Jarvis: I'd give up my podium for Toyotaposted in LEMANS19 | 06 | 2016

    AUDI’S OLLIE JARVIS was the first driver to state he would gladly give up his team's inherited podium finish for Toyota to be able to get the Le Mans 24-Hours victory it dramatically lost in the final three minutes.

    The #5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid — having covered more than 3200 miles — was seconds away from starting its final lap, after a near faultless 23 hour and 57 minutes, when its turbo-charger failed causing it to stop  on the star-finish line.

    In front of a global TV audience of millions, and 263,000 shocked fans filling the grandstands around the famous La Sarthe circuit, the #2 Porsche of Neel Jani swept past the stricken Kazuki Nakajima to steal an unexpected victory.

    To compound Toyota’s misery, the car was then  xcluded from second place because Nakajima's final lap took too long, promoting Jarvis's #8 Audi to the podium alongside the winning car and the second-placed #6 Toyota.

    Related:

    Toyota distraught, but delight for Hoy

    Audi performance "horrible"

    Chris Hoy — My amazing Le Mans debut

    "It's a strange feeling being on the podium,” Cambridge driver Jarvis — whose car finished 12 laps behind the winner —admitted after the podium ceremony. "We'd rather see those Toyota guys up here.

    "This is not how we want to be standing on the podium.

    “Sure we fought hard, we did our jobs; but everyone can agree that's not how anyone wanted the race to finish. I don't know the Toyota guys personally, but I'm absolutely gutted for them.

    "I would definitely give up my spot here to see them up there as winners, and to see them rewarded for their hard work.

    "This race can happen 1000 times and you will never see what we saw today. Who can believe an engine, or a turbo, or whatever it is, can last 23 hours and 57 minutes?

    "My thoughts are with Toyota, not our own performance. I have a very heavy heart: I'm going to be leaving here with a very strange feeling, as a lot of people will."

    Related: Audi ace Allan McNish tips Hoy to finish Le Mans on debut

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    Jim McGill

     

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