The 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a wild one, with the lead changing hands numerous times throughout the race. In the end, it was Ferrari who came out on top, winning their first Le Mans since 1965. The #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar, driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi, led for most of the race, but was never able to shake the Toyota GR010-Hybrid of Brendon Hartley, Sébastien Buemi, and Ryo Hirakawa. The two cars were neck-and-neck for most of the race, but it was the Ferrari that had the better luck.
Hartley had a spectacular quadruple stint, driving for over four hours without a break. But it was a mistake by Hirakawa that ultimately cost Toyota the race. With just two hours to go, Hirakawa spun off at Arnage and damaged the car. The Toyota team was able to repair the car, but it lost too much time and was unable to catch the Ferrari.
The Ferrari's victory was a long time coming. The Italian manufacturer had not won at Le Mans since 1965, and their return to the top of the podium was met with great fanfare. The win was also a personal triumph for Pier Guidi, who had finished second at Le Mans in 2017.
The Cadillac Racing Hypercars finished in third and fourth places after a solid, consistent race. The #2 Cadillac V-Series. R clinched the final podium spot for Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, and Richard Westbrook. The #50 Ferrari 499P that started the race in pole position finished in fifth place. Hyperpole winner Antonio Fuoco also produced the fastest in-lap race with a time of 3:26.984 on lap 306.
The #708 and #709 Glickenhaus 007s finished sixth and seventh respectively despite a fright for the #709 crew with 20 minutes to go when Franck Mailleux hit the barrier at the Daytona Chicane. Jim Glickenhaus can be proud of his team’s performance. The #93 Peugeot 9X8 was eighth and the #5 Porsche 963 of Porsche Penske Motorsport was ninth.
