What a story it would be if the Le Mans 24 Hours produced a grandstand finish — perhaps the closest ever in its history — in this the centenary year for the French enduro. I reckon there’s a decent chance of its happening as the clock strikes four on 11 June, and I’m not making that prediction because the sell-out crowd is going to be watching one of the best fields in the top class in years with Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche et al. I’m saying it because there has been a rule change for 2023 that makes it all the more likely.
A close finish would be great for the spectators massed in the old stands and on the terracing opposite the pits, and equally great for TV and the profile of the race as the World Endurance Championship kicks on into what is sure to be a halcyon age. But what if it is totally artificial? Is that what we really want to be talking and writing about on Sunday evening of the second weekend of June?
