Ferrari Wins at Return to Le Mans

Ferrari has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans upon its return to the race, exactly 100 years after its debut. After a 50-year hiatus, Italians Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi, along with Briton James Calado, secured the victory for the Italian manufacturer at the 91st edition.

The victory marks the end of a long streak of wins for Toyota, which had won the last five races on the 13.6 km Circuit de la Sarthe in France. The defending champions, Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa, and Brendon Hartley, had to settle for second place. Three-time winner of the Le Mans Andre Lotterer placed eleventh with Frenchman Kevin Estre and Belgian Laurens Vanthoor driving the Porsche.

Throughout the race, the leading cars were rarely more than 20 seconds apart, with Toyota losing significant time when Hirakawa collided with a barrier after braking too late. 20 minutes before the end, the Ferrari suddenly stopped during the final pit stop, but its lead was enough to secure the win with less than a minute remaining.

Over 300,000 fans attended the event, and more than a third of the 62 cars entered the Grand Prix d'Endurance les 24 Heures du Mans did not finish. US basketball star LeBron James flagged off the race on Saturday. The first Le Mans race took place in May 1923.