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Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hours race day

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By: Matt Beer

Summary
Status: Stopped
Finally, Toyota has broken its Le Mans 24 Hours curse. It might have been overwhelming favourite to win the race this year, but it still had to get the job done. For Toyota, Nakajima and Buemi this is the moment they will feel they have deserved for years. For Alonso, the Le Mans triumph moves him one step closer to his goal of winning motorsport's 'triple crown'.

Thank you very much for joining us throughout the week - especially to those of you who have stayed with us for almost 25 hours! If you have the energy, here's our final report from a typically gruelling event. If not, have a lie down! We'll join you in a few hours' time.

Stay tuned to Autosport in the coming hours and days for plenty of reaction to the race. Thanks again.

Alonso, Buemi, Nakajima take Toyota's first Le Mans 24 Hours win

Toyota finally took its maiden victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with the #8 car of Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima leading a one-two for the manufacturer

Alonso, Buemi, Nakajima take Toyota's first Le Mans 24 Hours win
 
 
Nakajima climbs out of the car to join his team-mates and Alonso and Buemi immediately embrace him.
 
 

Confirmation that Gommendy held off Duval for the final podium position in LMP2, so #26 G-Drive wins from #36 Signatech-Alpine and #39 Graff-So24.
 
Victory for the #8 Toyota (Photo: LAT)

Victory for the #8 Toyota (Photo: LAT)
 
Alonso is swamped as he tries to get to his team and celebrate in the huddle.
The #26 G-Drive crosses the line to win LMP2 - that's a crushing victory for Vergne, Pizzitola and Rusinov.
That's Toyota's first win at Le Mans and its the second Japanese manufacturer to take the overall win after Mazda.
Toyota wins the Le Mans 24 Hours!

Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima have done it!
Into the final chicane...
The Toyotas are into the Porsche curves as the #8 crew head to the pitwall.
 
Duval is still 3.6s off Gommendy, you'd expect that's the final podium place in LMP2 sealed.
Down the Mulsanne the Toyotas go.
We are onto the last lap! Kobayashi leads the race for Toyota.
 
 
Credit to Duval, he's motored up behind Gommendy and could snatch an improbable podium right at the death. The gap between them was just 3.7s last time around.
The two Toyotas are still running nose to tail, but there's no fighting to discuss.

The #7 of Kobayashi is two laps down after all.
Final five minutes now!
Just two laps to go.
Fisichella is carving chunks out of Ried's GTE Am, but it won't be enough with seven minutes left on the clock unless the Proton car hits major trouble.
Duval is 3.6s off Gommendy for third in LMP2, but you would expect the Graff ORECA to stay ahead this late on.
The #7 of Kobayashi is still right on the backside of the #8 driven by Nakajima, but he eases off on the run down the Mulsanne this time around.
We have just 10 minutes left.
The #7 Toyota is on the rear of Nakajima through the Mulsanne.

But, it's still a lap behind.
 
Alonso is shaking the hands of the Toyota crew as they watch on.
Christensen's lead is reduced to 53s over the sister Porsche of Makowiecki, but with just 14 minutes on the clock, there's unlikely to be any panic in the Manthey pit box.
15 minutes to go...
Menezes makes his final stop from third, Jani's penalties and his door problem early in the race means he has that position locked up as the best privateer team for the #3 Rebellion machine.

Jani also pits for his last stop.
Tears in the G-Drive garage, the positions in each class are fairly strung out but there'll be nerves about premature celebration...
Newey has got a stop/go penalty, the SMP Racing #35 crew had external assistance when the engine was cut.
Some nervous excitement in the Toyota garage.
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