Le Mans decides its winners… and losers

Every year since the first running in 1923, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has thrown its fair share of curveballs at competitors, inspiring an inside joke that the race chooses its own winner.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans never fails to deliver drama. A team could have the fastest car, execute a flawless race and still find itself forced to retire in the last lap.

And so it came to pass, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the mythical race, Lady Le Mans decided that Ferrari would win.

The Italian manufacturer, making its return to the premier class of endurance racing after a 50-year absence, Ferrari secured its tenth outright victory in the French classic – its first since 1965.

Likewise, Le Mans choses its losers too.

Fossa’s Michael Fassbender, the only Kerry man to ever start the legendary race, and his co-drivers Martin Rump and Richard Lietz where dealt a very different hand by Le Mans.

Rump led the GTE-Am field in the early part of the race and their Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR stayed with the leaders for much of the night. After 12 hours they were holding a solid fourth place.

But on Sunday morning, after 246 laps, Michael Fassbender went off the track. He was nearing the end of his final stint and running inside the class top ten but the shunt – ironically at Porsche Curves –inflicted too much damage and the team were left with no choice but to withdraw.

“We came to Le Mans very well prepared and with high expectations. Unfortunately, the old lady was not kind to us on her 100th birthday,” Michael Ried, Team Owner and Technical Director Proton Competition:

“But we will put up with this setback and come back stronger as a team.”