This past weekend, the world’s biggest race took place yet again. The world’s top auto manufacturers and motorsports teams descended upon the French city of Le Mans to burn rubber for an entire day. The 24 Hours Of Le Mans is probably the most storied race in the world. Following a 2020 that saw many competitors back out, the streets of Le Mans came roaring back to life.
A Race Like No Other
The race at Le Mans has always been a very special one. Manufacturers from all over the world have come to Le Mans to prove their might. Each building a car to drive around 8.5 miles of French roadways for 24 hours. Many of the entrants never finish, but for the ones that do, its a feat worth celebrating no matter the position they finished.
What makes 2021 so special is that the entire motorsport world was able to celebrate this event yet again. 2020 generally limited the amount of teams and manufacturers that were able to participate. Now with iconic brands such as Corvette able to return, the race truly felt full again. Most importantly though, fans were yet again allowed back to the track. Which helped to add even more noise to the howl of engines.
Hypercar’s First Outing
2021 also marked the first year of the “Hypercar” class at Le Mans. This class replaced the previous top class in endurance racing (LMP1 Cars). Bigger, faster, and more costly than the LMP1 cars, the Hypercars are paving the way for the future of Le Mans.
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The Toyota Gazoo Racing team poses with their Hypercars. (Via Eurosport)
In it’s first year, the Hypercar class only saw three entries. The Japanese manufacturer Toyota, the French manufacturer Alpine and the American motorsport team, Glikenhaus Racing. Toyota took the top spot in the class, and the overall win. For the future though, Toyota will have more competition in the Hypercar class. Manufacturers such as Audi, Porsche, and Ferrari have already announced plans for their own Hypercars.
Corvette’s Return
One of the main draw for Americans to Le Mans is Corvette Racing. The staple American sports car has a long history of dominating the Grand Touring class at Le Mans. In 2020, Corvette opted out of participating due to the pandemic. This left many American motorsport fans disappointed, but Corvette did note they planned to return.
When Corvette did return in 2021, they did so in the new C8.R. This new generation of Corvette features a mid-engine design, a first for Chevy’s main sports car. The Corvette team did put on a good showing, finishing second place in their class. With this just being their first outing in the C8.R at Le Mans though, there is a mighty chance Corvette will be on the top spot of the podium in the future.
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