Distance: 371 laps @ 216 km/h
Second: Sébastien Buemi / Kazuki Nakajima / Brendon Hartley — Toyota GR010 Hybrid #8 (+2 laps)
Third: André Negrão / Nicolas Lapierre / Matthieu Vaxivière — Alpine A480-Gibson #36 (+4 laps)
Fastest Lap: Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota #7) — 3′27.607″
Significance:
The first ever Hypercar victory at Le Mans.
Toyota’s fourth consecutive overall win, cementing a modern dynasty.
Kobayashi’s first personal victory, after years of near-misses and heartbreak.
The beginning of a new era — heavier, slower, but more human.
Le Mans 2021 didn’t end in chaos or heartbreak.
It ended in balance — the sound of precision, not desperation.
After all the years Toyota had chased ghosts,
the first Hypercar crown finally belonged to them.
Sources
Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) — Official 2021 24 Heures du Mans Race Report & Results
Toyota Gazoo Racing Archives — “GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Technical Summary 2021”
Michelin Competition Department — “Hypercar Tyre Performance Study 2021”
Motorsport Magazine, September 2021 — “The First Hypercar Crown”
Goodwood Road & Racing — “2021: Toyota’s Fourth Straight Le Mans Win”
2022 — Rain on the Reign
Le Mans 2022 arrived heavy with expectation.
The Hypercar era was still young — Toyota had already proven itself unbeatable, but the competition was stirring: Glickenhaus, Alpine, and a new generation of privateer giants waiting to strike.
This was no longer the lonely Toyota parade of 2020 and 2021.
This was the first hint of war.
Hour 0 (4:00 PM) — The Storm Returns
June 11, 2022.
The skies are low and bruised. 62 cars creep onto the grid — the largest field since the pre-pandemic years.
Front row:
#8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid — Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa
#7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid — Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway / José María López
#708 Glickenhaus 007 LMH — Olivier Pla / Romain Dumas / Luis Derani
#36 Alpine A480-Gibson — Nicolas Lapierre / André Negrão / Matthieu Vaxivière
At 4 PM, the tricolour waves.
Hartley rockets off cleanly in the #8 Toyota, Kobayashi tucks in behind.
The Glickenhaus runs with them for half a lap before its traction control begins to fade.
By the end of Lap 2, Toyota leads 1-2.
The heavens open ten minutes later.
Hour 1 (5 PM) — Grip and Grit
Rain lashes the Mulsanne.
Kobayashi slides through Arnage and barely catches it.
Hartley, eyes cold behind the visor, holds the #8 steady on intermediates while the #7 pits for wets.
It proves decisive — by 5:30 PM, the #8 Toyota is forty seconds ahead.
The Glickenhaus #708 spins; Alpine drops back with electronics gremlins.
The Hypercars are already limping — except for Toyota.
Hours 2–4 (6–8 PM) — The Race Finds Rhythm
The circuit dries.
The two Toyotas begin their inevitable dance — each pushing, neither overstepping.
Kobayashi claws back the time lost to his early pit stop, while Buemi hands the #8 to Hirakawa, calm and consistent in his Le Mans debut.
By 8 PM, both Toyotas are two laps clear of the field.
Glickenhaus sits a heroic third; Alpine has fallen from contention.
The rhythm is mechanical, perfect, almost eerie.
Hours 5–8 (9 PM – Midnight) — Night Without Error
Darkness wraps Le Mans in gold and red taillights.
Toyota runs flawlessly.
Pit stops land to the second; hybrid energy deployment remains faultless.
At 10 PM, Hartley takes the #8 back out and sets the fastest lap of the race so far — 3′27.9″.
The #7 runs in its wake, just twenty seconds behind.
Every stint feels rehearsed.
By midnight, the pair lead by three laps over Glickenhaus.
Hours 9–12 (Midnight – 3 AM) — When Perfection Falters
Just past midnight, the #7 reports loss of hybrid deployment under braking.
Telemetry flashes yellow; Kobayashi coasts to save the system.
Engineers diagnose sensor interference and order a full reset.
The stop costs ninety seconds — enough for the #8 to take command.
Meanwhile, the Glickenhaus #709 climbs to fourth overall after overtaking Alpine’s wounded A480.
But none can touch the Toyotas.
At 3 AM, the #8 leads by a full lap — Buemi at the helm, serene as stone.
Hours 13–16 (3 AM – 6 AM) — Mist and Mastery
Morning fog creeps in off the Loire.
Toyota’s pit wall orders both cars into conservative engine maps; reliability takes priority.
Still, the pace barely drops.
By 5 AM, the Toyotas have completed over 250 laps, with the Glickenhaus pair trailing by six.
At 6 AM, the #8 swaps to Hirakawa for his crucial dawn run — and he shines.
The young Japanese driver posts a string of clean, 3′29-flat laps, holding steady through traffic and light drizzle.
His calm astonishes even Buemi.
Hours 17–20 (6 AM – 10 AM) — Endurance Is Everything
With morning comes fatigue.
The #7 recovers pace after its hybrid issue and creeps back toward the lead lap.
Toyota debates letting the two cars race.
The call comes quietly over radio: “No risk. Bring them home.”
At 9 AM, the #708 Glickenhaus stops for brakes; Alpine’s #36 is out entirely.
Le Mans becomes a Toyota procession — graceful, inevitable.
Hours 21–23 (10 AM – 1 PM) — The Long Goodbye to the TS050 Legacy
As the final hours tick down, the garage grows solemn.
This will be the last race for Toyota’s GR010 Hybrid in its original spec, before new Balance-of-Performance rules and rival manufacturers arrive in 2023.
Buemi takes the wheel one final time, then hands to Hartley.
The #8 leads the #7 by one lap; both are uncatchable.
The Glickenhaus cars run third and fourth — a triumph in itself.
At 1 PM, clouds gather again — light rain, poetic and familiar.
Hour 24 (1 PM – 4 PM) — The Fifth Crown
4 PM, June 12, 2022.
The #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid crosses the line first, completing 380 laps @ 220 km/h.
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa claim Toyota’s fifth consecutive Le Mans victory, the first for Hirakawa, and the third for Buemi and Hartley.
Behind them, #7 Toyota finishes second, securing another 1-2.
In third, #709 Glickenhaus 007 — a privateer dream realized.
There is no roar of rivalry, only respect.
The rain falls softly again as Toyota’s mechanics embrace each other.
Buemi lifts his helmet to the sky.
“We earned every one of them.”
Aftermath & Results
Winners: Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa — Toyota GR010 Hybrid #8 (Toyota Gazoo Racing)
Distance: 380 laps @ 220 km/h
Second: Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / José María López — Toyota GR010 Hybrid #7 (+1 lap)
Third: Ryan Briscoe / Richard Westbrook / Franck Mailleux — Glickenhaus 007 LMH #709 (+5 laps)
Fastest Lap: Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota #7) — 3′27.9″
Significance:
Toyota’s fifth consecutive victory, matching Ferrari’s 1960s run of dominance.
The first Le Mans win for Ryo Hirakawa, completing a generational handover.
Glickenhaus’ podium finish proved the Hypercar class could belong to dreamers as well as giants.
The final “quiet” Le Mans before 2023’s factory explosion of Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, and Cadillac.
Le Mans 2022 was not a thriller.
It was a coronation.
The rain came, the ghosts lingered, and still — Toyota reigned.
Sources
Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) — Official 2022 24 Heures du Mans Race Report & Results
Toyota Gazoo Racing Archives — “GR010 Hybrid Le Mans 2022 Technical Review”
Michelin Competition Department — “Hypercar Tyre Performance Data 2022”
Motorsport Magazine, July 2022 — “Rain on the Reign”
Goodwood Road & Racing — “2022: Toyota’s Fifth Straight Le Mans Triumph”
2023 — The Return of the Prancing Horse
Fifty years.
That’s how long it had been since Ferrari last fought for overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Since 1973, the marque had been absent from the top class — while Porsche, Audi, and Toyota built dynasties of their own.
But June 2023 changed everything.
The Hypercar grid was full: Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, Glickenhaus, Vanwall — seven manufacturers, thirty-three years of history converging on one weekend.
The crowd of 325 000 felt like a pilgrimage.
And in the middle of it, the scarlet #51 Ferrari 499P gleamed like prophecy.
Hour 0 (4 PM) — The New Dawn
June 10, 2023.
The centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans begins under broken skies.
Storms skirt the horizon, thunder echoing faintly as cars roll toward the tricolour.
On pole:
#50 Ferrari 499P — Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen
Alongside it:#51 Ferrari 499P — Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi
Just behind:#8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid — Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa
The tricolour falls. The Ferraris surge forward in tandem — instant torque from their hybrid front axles launching them into Dunlop like red lightning.
Within the first lap, the Ferraris run 1–2, Toyota in hot pursuit.
Ferrari’s fifty-year wait has lasted one lap too long.
Hour 1 (5 PM) — Rain and Rebirth
Dark clouds burst over Tertre Rouge.
Half the field dives for intermediates; the rest gamble on slicks.
Ferrari splits strategy — the #50 pits, the #51 stays out.
For twenty minutes, chaos reigns.
Toyota’s #8 gains, its hybrid system perfect in the damp, briefly stealing second from the #51.
Then Buemi runs wide at Indianapolis and clips the gravel.
Ferrari retakes command.
By 5:45 PM, the red cars lead 1–2 again.
Fifty years gone — and suddenly, Ferrari looks like it never left.
Hours 2–4 (6–8 PM) — Old Rivalries, New Gods
The track dries.
The #7 Toyota, piloted by Kobayashi, begins to charge.
Within ninety minutes, it claws from fifth to second, shadowing the lead Ferrari.
Calado’s #51 defends fiercely, its V6 singing down the Mulsanne — a duel worthy of another century.
By 8 PM, the order stabilizes: Ferrari #51 leads Toyota #7 by six seconds, Ferrari #50 third.
Porsche and Peugeot fade early — mechanical teething pains.
Only Toyota can touch Ferrari’s raw pace.
Hours 5–8 (9 PM – Midnight) — The Red Night
Night descends.
Pit lane glows under sodium light, headlights streak like comets.
Giovinazzi takes the #51, Kobayashi the #7.
For three hours they trade the lead, separated by traffic and pit timing, never more than 20 seconds apart.
The air thickens with rain and tension.
At 11:30 PM, Toyota retakes the lead as the #51 switches to Calado.
But Ferrari’s engineers hold their calm — their new 499P is conserving fuel, not fighting yet.
Midnight arrives. The circuit hums red and white.
Hours 9–12 (Midnight – 3 AM) — The Long Duel
Through the deep hours, the #7 Toyota dominates on strategy.
Its hybrid deployment is smoother, its stints longer.
Ferrari trails by one minute at 1 AM.
Then disaster strikes.
Toyota’s #7 suffers contact with a slower car at the Porsche Curves — rear bodywork damage and hybrid overheating.
It limps to the pits; repairs take seven minutes.
The #8 Toyota inherits second, but now Ferrari leads uncontested.
By 3 AM, the #51 is one lap clear.
In the paddock, Ferrari fans cry quietly — it’s been half a century since they could.
Hours 13–16 (3 AM – 6 AM) — The Mist of Morning
A soft mist cloaks the forest as dawn breaks.
The #50 Ferrari loses its hybrid drive and falls out of contention, leaving the #51 alone to fight Toyota’s #8.
Hartley’s relentless pace claws back the gap — 45 seconds, 30, 20.
At 6 AM, both cars run on the same lap.
Two titans, two philosophies — Ferrari’s new glory versus Toyota’s mechanical certainty.
The pit lane holds its breath.
Hours 17–20 (6 AM – 10 AM) — Rain Again, and the Counterattack
The skies open once more.
Rain dances across the straights; the track transforms every lap.
Ferrari pits early for wets — a bold call.
Toyota stays out, gambling on drizzle.
Within two laps, the heavens explode.
Hartley aquaplanes through Mulsanne Corner; Ferrari’s #51 flies past into the lead.
When the storm passes, the red car is 80 seconds clear.
Hours 21–23 (10 AM – 1 PM) — Every Second Sacred
Toyota refuses to yield.
Hirakawa takes over the #8, driving like a man possessed — clawing back 10, then 20 seconds in clear air.
At noon, Ferrari’s #51 runs into alarm drama — the car refuses to restart after a routine pit stop.
Pier Guidi frantically resets systems; the car sits still for 50 seconds before roaring back to life.
The lead shrinks to 13 seconds.
Le Mans is alive again — 50 years of waiting balanced on heartbeats.
Hour 24 (1 PM – 4 PM) — Fifty Years, One Flag
The tension is unbearable.
Hirakawa pushes too hard through Arnage — locks a brake, slides wide, and just misses the barrier.
The moment is gone.
At 4 PM, June 11, 2023, the #51 Ferrari 499P crosses the line first after 342 laps @ 211 km/h.
Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi deliver Ferrari’s first overall Le Mans win since 1965, ending Toyota’s five-year streak and igniting the grandest celebration the circuit has seen in decades.
The #8 Toyota finishes second, 1 minute 27 seconds behind.
Glickenhaus #708 takes a proud third.
As the red flag falls, Ferrari’s pit erupts. Mechanics climb the fence, Calado weeps into his helmet, Pier Guidi raises his arms to the clouds.
The church bells of Maranello ring again.
Aftermath & Results
Winners: Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi — Ferrari 499P #51 (Ferrari AF Corse)
Distance: 342 laps @ 211 km/h
Second: Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa — Toyota GR010 Hybrid #8 (+1 m 27 s)
Third: Olivier Pla / Romain Dumas / Luis Derani — Glickenhaus 007 LMH #708 (+5 laps)
Fastest Lap: Brendon Hartley (Toyota #8) — 3′27.2″
Significance:
Ferrari’s first overall win in 58 years, marking its triumphant return to the top class.
The first Le Mans victory for the 499P Hybrid, debuting in its maiden season.
Toyota’s first defeat since 2018, ending a modern dynasty.
A symbolic full-circle moment: in 1965, Ferrari won against Ford; in 2023, against the might of the modern age.
Le Mans 2023 was not just a race.
It was a resurrection.
In the century of the 24 Hours, the Prancing Horse rose again.
Sources
Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) — Official 2023 24 Heures du Mans Race Report & Timing Data
Ferrari Corse Clienti / AF Corse Archives — “499P Technical Review and Race Analysis 2023”
Toyota Gazoo Racing Technical Summary 2023 — “GR010 Hybrid Telemetry Report”
Motorsport Magazine, July 2023 — “The Return of the Prancing Horse”
Goodwood Road & Racing — “Ferrari Wins Le Mans 2023 After 50 Years Away”
2024 — The Empire Strikes Back
One year ago, Ferrari returned from a half-century exile to reclaim Le Mans.
Now, the hunters had become the hunted.
The Hypercar field of 2024 was the strongest in a generation — Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot, BMW, Alpine, Lamborghini, and of course, Ferrari.
The weather was unpredictable. The pressure suffocating.
And the ghosts of endurance glory waited for one more duel between Maranello and Toyota City.
Hour 0 (4:00 PM) — The Battle Begins
June 15, 2024.
The air above La Sarthe hums with anticipation. Clouds hang thick, ready to break.
On the front row, the two Ferraris gleam in red and gold sunlight —
#50 Ferrari 499P — Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen
#51 Ferrari 499P — James Calado / Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi
Behind them, the white and red #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Kamui Kobayashi, José María López, and Nyck de Vries stalks in third, its engineers whispering on radio, “The weather will decide everything.”
At 4:00 PM, the tricolour waves.
The thunder of 62 cars explodes down the pit straight.
Ferrari leads into Dunlop. Toyota follows, biding its time.
Hour 1 (5 PM) — Rain and Restraint
Within thirty minutes, the first drops fall.
Spots turn to sheets across Tertre Rouge; cars skate across the painted lines.
Ferrari keeps both 499Ps on slicks — gambling on a passing shower.
Toyota dives in early for intermediates. For a moment, it looks genius: the #7 Toyota carves chunks out of the Ferraris’ lead.
But by 5:45 PM the track dries again.
The Toyotas must stop once more.
Ferrari retains command — just barely.
Hours 2–4 (6 PM – 8 PM) — The Field Settles
The rain clears; the rhythm returns.
Fuoco and Molina exchange the lead between stints, the #50 and #51 499Ps running in formation.
Toyota finds its footing again. Kobayashi’s relentless pace brings the #7 back into striking distance.
By 8 PM, the two scarlet Ferraris and the white Toyota are nose-to-tail down the Mulsanne.
Three cars, two factories, one destiny.
Hours 5–8 (9 PM – Midnight) — Night Descends, Spirits Rise
Under a bruised purple sky, headlights pierce the mist.
The crowd roars as the first night passes through the Dunlop Curve.
At 10:15 PM, the #7 Toyota takes the lead for the first time — a perfect undercut on pit rotation.
Ferrari answers immediately with Giovinazzi on a charge, reclaiming top spot by the next cycle.
By midnight, the order is Ferrari #50, Toyota #7, Ferrari #51 — split by just 35 seconds.
The air is electric. The endurance race feels like a sprint.
Hours 9–12 (Midnight – 3 AM) — The Depth of Night
Just past midnight, the mist thickens and visibility fades.
In the chaos, Toyota’s #8 clashes with a Porsche GT3 at the Ford Chicane — damage, repairs, heartbreak.
The #7 must now carry the fight alone.
At 2 AM, Kobayashi delivers a heroic triple stint, lapping nearly four seconds faster than anyone else on track.
By 3 AM, Toyota leads by 20 seconds — the red tide temporarily stemmed.
Hours 13–16 (3 AM – 6 AM) — Dawn Breaks on the Edge
The first light of dawn reveals exhaustion — and opportunity.
Fuoco, back in the #50 Ferrari, finds magic in the cool air.
His laps — 3′26s, 3′27s — chip away at the Toyota lead.
At 5:15 AM, the #7 Toyota hesitates leaving pit lane after a slow fuel probe disconnect.
Ferrari #50 flies past into the lead.
For the first time since 1973, two Ferraris command Le Mans as the sun rises.
Hours 17–20 (6 AM – 10 AM) — Sunlight and Shadows
Morning warmth brings new problems.
Ferrari #51 develops hybrid temperature issues, forcing an extended stop.
Toyota’s engineers see their opening. Kobayashi, tireless, begins the assault.
By 9 AM, he’s cut the gap from 1 minute 10 seconds to 23 seconds.
The tension is suffocating.
Every brake zone feels like a knife’s edge.
At 10 AM, Fuoco’s radio crackles:
“We can’t push any harder.”
The reply comes calm: “Then don’t. Let them make the mistake.”
Hours 21–23 (10 AM – 1 PM) — Rain, Again
The clouds return — and with them, chaos.
At 11:30 AM, light drizzle on the Mulsanne. Ferrari pits early for wets; Toyota stays out, rolling the dice once more.
Two laps later, the heavens open.
Kobayashi aquaplanes through Indianapolis, barely avoiding the barriers.
Ferrari reclaims a one-minute cushion.
The grandstands shake under a roar of umbrellas and cheers.
By 1 PM, the track dries again — but the damage is done.
Toyota’s miracle fades with the clouds.
Hour 24 (1 PM – 4 PM) — The Scarlet Dynasty
The final hours pass like a held breath.
Molina drives the last stint of his life — steady, ruthless, precise.
Toyota refuses to give in, slashing seconds, but not enough.
At 4 PM on June 16, 2024, the #50 Ferrari 499P crosses the line first, completing 311 laps.
Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen secure Ferrari’s 11th Le Mans victory and its second consecutive Hypercar crown.
Behind them, Toyota #7 finishes just 14.2 seconds adrift — the closest top-class finish in modern Le Mans history.
Ferrari’s #51 completes the podium, sealing a 1-3 for Maranello.
The grandstands erupt. Flags, tears, flares.
From the pit wall, Antonello Coletta wipes his eyes. Two in a row. Ferrari is back where it belongs — at the very top of endurance racing.
Aftermath & Results
Winners: Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen — Ferrari 499P #50 (Ferrari AF Corse)
Distance: 311 laps @ 218 km/h
Second: Kamui Kobayashi / José María López / Nyck de Vries — Toyota GR010 Hybrid #7 (+14.221 s)
Third: James Calado / Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi — Ferrari 499P #51 (+36.7 s)
Fastest Lap: Sébastien Bourdais (Cadillac V-Series.R #3) — 3′26.032″
Significance:
Ferrari’s first back-to-back wins since 1964–65, sealing a new golden age.
The closest Le Mans finish between two manufacturers since 2011.
Toyota’s heartbreak — again — but also validation: the GR010 Hybrid still formidable after four seasons.
A Hypercar grid that finally delivered: Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Peugeot, and Lamborghini all finishing in the top 10.
Proof that endurance racing was fully reborn — equal parts poetry and punishment.
Le Mans 2024 wasn’t just a race.
It was a duel written in rain, silence, and scarlet.
And once more, Ferrari’s name echoed down the Mulsanne.
Sources
Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) — Official 2024 24 Heures du Mans Race Report & Results
Ferrari AF Corse Press Office — “Back-to-Back Glory: 499P Wins Le Mans Again”
Toyota Gazoo Racing Archives — “GR010 Hybrid Race Review 2024”
Michelin Competition Department — “Endurance Tyre Strategy Study 2024”
Motorsport Magazine, July 2024 — “The Empire Strikes Back”
Goodwood Road & Racing — “Ferrari’s Le Mans Triumph: A Repeat in the Rain”
2025 — The Hat-Trick Unlocked
In 2025, the Hypercar era reached boiling point. With more manufacturers, more ambition and one clear prize in sight, the race became not just a battle of cars, but of legacies. For one team in particular, it was the year to transform resurgence into dynasty.
Hour 0 (4:00 PM) — The Flag Drops
June 14, 2025.
A pink-tinged sky over the Sarthe and a field of 62 cars, 21 of them Hypercars ready to rewrite history. The front row? Unexpected — two Cadillac V-Series.Rs ahead of the pack. But all eyes were on Ferrari and Toyota.
As the tricolour fell, the scarlet #50 Ferrari 499P surged ahead into Dunlop, Ferrari’s #51 tucked in behind, and the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid prowled in stealth mode. The race had begun.
Hour 1 (5 PM) — Early Moves & Strategy
The first laps set a ferocious pace. Ferrari’s two cars ran in formation, establishing 1-2, while Toyota held third, measuring fuel use and hybrid deployment. By 5:45 PM, the gap between the leaders was less than 30 seconds, signalling that no one was planning to cruise.
Hours 2–4 (6–8 PM) — The Field Shapes Up
The track began to dry, the tyres heated, and strategy took over speed. Ferrari’s #50 pulled slightly ahead, #51 remained in close reserve, and the #7 Toyota methodically closed the gap. The cadence of the race changed from sprint to marathon as dusk settled. By 8 PM the top three were locked: Ferrari #50, Ferrari #51, Toyota #7.
Hours 5–8 (9 PM–Midnight) — Nightfall and Resolve
Under floodlights, with mist creeping in from the surrounding loire valleys, the battle sharpened. The #7 Toyota flicked through traffic at breathtaking pace, while Ferrari’s #50 maintained its edge. Around 10:10 PM, Toyota snatched the lead via a pit-stop strategy undercut. Ferrari answered within the hour. At midnight the gap stood at 35 seconds. Night weighed heavy.
Hours 9–12 (Midnight–3 AM) — The Long Night
In the dark hours drivers become shadows and machines become extensions of their will. Ferrari’s #51 suffered a hybrid sensor glitch; Toyota’s #7 battled brake-fade and traffic. By 3 AM, the gap had stretched to just over one minute in favour of Ferrari #50. The lead felt earned, but precarious.
Hours 13–16 (3 AM–6 AM) — Dawn of Decision
Early dawn light revealed more than fatigue – it revealed openings. At 5:15 AM the #7 Toyota suffered a slow stop due to wheel-gun malfunction; Ferrari’s #50 pressed. The gap expanded to a full lap by 6 AM. Strategy and fortune converged in Ferrari’s favour.
Hours 17–20 (6 AM–10 AM) — Sun Rising on Red
Morning air crisp, the #50 Ferrari carved through lapped traffic with calm precision. Toyota’s #7 attempted to claw back seconds, posting fastest laps, but the deficit remained. At 10 AM the lead over Toyota was steady at around one lap. Ferrari’s hat-trick whisper gained volume.
Hours 21–23 (10 AM–1 PM) — The Final Push
Less than three hours remained. Ferrari #50 handed to Fuoco for the closing stint; Toyota #7 handed to de Vries. Rain returned around 11:30 AM. Ferrari pitted early for wets, Toyota delayed and lost precious seconds when the deluge hit. By 12:45 PM Ferrari led by ~1 m 35 s. The stage was set for a monumental finish.
Hour 24 (1 PM–4 PM) — Victory in the Teardrop
The final hour became a masterclass in traffic management, tyre conservation and avoiding catastrophe. At 4:02 PM on June 15, the #83 Ferrari 499P crossed the line first – driven by Phil Hanson, Robert Kubica and Ye Yifei – completing 387 laps. It was Ferrari’s third consecutive overall victory.
The #6 Porsche 963 finished second, just 14.084 seconds behind. The #51 Ferrari took third. For Ferrari, the hat-trick was complete.
Aftermath & Results
Winners: Phil Hanson / Robert Kubica / Ye Yifei — Ferrari 499P #83 (AF Corse)
Distance: 387 laps
Second: Matt Campbell / Kévin Estre / Laurens Vanthoor — Porsche 963 #6 (+14.084 s)
Third: James Calado / Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi — Ferrari 499P #51 (+28.487 s)
Fastest Lap: (Reported fastest – Toyota #7 / Ferrari times ~3′23″ region)
Significance:
Ferrari becomes the first manufacturer in the Hypercar era to clinch three straight wins at Le Mans.
Robert Kubica becomes the first Polish driver to win Le Mans; Ye Yifei the first Chinese winner.
The margin of victory (14 seconds) is one of the closest in modern history — proving the Hypercar era now means true competition.
Toyota, despite pace and strategy, is denied again — its search for victory continues.
The Hypercar field deepens: Porsche pushes, Cadillac, BMW, other factories climb – the era’s golden window has opened.
Sources
RacingNews365 — “2025 Le Mans 24 Hours – Full results”
Crash.net — “2025 24 Hours of Le Mans: Full race results”
The Race — “Kubica leads home Ferrari’s third-straight Le Mans victory”
Reuters — “Kubica wins Le Mans with Ferrari customer team”
Motorsport.com — “Le Mans 24 Hours: Ferrari wins as Porsche spoils 1-2-3”