EHRHARDT
Toyota’s ‘unlucky’ crew kicks off new era with
long-awaited win
So, Toyota scored the 1-2 most Le Mans fans expected last weekend. But it was no easy run – as Gary Watkins explains at the start of our bumper report on page 16, there was an underlying issue with both cars that could have handed the initiative to Alpine and Glickenhaus.
The fact that all five Hypercars finished in the top five is a good start for an era that looks set to feature epic battles between multiple manufacturers. Former Audi squad Veloqx is the latest name linked with a return (p4), while the fact that hydrogen-powered cars are being lined up to contest overall victory in the 24 Hours from 2025 could bring yet more interest to the top of endurance racing.
One of the feel-good factors of the 89th Le Mans was that Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez finally had the luck – or perhaps the absence of misfortune – they had been denied in previous editions. Their success was fully deserved.
On the other end of the spectrum, it was incredibly cruel that the #41 WRT ORECA of Robert Kubica, the impressive Yifei Ye and Louis Deletraz lost LMP2 victory on the last lap (p24). Even though the sister car did take a very narrow win for the team, the failure has to be right up there with Toyota in 2016, Brun Porsche in 1990 and Pierre Levegh’s 1952 Talbot as among the harshest of late Le Mans heartbreaks.
Looking ahead, Ferrari’s GT double (p28) bodes well for when the famous team arrives to take on Toyota et al in the top class from 2023…
Kevin Turner Chief Editor kevin.turner@autosport.com
NEXT WEEK 2 SEPTEMBER Belgian GP action Who will be on top as the
second half of the F1
season kicks off?
COVER IMAGES Ehrhardt/ Motorsport Images/
PIT & PADDOCK 4 Veloqx to bring Fangio name to WEC 6 GTE out, GT3 in for Le Mans future 8 Crutchlow replaces Vinales 11 Belgian Grand Prix preview 13 Opinion: Gary Watkins 14 Opinion: Lewis Duncan 15 Pictures of the week
LE MANS SPECIAL 16 How Toyota nearly lost the 24 Hours 24 LMP2 decided by last-lap drama 28 Ferrari scoops GTE double 32 Results from the 89th Le Mans
RACE CENTRE 36 Newgarden wins amid IndyCar chaos 40 World of Sport: WTCR; Pure ETCR; DTM; World Rallycross; Michelin Le Mans Cup; Super GT; NASCAR Cup
CLUB AUTOSPORT 53 Big Special Saloons grid for tribute race 54 Ginetta Junior frontrunner appeals ban 56 Bentley tops Le Mans Legends event 58 Opinion: Stephen Lickorish 59 National reports: Anglesey;
Brands Hatch; Mallory Park; Donington Park; Silverstone 66 How F1000 is thriving in its 25th season
FINISHING STRAIGHT 70 What’s on this week 72 From the archive: 1973 RAC Rally 74 What could have been: Yelloly in ELMS
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26 AUGUST 2021 AUTOSPORT.COM 3
