Le Mans (France) (AFP) – Veteran Toyota driver Kamui Kobayashi pulled away in the final session to win 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday as six different manufacturers finished in the top eight places in the elite Hypercar class. As the lead changed with every set of pit stops, BMW led for much of Sunday morning before Cadillac, seeking a first Le Mans win for parent company General Motors, took over only for Toyotas to pounce with three hours to go.
Toyota’s No.7 car, driven by Mike Conway, Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, restored Toyota control of the race they won from 2018 to 2022 before Ferrari took over. “These are so bloody hard to win,” said Conway, a 42-year-old Briton who won in 2021 with Toyota. “My team-mates were amazing. The team did incredible work.” The BMW driven by Robin Frijns, Rene Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde were second. The second Toyota, driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa was third. Cadillac were fourth, with a Ferrari fifth and seventh sandwiching an Alpine. The 007 Aston Martin was eighth.
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The established powers, Ferrari and Toyota, who have dominated the race since the creation of the Hypercar class, were battling new challengers Cadillac and BMW. BMW No.20 led, but after Dutchman Frijns swerved into the gravel and suffered a slow puncture, it pitted to change tyres, fill the fuel tank, and allow Sheldon van der Linde to take over at the wheel. That allowed the No.12 Cadillac, with Frenchman Nato putting in a stint in the driver seat, to take the lead with team sponsor Tom Brady, the former National Football League quarterback, reportedly at the track.
The Toyotas had struggled early on but were now moving faster than their rivals. “I thought we were out of contention many times,” said Dutchman De Vries, after his first win at the race. “We had a puncture. We had a sensor issue that cost us a lot of straight-line speed. But Le Mans never ends ’til it’s over.” When Nato was slowed by a lower-category car, Hartley pounced to pass. The No.7 Toyota, driven by de Vries, then passed the Cadillac on the inside. The Toyotas began to pull away and scrap with each other both on the track and in their radio conversations with pit, which initially indicated it wanted Hartley to cede first place to an irritated De Vries.
When Hartley kept going on his worn tyres, he was called in for a change. The two Toyota hybrids had stolen a march early in the race when they pitted very early for their first refuelling stop, allowing them to rejoin the race without getting stuck in the pack and benefiting from a clear track. Thanks to this strategic shift, they quickly climbed back into the leading group, where the battle raged until the checkered flag.
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