The entire team, including our crew, drove the car flawlessly and without incident during the race. To win Le Mans for the fourth time and the fifth time overall for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is a wonderful feeling.
In This Article...
Toyota won the Le Mans race when?
The #8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid won the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans, giving Toyota Gazoo Racing its fifth straight victory. Sbastien Buemi, the driver of the Toyota TS050-Hybrid, has now won four times, following victories in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Which vehicle dominated Le Mans?
The rules were altered for 2014, most notably by requiring closed cockpits in all LMP1 vehicles, making various adjustments to the hybrid system, and implementing the slow zone system.
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In 2014, Porsche returned to Le Mans with a brand-new factory LMP1 program, and Nissan did the same in 2015. Nissan quit after just one try in 2015, and Audi quit the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016.
With its hybrid919, Porsche won the race in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The company is still the most successful at Le Mans, with 19 victories overall, including seven straight from 1981 to 1987.
All prototype cars must now have closed cockpits because revisions to the LMP2 regulations governing the cockpit and chassis were adopted in 2017.
Who has won the most Le Mans races?
There is a good reason why Kristensen is referred to as “Mr. Le Mans” in the world of motorsport. With an astounding nine triumphs, the racing legend leads the list of Le Mans winners. Before achieving podium finishes and victories in Formula 3000, the BTCC, and the DTM, he saw championship success in German and Japanese Formula 3.
His debut at the legendary endurance race in 1997 resulted in his first Le Mans victory, which was a great way to make an impression. He was also a late selection for the team, taking Davy Jones’ place who was injured. He spent two years working for BMW before going back to Joest Racing, where he won in 2000, 2001, and 2002 while driving Audi prototypes.
Despite switching to Bentley, Kristensen resumed his winning streak at the most prestigious endurance race in the world in the next season. He then won six straight Le Mans races with Audi Sport Japan in 2004 and ADT Champion Racing in 2005. a remarkable feat in every way. After rejoining the Audi factory team, he was forced to wait another two years before reclaiming the top spot on the podium at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2008.
One year later, Peugeot ended Audi’s hegemony until the German automaker regained the lead with a new model. The R18 e-tron quattro brought Kristensen his most recent victory in 2013. In his final race in 2014, he came in second, and then he retired. With six victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, he also holds the record for most Le Mans triumphs. Undoubtedly one of the finest race car drivers in history has had a very successful career.
Jacky Ickx
With an incredible six victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ickx is the second-most successful driver there, adding to some outstanding accomplishments over a long career in motorsport. The Belgian raced at Le Mans while simultaneously participating in Formula 1, a career that lasted from 1966 until 1978.
He competed for storied F1 teams like Brabham, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, and Lotus, starting 116 of the 124 races in which he entered and earning eight victories. At his third attempt, in 1969, while driving the renowned Ford GT40, he claimed his maiden Le Mans victory. His winning streak continued in 1975 with the Gulf-branded Mirage GR8-Ford Cosworth, and he later added victories with Porsche in 1976 and 1977.
His success at Le Mans continued with a number of other podium finishes before he took first place in the Porsche 936 in 1981 and the 956 in 1982. Before retirement, he worked at Porsche between 1983 and 1985. Even though he declared an end to his racing career, he still participated in the Dakar rally, which he won in 1983. Ickx is one of those drivers who made an impression in Formula One but really excelled in sports car and endurance competition.
Derek Bell
With Ickx, Bell has shared three of his Le Mans victories. The two drivers have raced together frequently during their storied and accomplished Le Mans careers. The endearing British racer made his last appearance at the 24-hour race in 1996, a startling 26 years after he made his maiden appearance.
Over the course of eight seasons, he made nine F1 starts, with his best result coming at the 1970 US GP for Team Surtees. Bell showed off his speed by impressing Enzo Ferrari enough to drive in two races for the Prancing Horse in 1966, but he was unable to really break through in the series. He excelled in sports cars, though, and is most known for his victories at Le Mans, as well as his two World SportsCar Championship titles and three Daytona 24 victories.
Bell had a very lengthy career in endurance racing, winning his first race at Le Mans in 1975 with Ickx in the Mirage GR8-Ford Cosworth. In 1981 at Porsche, the two were teamed up once more, and they once again took the victory. One year later, they added another first place finish to their totals.
Driving the stunning Porsche 962C, he earned his final two Le Mans victories in 1986 and 1987 with Al Holbert and Hans-Joachim Stuck. He ran for the German manufacturer for a while before switching to a McLaren F1 GTR in his final two races, where he finished third and sixth overall.
Frank Biela
Bell and the German racer each had five victories at Le Mans. Since he won the DTM series in 1991, Biela has had a long-standing relationship with Audi. Before turning his attention to endurance racing, he competed for several seasons in touring car championships, winning crowns in France and Britain while driving the legendary A4 with a silver livery. It was evident he was one driver to watch out for!
Prior to switching over to team up with Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro with the R8, Biela competed in the 1999 Le Mans event with the Audi R8R, finishing third. From 2000 to 2002, they shared three victories in a row before recording a DNF in 2003 and placing fifth in 2004. In the next two years, he and the R10 TDI, along with Pirro and Marc Werner, reclaimed the top spot at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Along with his accomplishments at Le Mans, Biela also had success in the 12 Hours of Sebring four times and in 2003 and 2005, he won the American Le Mans Series.
Emanuele Pirro
Pirro and Biela shared all five of their Le Mans triumphs and partnered with “Mr. Le Mans Kristensen for three of them. Their careers in the endurance racing world crossed over. They demonstrated Audi’s domination of the race for the previous 20 years by making them an unbeatable duo for the German manufacturer.
Early in his career, the Italian saw great success, finishing in the top three of both the Japanese and the International Formula 3000. Nevertheless, despite the outstanding outcomes, he, like Bell, never discovered a significant drive at a top squad. He made his Benetton debut in 1989, taking Johnny Herbert’s place who was out due to injury, and then played for the struggling Scuderia Italia for two seasons. In 37 starts, he recorded three points.
He competed in a number of touring car series, taking home the Italian title in 1994 and 1995. The next step in his lengthy and varied career in motor racing was sports cars. He made his racing debut at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1981, a race won by Martini Racing’s Ickx and Bell. However, he had to wait until 1998 to make his return to Le Mans in a McLaren F1 GTR.
The next year, he switched to the Audi Joest team and finished third overall before winning three races in a row between 2000 and 2002. In 2006 and 2007, Biela and Pirro added two more to their total. He twice triumphed in the American Le Mans Series during his tenure as an endurance racer. Despite taking a break from racing in 2008, he competed at Le Mans in 2010 with Drayson Racing and is still active in the sport.
Olivier Gendebien
Genderbien held the record for winning the most races at Le Mans for a long time. In the late 1950s and 1960s, when endurance racing was incredibly exciting and quickly developing, he claimed four victories. Another extremely quick Belgian racer, he began competing in rallying before capturing Enzo Ferrari’s attention and receiving a contract to compete in specific sports car and F1 events.
He participated in Formula One with Ferrari for the majority of his races, but he also drove Cooper and Lotus cars. He made 14 starts in races between 1955 and 1961, earning two podium finishes and a total of 18 points. He competed in Le Mans for the first time in 1956 and finished third. In the stunning Ferrari 250 TR, he and Phil Hill won the event in 1958. He triumphed once more in 1960 with fellow countryman Paul Frre, and he teamed up with Hill once more to win his final two races in 1961 and 1962.
He retired in 1962 under pressure from his wife because racing at the time was so perilous. Along with his victories at Le Mans, he also had victory at the Nurburgring, 12 Hours of Sebring, Tour de France Automobile, and the 12 Hours of Reims. Tragically, Genderbien passed away in 1998.
Henri Pescarolo
Racing drivers frequently competed in a variety of competitions in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, from Le Mans and sports cars to F1 and F2. One such driver was Pescarolo. From 1968 until 1976, he made 57 starts in Formula One for a variety of tiny teams, earning 12 points and one podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix.
But like the other drivers on this list, he was best at sports car racing. With 33 starts, he really holds the record for the most Le Mans starts. He competed in the 24-hour race for Matra for the first time in 1966. Prior to experiencing success in 1972, 1973, and 1974 while operating the Matra-Simca MS670 (in its various incarnations), he experienced five straight retirements.
The results in the years that followed were inconsistent, but in 1984 the Frenchman and Klaus Ludwig’s Porsche 956B took the victory for the Joest Racing squad. He earned a few class victories and podium finishes as well, and in 1999, his final race for his own team, he announced his retirement. Up until 2013, his endurance team competed at Le Mans. He not only won the F1 and Le Mans races, but he also took part in the Dakar Rally and won the Daytona 24. A very diverse career!
Yannick Dalmas
Dalmas equaled Pescarolo and Genderbien’s four victories at Le Mans. Prior to competing in Formula One for financially strapped backmarkers Larrousse and AGS, he won races in International Formula 3000. However, he failed to earn a point and only qualified for 24 of the 49 races. His career in endurance racing, though, flourished while his F1 career stalled.
His victories at Le Mans were all achieved with various teams. At the 24-hour race, he competed 12 times, driving vehicles such the Porsche LMP1-98 and Audi R8. His first victory came in 1992 when he teamed up with Derek Warwick and Mark Blundell in the magnificent Peugeot 905 race car.
He achieved his second victory with a Dauer 962 (based on the Porsche 962) two years later, and his third triumph came in 1995 with a McLaren F1 GTR. In 1999, he shared the BMW V12 LMR with Pierluigi Martini and Joachim Winkelhock, and they took home their final Le Mans victory. His 2002 race at Le Mans was his last.
How many Le Mans victories have Ferrari claimed?
Tom Kristensen is the driver with the most victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with nine.
The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a yearly Triple Crown 24-hour auto endurance race, which takes place at the Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, the administrative center of the French department of Sarthe.
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[2] The Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency was first run in 1923[3], following an agreement between entrepreneur Emile Coquile and Georges Durand, the general secretary of the ACO, to hold the event as a means of testing the reliability, durability, and equipment of automobiles.
[1] A trophy with the event’s logo and the ACO logo, which was commissioned by sporting director Jean-Pierre Moreau in 1993, is given to each overall winner. The trophy is permanently kept by each manufacturer who has won three straight times. [4] Since 1991, a bronze car-wheel-shaped plaque has been buried into the pavement in Le Mans’ Saint Nicholas neighborhood, thanks to the initiative of a man by the name of Bernard Warain[5]. This plaque has a cast of the winning driver’s feet, hands, and signature. [6] [7]
More than any other contestant, Tom Kristensen has won the competition nine times. With six triumphs, Jacky Ickx, the previous record holder, is in second place, followed by Derek Bell, Frank Biela, and Emanuele Pirro, who each have five victories. A record-breaking six victories in a row were also attained by Kristensen from the 2000 through the 2005 tournaments. [8] The gap between Hurley Haywood’s first and last Le Mans victories was the greatest. His winning streak lasted 17 years, 5 days, starting in 1977 and ending in 1994. The distance between Alexander Wurz’s first-place finish in the 1996 competition and his second victory, which followed 12 years, 11 months, and 29 days later at the 2009 tournament, was the longest. The oldest Le Mans winner is Luigi Chinetti, who took first place in the 1949 race at the age of 47 years, 11 months, and 9 days. Wurz, who won the 1996 race at the age of 22 years, 4 months, and one day, is the competition’s youngest winner. [9] The United Kingdom has had a record 33 victories, followed by France with 29 and Germany with 19. Four different nations combined have only produced one champion. [10]
With 19 victories since their debut in 1970, Porsche has the most victories as a manufacturer. With 13 triumphs, Audi is in second place, and Ferrari is third with 9 victories. Porsche also has the longest streak of victories in a row, seven straight from 1981 to 1987. [11] The United Kingdom came in second with 17 triumphs among six manufacturers, while France came in third with 15 victories among nine constructors. German manufacturers have won a record 34 times among four constructors. The Audi R8 is the best race-winning vehicle with five triumphs, while Joest Racing is the most successful racing team with 13 victories. [10]
In the race’s 90 editions as of the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans,[update] there had been 140 champion drivers from 20 different countries and 25 champion manufactures from 7 different countries. Andr Lagache and Ren Lonard were the first two winners in 1923, and Ry Hirakawa was the most recent driver to claim victory in 2022. Up until 1985, three drivers per car were the norm, however most years saw two drivers per entry triumph. [10] In 2010, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, and Mike Rockenfeller drove an Audi R15 TDI plus 397 laps and 5,410.713 kilometers (3,362.061 miles) to set the record for the greatest distance traveled by a winning team. [12]Frank Clement and John Duff shared a Bentley 3 Litre Sport in 1924 and completed 120 laps and 2,077.34 km (1,290.80 mi), setting the record for the lowest distance traveled by a winning team. [13]