THE MOTORSPORT LAP
Toyota triumphs in Le Mans at last
It has taken more than two decades but Toyota has finally won the 24-hour race
Toyota has won the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race — a feat that has taken much longer than 24 hours for the Japanese manufacturer. In total the company has entered 49 cars in the legendary race over more than 20 years, but only in 2018 did it take the chequered flag. Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso in the Toyota TS050 hybrid crossed the line victorious after 24 hours and 388 laps of the Circuit de la Sarthe in northern France. They started on pole and had a relatively uneventful race. They were followed home by teammates Mike Conway, José María López and Kamui Kobayashi who led the race at various stages. They even provided late drama when the car suddenly slowed and crawled around the circuit back to the pits. A bizarre radio message seemed to indicate that the team had forgotten to fuel the car on its last pit stop, leading to it coasting to avoid running out of fuel. It was then refuelled only to be given a penalty for overfuelling, but better to be safe than s...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.