5 Reasons Why the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans Was an Absolutely Epic Race

A hundred years ago, in the spring of 1923, the French city of Le Mans hosted the first edition of a 24-hour race meant to offer drivers and fans an exciting alternative to traditional Grand Prix contests.

In the first few editions of what became an annual event, the endurance race was contested by private entrants, but as decades went by, it became a worldwide attraction that welcomed factory teams from the automotive industry's biggest names.

From the 1950s onwards, the 24 Hours of Le Mans became the main focus of many carmakers' works programs, giving birth to epic rivalries like the one between Ford and Ferrari.

This made for some unforgettable races that are still talked about two or three generations of motorsport fans later.

However, by mid-2010, factory interest in Le Mans dropped significantly, with only two or three major carmakers battling for supremacy in the premier prototype category. To make matters worse, from 2018 to 2021, Toyota was the only biggest name in LMP1, going against small teams that never posed a real challenge.

Thankfully, the rule changes that replaced the LMP1 with the Hypercar category in 2020 re-ignited interest from top manufacturers, which returned to both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Le Mans this year (2023).

Though Toyota remained a heavy favorite, the return of Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, and Cadillac promised to bring back excitement to the famed 24-hour race, and what unfolded during the race weekend managed to not only confirm but exceed everyone's expectations.

Heavy rain made the race more exciting

In the days leading up to the main event, the weather at Le Mans was perfect for racing. Without a single cloud in sight, the sun shone brightly during the qualifying sessions and support races.

However, as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, was waving the French flag to mark the start of the main 24-hour race, heavy rain started to dampen sections of the track, causing teams to adjust their strategies on the fly and putting drivers' skills to the test.

The rain returned during the night, causing even more chaos and resulting in a multitude of crashes. One of these unfortunate events forced the no. 7 Toyota hypercar driven at the time by Kamui Kobayashi to abandon the race.

A fierce battle for first place in all three classes

With Toyota heavy favorites and Ferrari claiming the top two spots in qualifying, the battle in the Hypercar category was expected to be tightly contested, but few were expecting such a close race.

For 22 of the 24 hours, the Japanese and Italians swapped first place numerous times, while Peugeot - who nobody expected to pose a challenge - also got a taste of the lead during the night. The no. 51 Ferrari and no. 8 Toyota were just seconds away from each other for most of the race, but a mistake from Ryo Hirakawa, who locked the rear breaks on his Toyota with about 90 minutes to go, gave Ferrari enough breathing room to secure its 10th overall Le Mans win.

The LMP2 class was also a tightly-contested affair. The Belgian Team WRT, which was among the favorites to win, had to battle with Inter Europol Competition from Poland as well as the French teams Duqueine and Alpine. Ultimately, WRT and Inter Europol went a lap ahead of their rivals, and the Poles came out as unlikely victors with a slim 21-second advantage.

Finally, the LMGTE Am class was just as spectacular to watch. Everyone thought that Corvette Racing and its gorgeous C8.Rs would have no problems securing their 9th class win, but after early setbacks, the category became wide-open.

For a large part of the race, it was contested by TF Sport's Aston Martin Vantage AMR and two Porsche 911 RSR-19s of the all-women Iron Dames team and the Britons at GR Racing. Still, the no. 33 Corvette clawed its way back and won the class despite an early two-lap deficit.

Ferrari returned with an unlikely win

Ferrari, the biggest name in motorsport, competed at Le Mans for the last time in 1973 when it finished second behind Matra-Simca. Moreover, the Prancing Horse's last victory in the world's most famous 24-hour race came in 1965 courtesy of the factory-backed North American Racing Team (NART).

Naturally, when the company announced it was returning to Le Mans for the Centenary, everyone was excited, but few expected its 499P hypercar to mount a real challenge against five-time Le Mans winners and reigning champs Toyota - especially after failing to win any of the first three races in the 2023 WEC season.

Despite this, the two Ferraris were the fastest during the Hyperpole session, securing the first two spots on the starting grid.

During the race, the no. 50 car, which was the fastest in previous races, encountered problems and slid down the pecking order in the Hypercar category. Nevertheless, the no. 51 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and James Calado continued to battle for first place, eventually bringing Ferrari its 10th overall win at Le Mans after a 50-year hiatus.

It was an underdog win for a car that debuted at Le Mans after only three official races and a single podium finish.

Underdogs Inter Europol win the LMP2 class

Speaking of underdogs, Inter Europol's triumph in the LMP2 category was another reason why the 2023 edition of Le Mans was one of the most exciting in recent memory.

Though the second-tier prototype class only featured the aging Oreca 07 chassis, there were clear-cut favorites to win the race. Yet, neither of Inter Europol Competition's two cars was among them.

Despite finishing third in two of the three previous races on the WEC calendar, the no. 34 car of Albert Costa, Fabio Scherer, and Jakub Miechowski were not given many chances against rivals WRT and United Autosports.

However, the Polish team stayed focused throughout the 24 hours, winning their first Le Mans title after a fierce battle with rivals WRT.

The Garage56 NASCAR Camaro finished the race

Two years ago, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France launched an ambitious project to bring a thoroughbred American stock car to Le Mans.

An all-star cast of engineers from Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, and Goodyear modified the next-gen Camaro ZL1 for the rigors of endurance racing, earning an experimental Garage 56 invitation for this year's race.

Though it wasn't the first time that a NASCAR-spec vehicle competed at Le Mans, the Camaro's ability to put down better lap times than LMGTE Am cars during testing made it a fan-favorite and one of the most talked-about entries in the centenary race.

Co-driven by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, two-time Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, and 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button, the unique car managed to finish the race 39th after completing 285 laps.