24 Hours of Le Mans: Miguel Molina left stunned after Ferrari AF Corse go back-to-back - 'I am speechless'

ByJonny Bray

Published 16/06/2024 at 19:21 GMT

The No. 50 team of Nicklas Nielsen, Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina followed up Ferrari's win at 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. Molina was left speechless after helping his team overcome low fuel and a faulty door to secure their second victory in two years. Fuoco and Nielsen admitted they had been targeting back-to-back wins since last year's triumph.

Miguel Molina was left speechless after helping Ferrari AF Corse win back-to-back 24 Hours of Le Mans titles despite nearly coming unstuck in the closing stages of the race.

Molina, Nicklas Nielsen and Antonio Fuoco looked in control of the iconic race, but they almost slipped to second after an unscheduled pit stop due to a flapping door and low fuel.

Ferrari also secured another place on the podium with a third-placed finish in the No. 51 car, while Toyota's No. 7 GR010 hybrid finished 14.2 seconds behind the winning team in second.

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Molina admitted the Ferrari AF Corse team had been waiting for the chance to go back-to-back since winning in 2023.

"It was very chaotic, it was very tough," he said. "We knew that we would have a good chance, we have been waiting since last year to come back here.

"I am speechless."

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Toyota had to settle for second place for the second year running after a spin late in the race proved costly.

Nonetheless, it was their best finish in the famous race since 2011.

Nielsen admitted he felt the pressure when his team asked him to slow down.

"The worst part for me was when they asked me to go slower," he said. "That is usually when the mistakes happen.

"And then honestly, the last lap was so long, they kept me updated on the gap, basically all the stint.

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"So it was basically about just being able to manage the gap.

"Obviously it was a long stint and a very long last lap for me too, but you know, we did it."

Fuoco insists that it is time to celebrate after a historic win.

"It's just amazing," Fuoco said. "We've been waiting for this moment since last year. In the end, we won it and we are just super happy.

"We all did a really good job since the beginning of the race, so [I] think now is the moment to enjoy the win."

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16/06/2024 at 17:04