On Sunday 11 June 2023, as the bells of the San Biagio parish church in the centre of Maranello tolled the Italian national anthem in a 0 traditional announcement of a Ferrari race victory, not only did the world somehow feel like a better place, but more specifically, the bells signalled the spiritual return to form of sports-car prototype racing.
This genre's premier division has been on life support since the end of 2017, following the withdrawal of Audi a year prior, and then Porsche. That left Toyota as the sole factory entrant, racing in a hall of mirrors for the next five years.
On the eve of its centenary celebration in 2023, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the crown jewel of endurance racing, deserved more. Via the efforts of the returning previous pinnacle-class winners Peugeot, Porsche and Ferrari, together with Cadillac and privateers Glickenhaus and Vanwall, the proverbial cup of the Hypercar class at Le Mans was set to runneth over.
The resultant spectacle was nothing short of momentous: two car-destroying rain-storms, three extended safety-car periods, five full course yellows, thirty-five changes of the lead between all five factory teams, multiple moments of drama on- and off track, and the eventual victors still involved in and an epic tussle with less than two hours remaining.
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
With a series of accidents and untimely reliability issues taking a toll on Porsche and Peugeot entries, respectively, and despite a spin into the gravel in the ninth hour, the # 51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, F1 refugee Antonio Gionvinazzi and James Calado gained the lead of the race in the 15th hour by opting to delay a tyre change. Spending less time in the pits, they inherited first place on the track from multiple-Le Mans-winning contenders, the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid of Brendon Hartley, Sébastien Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa.
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