If you thought F1 was the ultimate test of man and machine, you haven’t watched 24 Hours of Le Mans. The sleepy North-West corner of France wakes for a 10-day-long racing festival and gives the most magical speeding moments. This year, Ferrari has won two of the three jewels in the triple crown of motorsports, namely, the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24h of Le Mans. While the biggest story from Le Mans is #50 AF Corse Ferrari’s win, this has been a redemption arc for Red Bull to reject Nyck de Vries. Though Toyota came close to winning the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours following a severely disrupted night at the Circuit de la Sarthe due to a constant heavy rain shower, they were denied victory by the Maranello-based team by less than 15 seconds.

In a 2024 edition that had multiple safety car interventions, including extended safety car running of more than four hours in the night as a deluge arrived, nine of the 23-strong Hypercar class entries finished on the lead lap. The battle for the top step ultimately boiled down to a Ferrari vs. Toyota head-to-head. Toyota thought it had the upper hand in the race’s closing stages as Ferrari brought Niklas Nielsen in with 51 minutes to go, which should have left it requiring one final visit to the pits. However, Nicklas Nielsen, who was almost out of fuel, took the checkered flag at the wheel of the number 50 Ferrari 399P Hypercar, a victory that he shared with Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina. And Toyota finished behind them in a close battle. Though Toyota was only good enough for second place, their driver, Nyck de Vries, must be feeling on top of the world.

Why is Toyota’s second place a win for Nyck de Vries?

“I was fortunate after what happened with AlphaTauri. Toyota was very supportive, and they have helped me fulfill my dream. When I became available, it was very straightforward to rejoin forces again,” said Nyck when talking about returning to racing 11 months after the unfortunate dismissal. This year, De Vries drove the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid with Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway, who were W.E.C. champions in 2020 and 2021 and who won the Le Mans in 2021 with Toyota. Previously, De Vries was the reserve driver but never raced.

This time, he replaced José María López, who had partnered with Kobayashi and Conway in their Le Mans victories. The Dutchman went from being outcasted by the reigning champions of Formula 1 to being recruited by 5x Le Mans champion Toyota. The Formula 2 and Formula E world champions are no strangers to etching historic wins in the motorsports world. However, his cruel dismissal after only 10 races prevented him from showcasing his talents at the highest battleground, F1. But the second place at the most prestigious stage in the world might have given him a sigh of relief.

“Le Mans has all the history, and that makes it very special,” says Nyck de Vries

In an interview in May, Nyck said, “It is no secret that Le Mans is one of the most iconic races in the world as a single stand-alone event. Everyone who competes in the F.I.A. World Endurance Championship is very motivated and determined to excel at that race. You could almost ask yourself the question whether Le Mans is bigger than the whole championship. I don’t fully agree with that because I do really value a world championship, but Le Mans has all the history, and that makes it very special.”

In the end, I’d circle back to what the Toyota driver said about this magical race. “They say that Le Mans chooses you to win, and I hope it’s our turn this year,” said Nyck de Vries, prepping for the 92nd edition of the race, and it is safe to say that Le Mans chose him even if it was not for the top step.