24 Hours of Le Mans: And a Third for Toyota!
This weekend was the 88th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In this somewhat particular context of the coronavirus epidemic, Toyota once again triumphed in front of empty stands during this Le Mans event.
The start of the 2020 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was at 2:30 PM on Saturday. The Toyotas once again dominated the race, leading from start to finish. Indeed, the Toyota No. 7 started in pole position and maintained its first place for half of the race, later giving way to car No. 8 driven by Buemi-Nakajima-Hartley. It should be noted that this year, Brendon Hartley took over the seat from Fernando Alonso, who, already a two-time winner of the event, chose to focus on preparing for his return to Formula 1 with Renault.
. @Toyota_Hybrid remporte les 24 heures du Mans pour la 3e année consécutive et réalise le Hat Trick tant attendu !!!????#LeMans24 #24hUnited #WEC pic.twitter.com/Qe8viNgl71
— 24 Heures du Mans (@24heuresdumans) September 20, 2020
Let’s discover the statements of the top three:
« It’s quite an exceptional feeling to say that we have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the third time. It’s true that we went through all the emotions during this race. It started badly for us because we first suffered a puncture and then had brake problems. We lost two laps changing the defective parts. At that moment, we thought we had lost all chances of victory. Then a few hours later, things turned in our favor. We found ourselves in the lead and then won the race. It’s proof that at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, nothing is guaranteed. » declared Sébastien Buemi at the end of the race.
Brendon Hartley emphasized the importance of his teammates: « I am proud of my teammates and the whole team. Sébastien and Kazuki helped me get up to speed with this car. It’s not the same emotion because the fans were missing. However, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time is fantastic, despite the mechanical problems we encountered. »
Kazuki Nakajima recalls that this race was not so simple: « It was great to be in the car for the last stint and this third consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the TS050 Hybrid. As my teammates explained, this race was a real emotional rollercoaster. However, I think all team members did a great job. I am proud to be part of this team. After the #7 also encountered mechanical issues, the race was easier for us. »
As the 2020 winners of the 24h remind us, the race was not without obstacles for the Toyota drivers. At the start of the race, it was Toyota No. 7 leading, while No. 8 suffered a puncture, making Team No. 7 hope even more for a victory. At 2:30, the supremacy of No. 7 ended due to a turbo problem. Toyota No. 8 then completed a flawless end of the race, leading them to victory once again.
In LMP2, it was Phil Hanson-Filipe Albuquerque-Paul Di Resta who triumphed with their Oreca 07-Gibson #22.
In LMGTE Pro, the race was very lively and it was ultimately Maxime Martin, Alex Lynn, and Harry Tincknell who won aboard their Aston Martin Vantage AMR #97. In LMGTE Am, Aston Martin also prevailed.
