The greatest test of endurance racing - the 24 Hours of Le Mans - took place for the 88th time and concluded on September 20 with the trio of Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley claiming the crown for their team. They won in the No. 8 Toyota Gazoo Racing car after an exhausting and delayed race that was held in September for the first time since 1968. Run behind closed doors due to Covid-19, the 2020 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans saw drivers wrestle with longer periods of darkness, unexpectedly dry conditions and a compressed pre-race schedule. Rolex has been the official timekeeper of the event for the last 20 years and presented the victorious drivers with a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona engraved with the word ‘winner’.
Elsewhere, the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class was clinched by the No. 22 United Autosports team, while Aston Martin won the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) categories in both the Pro and Am classes. Record nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Tom Kristensen said, “It was a strong race with very deserved winners in all four categories. Everyone had to deliver the necessary skills to overcome the mythical challenge of Le Mans. It was especially exciting to see some very talented young drivers showing great performance, which bodes well for the future of the sport.”
