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DEREK BELL

Octane

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September 2023

The Legend

DEREK BELL

Well, the past month or so has passed by in a blur, and it was all about Le Mans. This being the centenary year, we all hoped it would be a memorable race rather than just a procession. We got what we wanted and more.

As I have mentioned more than once, I am proud to be a Ferrari old boy, having made my debut in Formula 1 and in the 24 Hours with The Reds. Have to say, I honestly didn't expect a Ferrari to win outright, though. I had been asked during the run-up for my thoughts and I reckoned it would be Toyota's race unless something unexpected happened. Toyota had had the monopoly in the previous five races, after all.

But no. Instead, the AF Corserun Hypercar crossed the line ahead of the Japanese squad. I was delighted to see Alex Lynn finishing third in the Ganassi Cadillac. He was wearing a 'tribute' helmet in my colours. There was plenty of intrigue up and down the order and obviously having Ferrari win in such a milestone year for the first time since 1965 made headlines the world over.

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