2017 Toyota TS050 First Win
Porsche's 19th victory at the 85th 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 85th 24 Hours of Le Mans was a 24-hour automobile endurance race held from 17 to 18 June 2017 at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The race was won by the Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard, and Brendon Hartley.
- Winner
- Toyota Gazoo Racing
- Car Model
- TS050 Hybrid
- Winning Car Number
- #8
- Drivers
- Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, Fernando Alonso
- Year
- 2017
- Laps Completed
- 360
- Significance
- First Le Mans win for Toyota
Lore & Background
The 85th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was the third round of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship. The winning Porsche took the lead in the final two hours. It was Bamber and Bernhard's second Le Mans victory, Hartley's first, and Porsche's 19th. Toyota's Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson, and Kazuki Nakajima finished eighth in a TS050 Hybrid after starting second, and were the only other LMP1 competitors to finish.
In Their Own Story
The rain had finally stopped, leaving the Mulsanne Straight glistening under the dawn sun of the final morning. Inside the #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, Fernando Alonso gripped the steering wheel, feeling the familiar hum of the hybrid powertrain. He knew that behind him lay a team that had suffered through years of broken dreams. As he crossed the finish line, the roar of the crowd was deafening, but all he could hear was the silence of relief that followed decades of waiting.
Reader's Guide
The race featured 60 teams of three drivers in LMP and LMGTE cars. The LMP2 category was won by Jackie Chan DC Racing's Oreca 07-Gibson driven by Oliver Jarvis, Thomas Laurent, and Ho-Pin Tung, who finished second overall. The LMGTE Pro category was won by the Aston Martin Vantage of Jonathan Adam, Daniel Serra, and Darren Turner. The LMGTE Am class was won by the JMW Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE of Robert Smith, Will Stevens, and Dries Vanthoor.
Did You Know?
- The race was held before 258,500 spectators.
- A test day was held two weeks earlier on 4 June.
- The second DC Racing entry finished third overall, three laps ahead of the Signatech Alpine.
- Bamber, Bernhard, and Hartley took the World Endurance Drivers' Championship lead from Buemi, Nakajima, and Davidson by 17 points.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the 2017 Toyota TS050 First Win refer to?
This event marks the historic moment when Toyota Gazoo Racing finally secured its first-ever victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The #8 TS050 Hybrid, driven by Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Fernando Alonso, completed all 360 laps to end a decades-long quest for success.
Who were the drivers behind this iconic victory?
The winning trio consisted of Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Formula One legend Fernando Alonso. They shared duties in the #8 TS050 Hybrid car to deliver Toyota's long-awaited triumph after years of near-misses.
Why is this race considered such a watershed moment?
This win broke a 70-year curse for Toyota, ending an era defined by mechanical failures and heartbreaking finishes just short of the podium. It stands as a defining chapter in motorsport history where persistence finally paid off on the world's most prestigious endurance stage.
How did the #8 TS050 Hybrid perform during the race?
The car demonstrated exceptional reliability over the 24-hour duration, successfully completing all 360 laps without the fatal errors that had plagued previous attempts. Its consistent pace and durability allowed it to cross the finish line ahead of its rivals.
What is the legacy of this specific race for Toyota?
The victory transformed Toyota's narrative from a manufacturer haunted by bad luck into a proven champion capable of winning Le Mans. It validated years of engineering development and cemented the TS050 Hybrid as an iconic machine in endurance racing lore.
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