Alonso and Toyota dominate
LE MANS: Toyota ended years of heartache by winning the Le Mans 24 Hours race in dominant fashion yesterday, with double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso victorious on his debut and now one step away from the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
Expected to dominate the 86th edition of the race, as the only major manufacturer in the top LMP1 category after champions Porsche withdrew last year, Toyota’s victory came at the 20th attempt.
With a one-two finish they became only the second Japanese car company – after Mazda, in 1991 – to win the world’s greatest endurance race.
“It’s a shame the 24 Hours of Le Mans only happens once a year. They should hold it every two or three weeks,” said Alonso.
The Spaniard shared the No 8 TS050 hybrid with Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi and Japan’s Kazuki Nakajima, who had taken pole position on Thursday and drove the final stint to the chequered flag.
The tension in the Toyota garage was palpable as the clock ticked down, Alonso and Buemi linking arms with other team members and praying that there was to be no repeat of past nightmares.
In 2016, Nakajima had also been heading for victory when he slowed with five minutes remaining and came to a halt with victory falling into Porsche’s lap.
“I can’t really describe it,” said Buemi, who was also Nakajima’s teammate in 2016, when asked how it felt to win.
“When you look at the past, 2016 in the last lap, and Kazuki was going to be in the car for the last few laps so lots of emotions really.”
The No 7 Toyota – driven by Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi to the chequered flag and shared with Briton Mike Conway and Argentina’s Jose Maria Lopez – crossed the line in one-two formation with Nakajima but two laps down. – Reuters