Motor racing-Kubica wins Le Mans with Ferrari buyer workforce

The ex-Formula One driver’s yellow 83 automobile, shared with Yifei Ye China’s first winner and Britain’s Phil Hanson, crossed the road after 387 laps within the 93rd version of the French endurance race.

The quantity 6 Porsche Penske shared by France’s Kevin Estre, Belgian Laurens Vanthoor and Australian Matt Campbell completed second and 14.084 seconds behind.

The purple 51 manufacturing unit Ferrari of 2023 winners Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado accomplished the rostrum with final yr’s winners Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina fourth within the quantity 50 automobile.

“I finally managed to win it and in Hypercar,” stated Kubica of his fifth try, his first three within the second tier LMP2 class, to turn into Poland’s first general winner since Le Mans was first staged in 1923.

“Great job from everybody… it has not been a easy one however we deserved it. We have been quick, just a few errors which we could not keep away from however that is Le Mans.

“Happy for Ferrari: Three years in a row with three different crews, different cars. Congratulations to them, it’s amazing.”

Ye, who joined Hanson in using the automobile into the pit lane, stated profitable was a dream come true.

“I have to pinch myself, I’m still dreaming,” he stated.

AF Corse had been the primary buyer workforce to win Le Mans since ADT Champion Racing triumphed with an Audi R8 in 2005, giving Denmark’s Tom Kristensen a document seventh win. The Dane would go on to win 9 occasions in complete.

Kubica’s triumph got here on the identical weekend because the Canadian Grand Prix on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, scene of his solely Formula One win with BMW Sauber in 2008 after an enormous crash on the similar monitor in 2007.

It additionally capped an astonishing racing redemption story for the 40-year-old whose Formula One profession ended after a near-fatal rally crash in Italy in 2011 that partially severed his proper forearm.

The race had began with Swiss tennis nice Roger Federer waving the French flag to get the race underway on Saturday afternoon, with Porsche instantly seizing the lead from pole-sitters Cadillac.

Cadillac had swept the entrance row in Thursday’s qualifying however any benefit was short-lived as Porsche Penske’s Julien Andlauer slipstreamed into the lead from third on the grid earlier than the primary chicane on the opening lap.

Ferrari labored their approach to the entrance and Fuoco took the lead within the third hour on the run from Mulsanne to Indianapolis with the three Ferraris working 1-2-3 on the quarter distance.

The BMW pushed by Italy’s MotoGP nice Valentino Rossi needed to retire within the LMGT3 class through the evening.

The race featured 62 vehicles shared by 186 drivers from 34 nations, and was the fourth spherical of the World Endurance Championship .

Organisers put the full weekend attendance at greater than 300,000 spectators.

This article was generated from an automatic information company feed with out modifications to textual content.

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