Ferrari 499P Takes Victory in Thrilling Lone Star Le Mans Six-Hour Race

(GT News, October 2, 2023) – In a dramatic finish to the Lone Star Le Mans six-hour race at the Circuit of The Americas, the customer AF Corse-run Ferrari 499P driven by Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Robert Shwartzman emerged victorious after a intense battle with Toyota.

The victory came just hours after Charles Leclerc’s triumph at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza earlier that day, capping off a remarkable day for the iconic Italian marque.

Intense Battle in the Final Laps

Shwartzman took the lead from the #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMH of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Nyck de Vries with 40 minutes remaining, after Kobayashi was handed a drive-through penalty for a yellow-flag infringement. Kobayashi pushed hard to catch the leading Ferrari but ultimately ran out of time, finishing just 1.7 seconds behind at the checkered flag.

Ferrari Domination on the Podium

The #83 AF CORSE Ferrari 499P Hypercar was followed home by the Le Mans-winning factory Ferrari crew of Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen, and Antonio Fuoco, who claimed the final podium position. Sadly, the second 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado and Alessasndro Pier Guidi retired due to driveline issues.

Other Notable Finishes

Cadillac secured its best result of the season with the Ganassi-run V-Series.R shared by Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, while the Alpine A424 LMDh driven by Ferdinand Habsburg, Paul-Loup Chatin and Charles Milesi rounded out the top five.

In the LMGT3 class, the American-flagged Heart of Racing Aston Martin squad dominated, with its Vantage GT3 crewed by Ian James, Daniel Mancinelli, and Alex Riberas crossing the line almost half a minute ahead of its nearest competitor.

“The WEC championship battle remains tight, with Laurens Vanthoor, Andre Lotterer, and Kevin Estre still leading the standings on 125 points, followed by Molina, Nielsen, Fuoco and de Vries and Kobayashi tied on 113 points.”

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