Ferrari scored its first outright Le Mans 24 Hours victory in 58 years as Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi took top honours ahead of Toyota in the centenary edition of the race.
At the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Italian manufacturer made a triumphant return to top-flight competition with their new 499P Le Mans Hypercar. The #51 crew secured Ferrari's first outright Le Mans win since Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt claimed victory in 1965.
Pier Guidi took the checkered flag, finishing a remarkable one minute and 21 seconds ahead of the #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa.
Securing the final spot on the overall podium was the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R piloted by Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber, and Richard Westbrook. They finished a lap behind the victorious Ferrari.
Throughout the race, marked by numerous setbacks, the battle for the lead primarily revolved around the #51 Ferrari and the #8 Toyota. However, it was the 499P that showcased superior pace for a significant portion of the second half.
After encountering an incident at the first Mulsanne chicane during the evening hours, where Pier Guidi veered off track, the #51 Ferrari managed to regain the lead and establish a nearly one-minute advantage over the Toyota. Unfortunately, Pier Guidi's power cycle during a pitstop in the 19th hour almost eradicated the gap between the two contenders.
Consequently, the Toyota re-entered the competition, and both leaders circled the track only seconds apart. Yet, the Ferrari had already begun asserting its dominance when Hirakawa's mishap at Arnage in the penultimate hour defused the intense battle.
Despite colliding with the barriers due to a braking error, Hirakawa was able to navigate the damaged #8 car back to the pits without losing a lap.
During the closing stages of the race, the #51 car experienced a minor scare as Pier Guidi had to perform another power cycle with just 23 minutes remaining. However, his substantial lead over the Toyota allowed him to resume with a clear advantage and ultimately etch his name in Ferrari's historic victory.
The #2 Cadillac enjoyed a mostly trouble-free run, with the exception of a spin by Westbrook during the night. In contrast, the sister #3 Chip Ganassi Racing-run car encountered a more eventful journey to secure fourth place.
Early on, Sebastien Bourdais experienced a rear-end collision with a GTE Am car at the Dunlop chicane, necessitating garage repairs for his car. Additionally, Bourdais had another incident with one of the WRT cars at Tertre Rouge just as he managed to regain the lead lap during the night.
Ultimately, Bourdais, alongside teammates Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon, finished fourth, three laps behind the leaders. The fifth-place position was secured by the #50 Ferrari driven by Nicklas Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco, and Miguel Molina.
The pole-winning car lost its contention for the lead after Nielsen's off-track excursion at the Porsche Curves during one of the heavy rain showers in the evening. Furthermore, it lost several laps overnight due to a fluid leak in its energy recovery system.
The other Hypercar manufacturers, Peugeot and Porsche, experienced races to forget.
Peugeot had both of its unconventional 9X9s initially involved in the heated battle for the lead. However, a spin in wet conditions by Jean-Eric Vergne in the #93 car at Mulsanne corner cost them two laps. Additionally, Gustavo Menezes suffered a crash in the sister #94 machine at the first Mulsanne chicane during the early hours.
Both Peugeot cars were subsequently taken to the garage due to hydraulic issues. The better-performing car, the #93 driven by Vergne, Paul di Resta, and Mik