DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

Ye Yifei's landmark Le Mans win is a title nearly two decades in the making

There was a sense of destiny for Ye Yifei at Le Mans.

At just 14, the boy from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, arrived alone at the hallowed Circuit de la Sarthe to chase a dream far bigger than himself. Seven years later, he came heartbreakingly close — leading in the final lap of his debut 24 Hours of Le Mans before his car stalled and forced a gut-wrenching retirement.

This summer, though, Ye completed that unfinished lap. On June 15, the eve of his 25th birthday, he stood atop the podium as the first Chinese driver ever to win the famous endurance race, guiding the No 83 Ferrari 499P to a landmark victory with teammates Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson.