RACE REPORT
The devastation in the Toyota pit was
visible, shock and disbelief in stark and
direct contrast to the jubilant scenes in
the Porsche garage. The chasm between
agony and ecstasy was brutally blatant
Le Mans is a race of epic proportions,
massive investment and huge dedication
- for it all to evaporate a few minutes
from the end when a sure victory came
to naught is life altering. The faces of the
Toyota chiefs watching the impossible
unfold will remain etched in motorsport
folklore, as the TV director cruelly moved
from the Toyota pit garage to the wild
cele brations, akin to footballers winning
the world cup, as what was second place
for them turned into the unlikeliest, and
without doubt the luckiest, of triumphs at a
venue they know so well.
In the end second place went to the
#6 Toyota TS050 of Mike Conway, Kamui
Kobayashi and Stephane Sarrazin, three
laps behind the winning Porsche, with final
podium spot going to the #8 Audi Sport
Team Joest Audi R18 of Lucas di Grassi,
Oliver Jarvis and Loic Duval 12 laps down.
The #7 Audi of Andre Lotterer, Marcel
Fassler and Benoit Treluyer finished
4th, albeit 17 laps down, with the #1
Porsche of reigning world champions
Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo
Bernhard finishing 13th after the enforced
2 hours in the garage.
The only LMP1 Privateer to finish the
race was the #12 Rebellion Racing R-One
of Nick Heidfeld, Nicolas Prost and Nelson
Piquet Jr, which finished in 29th overall.