Ferrari driver James Calado believes the Scuderia's triumph at the Le Mans 24 Hours will "go down in history". The Italian marque secured its first overall Le Mans victory since 1965 with a win for the #51 entry piloted by Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and former Alfa Romeo F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi. The race was set for a grandstand finish with the Ferrari 499P heading the Toyota #8 by under 15 seconds with 100 minutes to go and Ryo Hirakawa closing in rapidly, only for the Japanese driver to put paid to his team's hopes with a crash at Arnage. A scare at the final pit stop was provided by Pier Guidi being forced into a system reset, but that was not enough to bring Toyota back into the race. Speaking to Eurosport , Giovinazzi said: "It's emotional, it is unbelievable. "I have no words. I am so happy for the team and for Ferrari, just a great feeling."
After a tumultuous 24 hours of Le Mans, @FerrariHypercar got the upper hand in the #Ferrari / #Toyota duel to win the Race of the Century! MER-CI for all the emotion ❤️ #LeMansCentenary #WEC @AFCorse pic.twitter.com/rQBd805JOu — 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 11, 2023
Strange emotions
Calado had taken home class victories alongside Pier Guidi for Ferrari in the LMGTE Pro category before the Scuderia took the step into the new Hypercar class. "I feel amazing," said the Briton. "It has not sunk in. "The emotions are really strange, happy for the team. It is a great achievement and after so long, I think this one will go down in history for sure."
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