We’re into the final hour at Le Mans and all of a sudden it’s Ferrari’s race to lose. Toyota’s hopes of a sixth straight victory evaporated in the blink of an eye early in the 23rd hour, when Ryo Hirakawa ended up in the barriers at Arnage.
The Japanese driver, newly installed in the No. 8 GR010 for the final two hours, was tasked with catching and passing Antonio Giovanazzi in the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari to claim a comeback victory for the long-dominant Toyota Gazoo Racing team. The gap between them was just 16 seconds when he emerged from the pit lane, but it’s now almost a lap after the incident.
Hirakawa locked the rears under braking into Arnage and veered off into the barriers on the driver’s left, before spinning and clipping the rear of the car in the escape road.
Oh no! 😱 The #8 Toyota goes off into the barrier at Arnage corner whilst chasing down the #51 Ferrari Hypercar.#WEC #LeMans24 #LeMansCentenary | @TGR_WEC pic.twitter.com/sDB0MBdppt
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) June 11, 2023
After an agonizing few moments spent turning the car around, Hirakawa brought the car to the pits for emergency service, the rear end damage significant. Toyota’s mechanics managed to complete the stop — which included a front and rear end change — in just two minutes, but that meant the gap grew to over three minutes by the time the car rejoined the race.
Since then, Hirakawa has been unable to make up any ground and is actually at risk of being caught by the No. 51, which will look to put the Toyota a lap down in the final hour.
It was a dramatic moment that had been brewing for a while, and looks likely to have marked the end of Toyota’s challenge, barring any late drama for Ferrari.
There were nerves down at Inter Europol too during the hour, as its LMP2-leading No. 34 ORECA was flagged on the timing screens as under investigation for a pit infringement. Should the team receive a penalty in the final hour, it will almost certainly lose the lead in heartbreaking fashion, as the No. 41 WRT ORECA is only 14 seconds behind, with Louis Delatraz closing in on the injured Fabio Scherer.
To make matters more complicated for the Polish team, should it get the penalty, it may struggle to communicate it to Scherer as the team’s radio communications with the car are reported to be faulty.
GTE Am continues to be led by Corvette Racing, and barring a last-hour drama, it will be another famous victory for the American make. Behind, though, things are far from settled. During the penultimate hour ORT by TF’s Charlie Eastwood caught and passed Rahel Frey in the Iron Dames Porsche for second in class. Since making the move, Eastwood has been pushing to create a gap and has created a healthy 14-second margin heading into the final stint.