Last weekend’s 85th Le Mans 24-Hours race witnessed German sportscar maker Porsche take home its 19th victory. Besides Porsche, however, tire maker Michelin likewise made endurance racing history by bagging its 20th outright win at Le Mans.
The effort was helped by no less than race winner Porsche and the trio of Porsche drivers Bamber, Hartley, and Bernard, who fought tooth and nial to come from behind and secure the top spot. The loss of their Porsche 919 Hybrid’s front axle drive at 18:30 hours on Saturday didn’t deter the team from pushing forward. After coming from 56th spot, the team zoomed past the field and bagged the race win.
Besides the Porsche, the No 8 Toyota came in 9th spot to secure yet another Michelin finish in the LMP1-H class. The tire maker was likewise victorious in the GTE Pro class, where Aston Martin/Michelin came out on top. In fact, all five makers—Aston Martin/Michelin, Chevrolet/Michelin, Ferrari/Michelin, Ford/Michelin, and Porsche/Michelin—finished in various positions throughout the field.
Then there were the No 84, 55, and 62 Ferraris that all ran on Michelin rubber. These racers ran well in the LM GTE-Am class to likewise score rousing success.
