Another fine 24 Hours of Le Mans

And there you have it, it’s over for this year. The 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans are the worthy successors of last year’s centenary edition, which was already a crazy madness.

This absolutely incredible line-up of fourteen constructors, including nine in Hypercar, almost inevitably heralded a crazy race. And it was undoubtedly one.

The start and the first hours were summed up in an absolutely Homeric battle between five manufacturers: Porsche, the clear favorite from pole position, Cadillac, Ferrari, Toyota, and even the surprising Alpine.

The rain came and blurred all the lines, and that’s where the field split between the favorites and the eliminated. Ferrari had three pieces on its chessboard, including the “private” No. 83, which, had it not been abandoned on Sunday morning, would certainly have had a say in the final sprint.

And finally, unlike Imola, Ferrari has perfected its performance in delicate conditions to lead its two official cars onto the podium. One must not forget to mention Toyota, which seemed to have all the cards in hand to finally win at Le Mans. Especially since the brand had made a fantastic comeback, without any cars in Hyperpole.

But the Japanese, with the N°7 and N°8, are still cursed in Sarthe when the factory competition is there. And it’s a new 2nd place that the manufacturer will have to digest, who held the WEC on its shoulders during lean years.

The newcomers: satisfied or unhappy

Two teams have been surprisingly reliable and even consistent. Starting with the underdog of the Hypercar, Isotta Fraschini, which had a flawless race and finished it. A great success for this Tipo 6 LMH project, which competes in a much lower division than the other giants.

And then, Lamborghini, who had a difficult start, unlocked their points counter at the end of this 4th round of the season, with N°63. The bull brand had a wise, clean and smoothly conducted race, focusing on themselves.

The other “beginner” brands in Hypercar have fallen by the wayside, for various reasons: Alpine lost both its A424s within an hour on Saturday night, while BMW was left featherless by accidents. Different fates.

Disappointments

Porsche and Cadillac had, on paper, the cards in hand to win the jackpot this year. In particular, the German manufacturer, who arrived at Le Mans leading both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. And with six cars, none of them made it to the podium.

Porsche #6, the pole-sitter, like the other five, wasn’t lucky with the weather conditions and strategy changes attempts. The pace was less consistent, despite a good top speed.

The disappointment at BMW was palpable, as the M Hybrid V8 cars were surprising this year. But this is a young project, which requires its team to acquire the experience inherent to success. The two Hypercars as well as the LMGT3 No. 46 were swept aside: the only satisfaction for Vincent Vosse, head of WRT, was this No. 31 which finished 2nd, one lap behind the victorious Porsche Manthey EMA. The same goes for Valentino Rossi, who will have to try his luck again next year.

The Iron Dames finished 5th, while a podium was possible. Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey’s adaptation to the Lamborghini Huracan is progressing slowly, and the female drivers had a good race.

Finally, how can we not talk about Peugeot, with the two 9X8s? It was expected that starting from a blank slate this year would complicate things for the Lion. Le Mans could have been a land of redemption, in memory of the beautiful story of the No. 94 without a wing.

But it was not the case: reliability was there, but not performance. The No. 94 finished just outside the points (11th), beaten by Lamborghini, which made its first prototype entry at Le Mans.

Crazier than crazy next year?

Le Mans 2025, if all goes well, should welcome all the manufacturers already present, plus one more: Aston Martin, which will come against the tide of the others, with a car derived from the series (the Valkyrie) and which will make a naturally aspirated V12 engine of 6.5L sing. Enough to delight purists. Not to mention that the LMGT3s provided a great spectacle, like a taste of what awaits the audience at the 24 Hours of Spa, which are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year.

The centenary had been completely crazy from start to finish and this 92nd edition incredibly undecided and even more hotly contested. Endurance and Le Mans are experiencing a new blessed era with these new categories and offered the 350,000 spectators an absolutely grandiose show.

The night spent under the Safety Car sparked chatter and grumbling, sweeping away the prospects of a wild night. But the end really made up for this passage and bodes well for a crazy 93rd edition that will blow your mind. Thank you Le Mans!

The result of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: