WEC
Team WRT #31 wins by 727 thousandths after a crazy final lap
Leading on the last lap, the #41 will never cross the finish line at Le Mans / © Photo Xavi Bonilla / DPPI
Everyone still remembers the abandonment of the Toyota in the final round of the 2016 edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans in favor of the Porsche. This year, the scenario is just as cruel for the Oreca 07 #41 of the WRT team. In the lead starting the last lap 40 seconds ahead of her pursuers, no one could have imagined that she would not even be classified at the finish of the Le Mans event. While at the same time in Hypercar, the two Toyotas were parading for a new double, the camera suddenly moved towards the exit of the Dunlop corner to show us the #41 of the WRT team stopped in the middle of the track . Thunderclap on the Sarthe circuit. Yifei Ye inside the passenger compartment is helpless: he sees his colleague from the WRT team #31 passing as well as Jota #28… and will not leave again. The scene leaves everyone speechless. The explanation will come from the team a few minutes after the arrival of the double clock: it was an accelerator sensor which led the #41 to abandon its dreams of victory in the most prestigious of races.
Fate could have been worse for the Belgian team. On the line, the Jota #28 driven by Tom Blomqvist passed 727 thousandths behind the #31 crew made up of Robin Frijns, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg. A first experience for Team WRT which almost turned from a dream into a nightmare. As a reminder, a few hours from the end, the two crews were still several minutes ahead of their pursuers. Jota #28 had in fact received two penalties during the race. One for having crossed the white line at the entrance to the pits (drive through) and another for having joined the wrong Safety-Car (90-second stop and go).
This mishap benefited the Panis Racing #65 team, winner of the last event in ELMS et “podiumist” in 2020, who climbs onto the podium again in LMP2 this year. Regardless, this breathtaking finale will be remembered.
AMAZING !!
#41 @followWRT, car at the top of the LMP2 standings, stops on its last lap?# LeMans24 #WEC pic.twitter.com/C7WGKnd1Wi- 24 Heures du Mans (@ 24heuresdumans) August 22
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BENOIT MINOR
23/08/2021 at 02:45 a.m.
A little sad for the 41 to break down so close to the finish. That said, a well-deserved victory for the 31 given the exemplary race of its crew, only hampered by technical problems. And hats off to R. Frijns for fighting with a car whose tires were truly in agony...
Quentin DUBOIS
23/08/2021 at 04:55 a.m.
After investigation, it was not a lack of fuel for the #41 but the accelerator sensor which failed on the last lap.