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24 HOURS OF LE MANS - HIGHLIGHTS & FACTS
Mike travelled to France with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race
The team began the weekend in the best possible way, with Mike’s team mate, Kamui Kobayashi, placing the #7 on pole position ahead of the race
Starting the race in wet conditions, an excellent stint from Mike allowed him to build a gap to his rivals behind - despite the #7 picking up two punctures in quick succession
Undeterred, the team continued to push on and further built a gap at the head of the field
As the race reached the halfway mark overnight, the #7 held a near two-minute advantage over the sister #8 machine
Racing into a new day, the team maintained their lead despite having to manage a fuel system issue heading into the final few hours
With a comfortable gap of two laps, the team took the chequered flag in empathic fashion to win their first 24 Hours of Le Mans - and Toyota’s first of the Hypercar era
Their triumph at Le Sarthe means the reigning WEC champions take the lead of the championship from their #8 counterparts with two rounds remaining
MIKE'S RACE REVIEW
“It was a hard race. We knew we had an issue on the car for the last six hours and that could have been a really big problem, but the team came up with a solution to keep us going. All credit to them for getting a one-two finish. It is really special in the circumstances. This race is never easy. Even if you are out on your own at the front, anything can happen. I want to thank my team-mates for their mega stints and hard work all the time, plus the team in Cologne and Japan for their support and hard work that made this possible. We can enjoy it now because a weight is lifted off us.”
Images courtesy of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.