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Le Mans - There's a saying in motorsport: 'to finish first, you have to finish'. Those words came to haunt Toyota in Sunday's 84th edition of the Le Mans 24 hours race, widely considered to be the ultimate challenge of man and machine.
Toyota's TS050 No.5 car was on course to win the Japanese automaker's first Le Mans title when disaster struck. Driver Kazuki Nakajima stuttered to a halt when looking nailed-on to win the endurance race.
So close, yet so far
It is unclear what caused the No.5 car to stop. The team said it was still investigating the issue of what lead to the car losing power at the second Mulsanne chicane.
This left Porsche to snatch its 18th Le Mans win in one of the most dramatic finishes in the races history.
Neel Jani passed Nakajima's stationary car on the main straight with three minutes and twenty seconds remaining and powered the Porsche 919 Hybrid over the line, to elation and tears of joy in their garage.
Watch Toyota lose Le Mans with less than four minutes remaining:
Relive the dramatic closing moments of the #LeMans24.https://t.co/W0LBxl494F
— SPEED (@SPEED) June 19, 2016
This is how the Internet reacted to the dramatic scenes:
Heartbroken.
— TOYOTA WEC Team (@Toyota_Hybrid) June 19, 2016
How #Toyota must be feeling at #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/d38YGXIzeo
— Aurore Sabbe (@SabbeAurore) June 19, 2016
So sieht's jetzt wohl bei #Toyota aus. #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/IaTvqowJRv
— Felix Griewald (@TIIUNDER) June 19, 2016
so, #Toyota has done a Kruijswijk there #LeMans24 ?? pic.twitter.com/c5CZdbvndb
— Bettina Nagy (@bettina_JAASM) June 19, 2016
Porsche showed some class with this tweet:Dopo aver tifato #Toyota per tutto il tempo. Lo shock.#LeMans24 #EurosportLEMANS pic.twitter.com/vc3KHuJAlz
— Unperspective (@Simmetry88) June 19, 2016
Competed together for 24 hours. Head to head for 24 hours. Gained our respect forever. #LEMANS24 pic.twitter.com/9NVoLVNaax
— Porsche (@Porsche) June 19, 2016
Toyota driver Anthony Davidson:@Toyota_Hybrid for now. But tomorrow - 2017.
— Matt Swindells (@seventyr) June 19, 2016
I literally have no words..
— Anthony Davidson (@antdavidson) June 19, 2016
Kazuki on the radio as he crossed the line "I'm ready to cry guys". Don't worry mate. I was already there
— Anthony Davidson (@antdavidson) June 19, 2016
I'm proud of my team @Toyota_Hybrid and my team mates for putting up such a fight. We almost had it, but congrats to @Porsche_Team
— Anthony Davidson (@antdavidson) June 19, 2016
@Toyota_Hybrid The Porsche guys, shouldn't have celebrate like that, such a gifted win ?? Stay strong guys come back stronger than ever
— Laurence #LH44 (@Laurence44_96) June 19, 2016
In the end, it was Porsche who celebrated in 2016:@Toyota_Hybrid You maybe lost Le Mans, but you have won a lot of hearts today, so next year everybody will cheer on you and hope you win!
— Kim Kristensen (@Ironeagle489) June 19, 2016
Chequered Flag out for the #LeMans24!
— FIA WEC (@FIAWEC) June 19, 2016
2016 Champions @Porsche_Team @NeelJani @RomainDumas @LiebMarc #WEC pic.twitter.com/j2DbOV909l