‘This could change their race!’ – Toyota and Cadillac forced into pits for emergency fuel under FCY
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The race on Sunday morning into the close was full of twists and turns as the two Toyota cars battled with a BMW and a Cadillac.
However, a combination of smart tactics and taking their chances at opportune moments saw Kobayashi over the line for a memorable Le Mans victory with team-mates Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway.
For Kobayashi and Conway – who had a huge debt of thanks to the team in the Toyota No. 8 and Sebastien Buemi who held up the BMW towards the end – it is their first triumph since 2021.
It is also the first victory in the race for De Vries.
Cycling legend Mark Cavendish followed in the footsteps of sporting greats like Roger Federer and Zinedine Zidane as he took on the role of the iconic endurance race’s official starter.
Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa of the No. 8 Toyota Racing car led the way after an action-packed opening hour, in part due to their pitting strategy, which saw them enter the pits long before any of their rivals.
Watch: BMW ‘hunting down’ Le Mans victory after ‘brilliant’ Frijns move
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Buemi kept his Toyota ahead of Rene Rast, Robin Frijns and Sheldon van der Linde in the No. 20 BMW M Team WRT in second place, and Antonio Felix da Costa, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg’s No. 35 Alpine Endurance car in third until, around the two-hour mark, when he swapped out for Hartley.
However, their unique approach to pit stops saw them drop out of the top five before the race entered its fourth hour, allowing Van der Linde in the No. 20 BMW, and Sebastien Bourdais, Earl Bamber and Jack Aitken of the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota, to occupy first and second.
Bourdais guided the No. 38 Cadillac into top spot by the six-hour mark, with Frijns’ No. 20 BMW in second and Hirakawa in the No. 8 Toyota following along in third, setting the stage nicely as the sun set and night descended.
Buemi’s No. 8 Toyota was in first place at the eight-hour mark, with Rast’s No. 20 BMW in second and Louis Deletraz, Will Stevens and Norman Nato of the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota in third.
The two No. 12 and No. 38 Cadillacs weren’t done there, though, as they went on a remarkable attack between the eighth and ninth hour of the race.
That saw them move into second and third, piling heaps of pressure on Hartley in the driver’s seat to the No. 8 Toyota.
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He dropped down to third as the race approached its 10th hour after Hartley reported a flat spot on his radio.
However, he recovered over the subsequent 60 minutes to close the gap on the No.38 Cadillac in first and No.12 Cadillac in second.
The No. 8 Toyota dropped out of the top three as the halfway point approached, with Frijns in the No. 20 BMW becoming the closest rival to the No.12 Cadillac and No.38 Cadillac in first and second place, respectively.
The race then took a dramatic turn as the No. 8 Toyota was given a drive-through penalty, while the No.38 Cadillac was forced to pull into the garage, ending their hopes of securing first place.
However, the No. 8 Toyota’s drive-through penalty was quickly changed to a standby drive-through.
As a result, Nato in the No. 12 Cadillac led the way with 11 hours to go, with the No.20 BMW in second and Conway, Kobayashi and De Vries of the No. 7 Toyota Racing in third.
The introduction of several safety cars overnight allowed the two Toyotas to close the gap with the leading pack.
‘Round the outside!’ – Toyota take the lead of Le Mans as Hartley gets Nato after safety car restart
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Frijns in the No. 20 BMW was still ahead with four-and-a-half hours remaining, but the two Toyotas continued to apply pressure – and it eventually told.
De Vries in the No. 7 Toyota went past the No. 12 Cadillac to take first place, meaning that with two hours to go he led the way, with Van der Linde in the No. 20 BMW in second and Buemi’s No. 8 Toyota in third.
The No. 20 BMW suffered from issues with a knocking brake disc as the race reached its climax, which allowed Kobayashi to hold his nerve and guide the No. 7 Toyota to first place.
The No. 20 BMW took second place, while No. 8 Toyota secured third.
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