Audi driver Oliver Jarvis says he would give up his team’s inherited podium finish for Toyota to be able to get the Le Mans 24 Hours victory it lost.
Toyota was minutes away from taking its long-awaited first win in the famous race when Kazuki Nakajima suffered a loss of power in closing stages, allowing the #2 Porsche of Neel Jani to sweep by and claim an unexpected victory.
The #5 Toyota was then excluded from second place because Nakajima’s final lap was too slow, promoting Jarvis’s #8 Audi to the podium alongside the winning car and the #6 Toyota.
“It’s a strange feeling being up here,” said Jarvis 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.
“Yeah, 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.”
The drivers of the other Toyota were not aware of what caused the #5 car to stop, but Stephane Sarrazin initially thought Nakajima was waiting for him to set up a formation finish.
“We’ve made a great car – a huge step from 2015 and both cars were quick,” said Sarrazin.
“I don’t know what happened – I thought he was waiting for me and I would stay behind him to the finish.
“Then I was told he had a problem and I had to overtake him.
“This is racing at Le Mans, but it’s so sad to end like this.”
Sarrazin’s co-driver Mike Conway added: “Kazuki couldn’t move, I’m really gutted for those guys.
“They deserved to win, but that’s what this race is like, you never know until the last dying seconds what’s going to happen.”
Romain Dumas from the winning car said Porsche had not had a chance to let the dramatic finish sink in.
“We are all sad for Toyota, but when you are offered a victory you have to take it,” he said.
“We haven’t had a chance to realise what has happened, no one was expecting it.
“Everyone will remember this race in the future.”
