‘I haven’t slept properly. It’s a kind of pressure I never felt’ – Ryo Hirakawa reflects on 24 Hours of Le Mans win

It was a memorable day for the trio which did not come without adversity though, as the sister car #7 came into issues during the twilight hours. Nevertheless, Hartley was able to take top spot, which he held onto until the finish line.

As for Hirakawa, he was included in Toyota’s full-season WEC line-up in place of the retiring Kazuki Nakajima ahead of the 2022 campaign.

The rookie was worried that his lack of experience could prove costly, and led to the Japanese driver doubting his own ability heading into the race.

“Since the test day we have been doing good steps, we all made no mistakes and did a good job.”

“I couldn’t sleep for a week. I haven’t slept properly. It’s a kind of pressure I never felt.

“Also, yesterday to today [Sunday], I didn’t sleep. Maybe it’s a bit the adrenaline but it’s also the pressure, I guess. I hope I can sleep well tonight!

“They have a lot of experience and they are of course fast, so to catch up with them, you have to be very good. Also, to fight against car #7 all race… it was hard, but in the end we did it.”

The 28-year-old’s concerns were unfounded after barely putting a foot wrong in the race, and his impressive pedigree warranted inclusion in the team.

Hirakawa is a 2017 SUPER GT champion and 2020 Super Formula runner-up, and this latest victory in Le Mans came nearly a year since his first test of the GR010 Hybrid at Portimao.

His turnaround in fortunes is remarkable following an arduous journey to the top, with team-mate Hartley describing him as a “great addition” to the team.

“It was exactly one year ago in June,” he added. “I was really bad when I first drove this car. It’s a heavy car and everything was new for me. I was really struggling.

“I didn’t expect to win Le Mans after one year like this. But not only me, all the team helped me since the announcement [that Hirakawa would replace Nakajima last winter], and now we’ve done it.”