WE FEEL FOR TOYOTA
F
rom midnight the duel between Porsche
and Toyota for the 24 hour Le Mans race
win had intensified but no-one would
have expected such an ending. Before the
final lap, Toyota seemed to be coming out on
top but then the prototype stopped on track.
One lap later it was the number 2 Porsche
919 Hybrid of Romain Dumas (FR), Neel
Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) that took the
chequered flag first in front of some of the
263,000 spectators that attended the event.
It was the same trio that had achieved the
maiden win for the 662 kW (900 PS) prototype
in 2014 in Brazil.
The success is the 18th overall victory
for Porsche at the world’s hardest car race.
One of the most eligible trophies on the globe
will be homed for the second consecutive
year at Porsche’s head quarters because
the company came as record holder and title
defender.
The pace at the front in the duel with
the Japanese manufacturer and the many
lead changes pushed everyone to the limit
and beyond. Oliver Blume, Chairman of the
Executive Board of Porsche AG, witnessed it
from the team’s garage: “What happened in Le
Mans is almost incomprehensible.
From the first to the last lap this race was
competition on the ultimate level in terms of
sport and technology – and it was thrilling
as well. The race asked the utmost from our
cars, our drivers and the team. We always
were either in the lead or in striking distance
of Toyota. We were fighting until the end and
never gave up. This spirit was rewarded in the
end. We have the greatest respect for Toyota.”