Le Mans 2016
06-19-16, 07:30 AM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Le Mans 2016
Anyone catch this year's 24 Heures du Mans? What a magical race and it ain't over until you've crossed the finish line.
I spent most of my weekend in a haze of endurance racing, listening to Radio Le Mans on my phone for the excellent commentary and updates, with a laptop open to a few free streaming sites showing in-car views. Heck, I even spent a few hours detailing the car with Radio Le Mans on headphones - pretty trippy, that was. I was watching the Porsche free feed, hoping for another Weissach 1-2 because those LMP1 hybrids are just awesome.
The ending was a complete shocker, with the #5 Toyota that had been in the lead for hours suddenly breaking down on the final lap. That put the #2 Porsche into first, the #6 Toyota into second, and the bewildered crew of the Audi twelve laps behind getting third. The #5 Toyota ended up not being classified, adding to the heartbreak for that crew.
The Ford team did well, too bad about the Corvettes crashing and the Porsche 911 RSRs being uncompetitive. I'm also inspired by the Garage 56 entry of Frederic Sausset and his team - he's a quadruple amputee who piloted the car using custom prostheses for steering, throttle and brake control. That team managed to finish the race, a first for a Garage 56 new tech entrant.
Anyway, Le Mans is all about finishing, even if you're not the fastest. I loved the dusk and dawn transitions, along with the hypnotic dance of the hybrids blasting along Mulsanne straight after midnight. The whine of electric motors on regen and their full power scream on exiting the corners never gets old. Long live the greatest race in the world
I spent most of my weekend in a haze of endurance racing, listening to Radio Le Mans on my phone for the excellent commentary and updates, with a laptop open to a few free streaming sites showing in-car views. Heck, I even spent a few hours detailing the car with Radio Le Mans on headphones - pretty trippy, that was. I was watching the Porsche free feed, hoping for another Weissach 1-2 because those LMP1 hybrids are just awesome.
The ending was a complete shocker, with the #5 Toyota that had been in the lead for hours suddenly breaking down on the final lap. That put the #2 Porsche into first, the #6 Toyota into second, and the bewildered crew of the Audi twelve laps behind getting third. The #5 Toyota ended up not being classified, adding to the heartbreak for that crew.
The Ford team did well, too bad about the Corvettes crashing and the Porsche 911 RSRs being uncompetitive. I'm also inspired by the Garage 56 entry of Frederic Sausset and his team - he's a quadruple amputee who piloted the car using custom prostheses for steering, throttle and brake control. That team managed to finish the race, a first for a Garage 56 new tech entrant.
Anyway, Le Mans is all about finishing, even if you're not the fastest. I loved the dusk and dawn transitions, along with the hypnotic dance of the hybrids blasting along Mulsanne straight after midnight. The whine of electric motors on regen and their full power scream on exiting the corners never gets old. Long live the greatest race in the world
Last edited by chromedome; 06-19-16 at 07:41 AM.
06-20-16, 01:04 PM
#4
Forum Administrator
iTrader: (2)
http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/12476843/
Among others...
Among others...
Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation
From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone who lent us their incredible support during this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. We of Toyota GAZOO Racing put tremendous pressure on ourselves to break our losing streak at Le Mans and fought so hard to make up for the unfortunate results of the past. All of the mechanics, engineers, drivers, suppliers, and everyone else involved with the team made incredible sacrifices and achieved constant improvements to build an even-better car for this year's Le Mans. Just as our dreams began to come true, we all made to burn that moment into our minds even as unbelievable heartbreak unfolded before our very eyes. Toyota's cars have become so fast and so strong. But Porsche grew even faster and they were stronger. Throughout the 24 hours of the race―and, indeed, the 30 total hours including qualifying―it is not such an easy thing to continue to drive faster and more powerfully than anyone else on the road at Le Mans. When I think of what everyone in the team must be feeling… not to mention everyone who supported us… I honestly do not know what to say. I cannot find the words. We at Toyota GAZOO Racing are "sore losers." We do not compete without knowing the feeling of loss. Having tasted the true bitterness of losing, we will return to the World Endurance Championship arena next year, and we will return to compete in the battle that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For our quest to build ever-better cars… For this, we will certainly come back to the roads of Le Mans. I would like to express my gratitude to all of the cars and drivers who fought alongside us on the track at Le Mans; particularly Porsche and Audi. We will be back next year, reborn, and ready to take you on with all of our might. Look out for the "sore losers," Toyota, on the track next year. The fight is not over!
From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone who lent us their incredible support during this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. We of Toyota GAZOO Racing put tremendous pressure on ourselves to break our losing streak at Le Mans and fought so hard to make up for the unfortunate results of the past. All of the mechanics, engineers, drivers, suppliers, and everyone else involved with the team made incredible sacrifices and achieved constant improvements to build an even-better car for this year's Le Mans. Just as our dreams began to come true, we all made to burn that moment into our minds even as unbelievable heartbreak unfolded before our very eyes. Toyota's cars have become so fast and so strong. But Porsche grew even faster and they were stronger. Throughout the 24 hours of the race―and, indeed, the 30 total hours including qualifying―it is not such an easy thing to continue to drive faster and more powerfully than anyone else on the road at Le Mans. When I think of what everyone in the team must be feeling… not to mention everyone who supported us… I honestly do not know what to say. I cannot find the words. We at Toyota GAZOO Racing are "sore losers." We do not compete without knowing the feeling of loss. Having tasted the true bitterness of losing, we will return to the World Endurance Championship arena next year, and we will return to compete in the battle that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For our quest to build ever-better cars… For this, we will certainly come back to the roads of Le Mans. I would like to express my gratitude to all of the cars and drivers who fought alongside us on the track at Le Mans; particularly Porsche and Audi. We will be back next year, reborn, and ready to take you on with all of our might. Look out for the "sore losers," Toyota, on the track next year. The fight is not over!
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