Disappointment for Sébastien Buémi at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Second for much of the race, Sébastien Buémi's #8 Toyota dropped down the order after contact with the #51 Ferrari late in the race. The Swiss driver is bitter.
He has every reason to be angry. In fifth place at the finish, Toyota #8 could have hoped for much better. Fighting to lead the race for much of the 24 Hours, the Japanese car was sent spinning in the last two hours. This resulted in frustration and disappointment within the team.
To be honest, I am a little disappointed to finish in fifth place. We led the race for a long time and without the incident at the end of the race, I think we could have won. We had a good pace and we didn’t make any mistakes, so it’s frustrating. The team did a good job, Brendon and Ryo drove very well and the engineers made the right strategic choices, so I think we performed well. Now we just have to work hard for the next race in Brazil, summarizes Sébastien Buémi.
The Swiss finally crossed the finish line in fifth place, one minute behind the winning trio of the race.
To read also: Our live feed on the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The team still managed to fight for victory in this money time with the sister car. The #7 was battling with the Ferrari #50. But at the wheel, José Maria Lopez couldn’t catch up with the red Hypercar, despite its fuel problems.
The story could have been beautiful for the Argentine. Called up at the last minute to replace Mike Conway, he could have clinched a prestigious victory. And also show that he still has what it takes to drive at the highest level. In the end, he had to settle for second place.
This race was a real rollercoaster of emotions. It all started ten days ago when Mike got injured and I took his place. I was happy to be here, but also sad for him. Then the race was simply the toughest I have ever experienced, with the weather, having to start from the back of the grid and losing time with slow zones, punctures, and other issues. We always managed to come back and showed our resilience. I am proud of everyone for that. It is an emotional day for me, as I don’t know when I will have another chance to fight for the overall victory, says José Maria Lopez.
In the standings, Toyota is in third place with the #7 and in seventh place with the other car.
