Ferrari’s 299P Hypercar Victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Ferrari’s #50 499P hypercar secured a victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second year in a row, marking their 11th win overall. 

Nicklas Nielsen, who shared the car with Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina, crossed the checkered flag after 311 laps of the Sarthe circuit. The victory was up for grabs given that there was a safety car period which lasted more than four hours.

Image from: https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2023-24-hours-of-le-mans-a-historic-tenth-win-for-ferrari-57672

The race was not without its trials, with a wet track and the hypercar’s fuel gauge displaying about 2% at the finish. Nielsen said of the situation, “The worst for me was when they asked me to go slower because that’s usually where the mistakes happen.” Earlier in the race, with about an hour remaining, the right-side door flew open requiring a pit stop. The stop ended up working in the team’s favor as it allowed them to pursue a different fuel strategy to their competitors.

Image from: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1143533_2024-24-hours-of-le-mans-results-ferrari

Much of Ferrari’s battle was with the Toyota GR010 hybrid, which was driven by Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries. The team started in 23rd and finished 14.221 seconds behind the 499P hypercar. The GR010 hybrid had to accept defeat after losing time when Lopez spun out at the Dunlop Curve.

Ferrari’s winning team from last year, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado, finished third in the #51 Ferrari 499P. Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, and Andre Lotterer secured fourth place for the Porsche Penske team.