In just over an hour, the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2014 kicks off in spectacular fashion. This year’s race should be one for the record books, pitting a quick Toyota TS040 against Porsche’s first Le Mans entry since 1998 and defending champions Audi. You can’t exactly say you didn’t have time to watch – it’s on TV for 24 hours.
So who’s looking like the favorite to win? That’d be Toyota. The Japanese team has won both previous races this season (Silverstone and Spa) and is looking for its maiden win at Le Mans after finishing runner-up four times. The No. 7 Toyota will also start from pole position this morning, and although that doesn’t mean too much for a lengthy endurance race where anything can happen, it is a strong indication of pace.
Ex-F1 star Mark Webber, now fielding the No. 20 Porsche 919, thinks Toyota’s chances are strong too.
“I just think this is Toyota’s time,” Webber noted in an interview with Australia’s Motoring. “We will have a sharper weapon next year, but this is their time and they should be there at the end in a strong sense.”
However, anything can happen and we’ve certainly seen slower, yet more reliable cars win in the past. We’ll see how it all turns out in about a day’s time. The race begins at 9 a.m. EDT, tune in for coverage all day on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2.
RELATED: Porsche Unveils Limited 911 Martini Racing Edition
RELATED: See What Goes Into a Perfect Lap of Le Mans, Explained by Tom Kristensen
[via Motoring]
