Le Man of the hour

The perfect birthday gift came a day early for Ye Yifei. On Sunday night, just hours before turning 25, the rising Chinese star etched his name into motorsports history by becoming the first Chinese driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall.

Over 8,000 kilometers from his hometown of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, Ye delivered a landmark victory at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, piloting the No 83 Ferrari 499P to the top of the podium alongside teammates Robert Kubica from Poland and Britain's Phil Hanson.

Their triumph not only marked a personal milestone for Ye, but also secured Ferrari's third consecutive overall win at Le Mans, cementing the Italian marque's dominance in endurance racing's modern Hypercar era.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann said that the victory was the result of working together, and shows how unity leads to extraordinary results.

"Le Mans is a special moment for those who love motorsport, and what has been achieved is truly heroic. Over the past three years, three different cars and nine drivers have shown what teamwork really means."

For Ferrari, it was a night of celebration. For Ye, it was history made.

"The 499P was fantastic, we were put in a position from the start to fight for the win," said Ye after the race. "Winning Le Mans with Ferrari is something special.

"We also made up for last year's bad luck, when we led the race for 83 laps — the same number as the car — but a technical problem forced us to retire," he recalled.

During this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the No 83 Ferrari team — featuring Ye alongside his two teammates — delivered a performance that was equal parts resilience and brilliance.

The trio faced early adversity, starting 13th on the grid after an electronic failure disrupted their qualifying session.

But, once the race began, Ye quickly made his mark. Taking on two critical night shifts, he launched electrifying charges through the field — first clawing back 20 seconds, then another 10 — executing daring overtakes with razor-sharp cornering and flawless in-lap timing. Each stint ended with Ye in the lead, setting the tone for the team's eventual triumph.

As dawn broke over the Circuit de la Sarthe, the No 83 Ferrari had not only battled its way up from the middle of the pack, but was now defending its lead from the likes of Porsche and other factory giants with strong Le Mans pedigree.

In the final hours, the No 83 Ferrari held firm, crossing the finish line to complete a comeback built on razor-sharp execution.

The strength of Ferrari's lineup was further reflected in the podium finish of its No 51 car and a close fourth for No 50.

Since its inception in 1923, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been a lynchpin of the motorsport calendar, and is to endurance racing what the Monaco Grand Prix is to Formula One, or the Rallye Monte-Carlo is to the World Rally Championship.

Its grueling 24-hour nonstop format puts drivers' endurance, team strategy and vehicle reliability to the ultimate test. Ye's victory not only injects fresh momentum into Chinese motor sports, but also showcases the competitive strength of Chinese drivers on the world stage.

Lei Jun, CEO and chairman of Xiaomi, celebrated on Sina Weibo: "Witnessing history! At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Chinese driver has finally taken the overall victory — the pinnacle moment for Chinese motorsport! Ye Yifei: Amazing!"

Ye's path to this historic moment began in karting back in 2010, when he was just 10 years old. Within two years, he had already claimed back-to-back China Karting Championship titles.

In 2016, at only 16, Ye captured the overall title in the French F4 Championship, becoming the first Chinese driver to win a single-seater championship in Europe.

Ye made his endurance racing debut in 2021 with G-Drive Racing, clinching the Asian Le Mans Series title alongside Austrian drivers Rene Binder and Ferdinand Habsburg in LMP2.

Later that year, he impressed at his first 24 Hours of Le Mans with Team WRT, leading much of the final stretch and completing a class-best 315 overtakes — only to be forced out by an electrical failure on the final lap while leading the pack.

The setback, however, only strengthened his resolve.

In 2024, Ye achieved a dream long in the making: to become an official factory driver for Ferrari. He recalled that his connection to the Prancing Horse began not on the racetrack, but in front of a television — watching Ferrari legends like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso chase world titles in F1.

As a young karting talent in 2012, Ye was one of a handful of Chinese drivers invited to visit Ferrari's headquarters in Modena, Italy.

He never imagined that, 12 years later, he would return to Maranello, not as a guest of Ferrari, but as one of its chosen drivers.

"I hope the responsibility that comes with this new role can inspire young drivers who are passionate about racing," Ye said in an interview when he joined the team.

"I want them to grow, to learn, and to shine on the world's highest stage — showing the strength of Chinese and Asian drivers to the world."

Finally, he has done just that.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn