I could have titled this piece "Audi win Le Mans for the 13th time with a one-two victory", but a headline like that would lead you to believe that the 2014 Le Mans was easy win for Audi, start to finish, while in truth, it was quite the opposite, and results do not tell half the story.
As late as my slow internet connection and sparse Piratebay seeders (bless them regardless) allowed, I eventually downloaded and watched this years race in all of it's 24 hour glory.
I hoped the very long footage would provide interesting background to my daily computer tasks and expected to pay full attention only when events turned dramatic.
To my surprise and, initially, even slight annoyance, the drama started with the checkered flag and kept unfolding all the way to several hours in the race.
Two heavy rainfalls, multiple safety cars and LMP prototypes occasionally turning into boats. And yes, there were crashes too.
For the first time in a long time, Audi were not the favorites. Trading best times with Porsche, it was team Toyota Racing that took qualifying win and led the race for more than 12 hours and 200 laps.
It seemed like team Audi Sport Joest had an uphill struggle ahead of them as Toyota showed no intention of giving up the several lap lead it had earned in the first half of the race.
Unfortunately, in the dark hours, just before dawn, Le Mans fans were robbed of this imminent worlds biggest automaker Battle Royale, as Toyota #7 car, the long surviving race leader, vanished into the darkness, later to be found with a terminal electrical short in wiring loom, which not only disabled the drivetrain but also left it without communications.
Toyota's second entry, the #8 was delayed after extensive repairs following a spectacular crash in heavy rain. The same crash terminally damaged Audi's #3 and put the champion team on level playing field with Toyota and Porsche, with two cars left in the race for each.
Speaking of Porsche, after the sudden retirement of the race leading Toyota, it looked like Porsche's return to LMP1 was very close to turning into a real Cinderella story. Both Audis suffered from failing diesel injectors and turbochargers and required half hour repair stops. This elevated the Porsche #20 car as the race leader.
For a little while it looked like not only Porche but also the popular ex-RedBull F1 driver Mark Webber could pull a historical upset victory.
Even for big manufacturers with impressive racing portfolios, staring a LMP1 program from scratch will always a huge multi-year effort, and Porsche's best hope for this year was just to complete as many laps as possible, or, as Mark Webber put it: "anything after the dawn will be a bonus".
However, with the experienced competition having as much problems as they did, these moderate goals quickly shifted and it seemed like Porsche was about to seize the opportunity and aim for the podium.
Perhaps Mark and his co-drivers were pushing the modest sized 2.4 liter V4 turbodiesel a step too far, trying to keep ahead of closing Audis. Ultimately, just a couple hours before finish, both Porsche cars suffered engine failure. This was especially heartbreaking for the #20 which had a real opportunity to fight for the win.
The GT category (GT Pro and GT Am classes) was won by team AF Corse (aka. team Ferrari). It was evident that Ferrari took this year's Le Mans very seriously. The victory will help regain some of the lost credibility after several unsuccessful seasons in Formula 1, which, quoting Luca di Montezemolo himself, "is not working for Ferrari".
There are rumors that Ferrari may follow Porsche's example and return to LMP1 in near future. But this may also mean end for Ferrari's F1 efforts, as Montezemolo has stated that "Ferrari cannot do both at the same time".
Second place in GT category was won by the brand new C7-R Corvette from Corvette Racing. The C7-R, being a new racing car in a 24 hour race, did have its share of issues, but it displayed a very promising pace during the race.
