Ferrari on top with triumphant return at centennial 24 Hours of Le Mans

Driving into history with a stone-cold classic race to mark its 100th anniversary, the centennial 24 Hours of Le Mans delivered on every level, not least in an equally historic return to the top for Ferrari. Scriptwriters tasked with pencilling a storyline to honour the occasion would surely have not dared imagine a plot quite as gripping, or as unlikely, as the one that unfolded at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

For half a century the Scuderia have not competed in the top class at Le Mans but they came back in style, taking a mighty victory at the first time of asking and after an immense struggle in a vingt-quatre more than worthy of marking the occasion.

Le Mans has long been inextricably linked with Ferrari, not least with their six consecutive victories between 1960 and 1965 but the Scuderia last competed here at the top level in 1973 and while they have taken nine wins, the last was back in 1965. The scale of their achievement this year cannot be underestimated. Conventional wisdom has it that it takes three years of competition at the 24 to be in a place to challenge for victory. Given it was at the first attempt after such a long absence and in a field that included hugely competitive entries from Porsche, Toyota Peugeot and Cadillac, this was a monumental feat.

This 100th anniversary of the first 24 Heures du Mans held in 1923 heralded the debut of the new hypercar class, and the excitement and expectation for this new era of endurance racing had been building for several years. By the time race weekend arrived it was reaching a crescendo. On the Eurostar out of London on Friday there was a party atmosphere in anticipation of the weekend that was to come, drinks were being taken and new friends being made. Le Mans