
Phil Hanson, Le Mans winner.
That statement was true before last weekend of course. The 25-year-old from Berkshire had already stood on the top step of the podium at the Circuit de la Sarthe, facing empty grandstands after conquering the LMP2 category in a 2020 edition held without fans. But it has held a different meaning since last Sunday, when Hanson added his name to the pantheon of British sportscar greats who have won endurance racing’s crown jewel outright, alongside the likes of Derek Bell, Allan McNish and Ferrari stablemate James Calado.