The leading No.5 Toyota TS 050 that was on pace to take the win came to an abrupt stop at front of the pits with less than 5 minutes to go, conceding the 2016 24 Hours Le Mans lead to the No.2 Porsche 919.
It's unbelievable to see a car that has been so reliable for 23 hours and 50 minutes, only to come to a standstill in the remaining 10 minutes. Everyone was prepared to welcome the second Japanese manufacturer in history to win Le Mans (after Mazda did it in 1991).
The moment was very heart-wrenching to watch.
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Like Toyota's No.5 entry, the winning Porsche No.2 car was its most incident-free car, eventually winning Le Mans by staying out of the pits as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Porsche's No.1 has suffered lengthy disassembly and reassembly in the garage due to technical issue. It and the No.5 however swapped for the leading position many times throughout the race.
Porsche won its 18th 20 Hours of Le Mans as a constructor today. Toyota TS 050 No.6 - not No.5 - was classified as winning the second place while the final podium spot was taken by the No.8 Audi R18 racer.
Nevertheless, Toyota team has gained respect from the spectators as well as competitors. Next year's race would surely promise more action as Porsche tries to retain its championship and Toyota returns for a more determined attempt.
