There’s no better way to celebrate its centenary than at Le Mans. The new hypercar era is in full swing, and Ferrari is fighting a colossal battle for victory that certainly exceeds the expectations of both the Auto Club West and the FIA.
AF Corse, Ferrari and drivers James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi narrowly edged out Toyota, whose performance added weight to its tally of five victories between 2018 and 2022, even if the race is over.
There’s always going to be some unease and skepticism about the late performance balance changes that hold Toyota back. Exactly how much of a difference they made is up for debate, but as Gary Watkins shows in our in-depth report, there are many other factors that determine the outcome.
As always, there are some great subplots, from the Jota team showing that privateers can challenge the factory teams in this new era, to a shocking LMP2 victory and a remarkable comeback in the GTE Am swansong. And of course, there’s NASCAR, which is impressive and far more powerful than the 1976 effort.
Our 24-page pack covers all of this, plus an extensive synopsis of results, roller coaster distances and fastest laps from the first 100 years of the world’s greatest car race.
Circuit de la Sarthe also had a lot of news. Toyota reveals its hydrogen hypercar concept, Alpine unveils the LMDh Challenger, and the demise of the LMP2 in the World Endurance Championship from 2024 is confirmed. This forms part of our Pit + Paddock section, which also includes Formula 1 looking to reduce weight in the next regulation set.
On the subject of F1, Alex Kalinauckas assesses George Russell’s assertion that Max Verstappen has now mastered Red Bull’s dominant RB19 and is therefore less aggressive.
The challenges facing the future of British motorsport are also investigated in our 16-page country section with all the usual news and coverage.
For the very best in motorsport coverage, from F1 to the British club racing scene at Le Mans, why not have Autosport magazine delivered to your door every week? Subscribe now and never miss a week in motorsport: www.autosportmedia.com/offer/Autosport
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