Toyota scores Le Mans hat‑trick as Aston Martin wins GTE
No 250,000-strong crowd, a September race date for the first time since 1968 and a paltry entry in the top class fighting for the overall win: little about the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours was as it should be – except for the result. There was never really much doubt that Toyota would claim another victory at the world’s greatest endurance race, as the Japanese giant swept to its third consecutive win on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Aston Martin claimed its first GTE class success since 2017 to defeat Ferrari and Porsche.
Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima confirmed their own personal hat-tricks to win comfortably in their #8 TS050 Hybrid, with Brendon Hartley replacing Fernando Alonso this time as the third wheel, the Kiwi claiming his second Le Mans victory to add to his maiden Le Mans success with Porsche in 2017. The trio prevailed despite an unscheduled stop for a right front brake change that could have turned the race against them – until the sister Toyota hit more serious trouble.
