24 Hours of Le Mans: Glory day for the No. 7, Toyota sees double

" The day of glory has come ! ". This verse from the Marseillaise can fit perfectly with this Sunday August 22 on the side of Toyota, at least that of No. 7. Unhappy in the past, the Japanese prototype has finally seen its efforts rewarded in style.

This first success 24 Hours of Le Mans, No. 7 went to get him alone like a grown-up. It all started with qualifying, an exercise in which Kamui Kobayashi stood out again. Stronger than the rest, the Japanese took his fourth pole on Thursday in Sarthe, thus launching hostilities.

At the head of the peloton on Saturday for the start, the No. 7 did not miss its meeting. Escaping the first incidents of the race and not being trapped by the rain and difficult driving conditions, it quickly took off while the sister car tried to make up for its delay after being hit by the Glickenhaus No. 708.

Launched, the crew Conway-Kobayashi-Lopez gave the entry tempo. If JOTA No. 38 tried to destabilize her for a while, No. 7 was simply intractable for her. Returning to second position, the No. 8 was never able to worry its sister who was decidedly obsessed with a first victory in Le Mans.

Nevertheless, the road was still long for the N°7 which still had to survive the night and above all avoid bad luck. And for once, luck smiled on him. Unlike last year when the mechanics gave way while it was leading, the Japanese team was not betrayed by its car which could maintain the hope of a victory.

The night passed and all the problems avoided, the N°7 soared in the general classification relegating the N°8 to more than 2'20. But then, astonishment took over the Japanese ranks when the sister car stopped on the track early in the morning. But here again, luck was on the side of Toyota and the No. 7 which was heading straight towards success. A success which will gradually take shape during the last hours of the race this Sunday since it will be up to one lap ahead of the No. 8.

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A victim of fate in the past, the Conway-Kobayashi-Lopez team was rewarded this time in the Sarthe and can now boast of having won the greatest race in the world.

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Back in the premier category and Toyota's main threat, Alpine believed in a possible showdown but ultimately was no match. Outnumbered on the track and with a less advanced car, the Dieppe firm ranked behind the two Japanese GR010s. Philippe Sinault's entity can still have a smile after these first 24 Hours in Hypercar since it managed to maintain behind the 007s of the Team Glickenhaus, yet feared before the big departure.

In LMP2, the suspense lasted until the last lap! In control with more than 30 seconds on the sister car, No. 31, of Team WRT, the No. 41 of the Kubica-Delétraz-Ye crew will never see the finish line or the final classification. Victim of an electronic problem (faulty accelerator sensor) in the Esses de la Forêt, the Oreca 07 of the Belgian team was robbed by the No. 31 and the No. 28 JOTA while victory was on its way. arms.

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If the double is not on the cards, Team WRT can nevertheless leave Sarthe with their heads held high. For its first participation at Le Mans, Vincent Bosse's structure dominated most of the race before making a fatal error. Consolation prize however with the triumph of the No. 31 of the Milesi-Frijns-Habsurg trio by only 7 tenths!

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In GTE, you had to be behind the wheel of a Ferrari to win. Outclassed by Aston Martin last year, the 488 did not go into detail this year, and in particular those of AF Corse. Opposed to Corvette and Porsche in Pro, the No. 51 (Calado-Ledogar-Pier Guidi) left only crumbs to its rivals, crossing the line with more than 40 seconds on the No. 63 Corvette. In Am, the No. 83 (Perrodo-Nielsen-Rovera) hit very hard by taking a lap to its closest pursuer, the No. 33 Aston Martin of TF Sport, and 2 to the No. 80 Ferrari, third in the category upon arrival.

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General classification of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021

Find the analysis of the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans by our experts in issue No. 2326 of AUTOhebdo available from Monday evening in digital version and Wednesday on newsstands.