The shocking accident that Pechito López suffered in the World Endurance World Cup: the car was turned upside down but left unharmed

One news generated concern in Argentine and world motorsport. José María López suffered a major accident during the first round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Within the framework of the 1000 miles of Sebring, the Cordovan driver was the leader of the race when he lost control of his car and crashed into the containment of the tires and his car was turned upside down.

It was lap 111 of the 268 that the cars of the WEC category organized by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) had to ride, when the Argentinian on board his Toyota GR010 Hybrid tried to overtake Julien Andlauer's Porsche GT on the left and the maneuver ended in a misfortune that caused tyre problems left.

Then, Pechito managed to return to the track at the international circuit of Sebring, located in a former military airfield. But on one of the next corners of the route, he continued long with some obvious problem in the direction of his car and hit directly against the protection. The Toyota of the Cordoba flew through the air and ended upside down.

Despite the impact, López emerged unharmed from the accident and by his own means of car number 7 that was among the leaders of the race in the United States.

It must be remembered that the Argentine rider comes from becoming two-time champion of the Endurance Championship. Together with teammates Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi, they won the title after being second in the 8 Hours of Bahrain, an appointment that closed the 2021 WEC season. Thanks to that conquest, the native of Rio Tercero won his fifth title worldwide, the amount won by the unforgettable Juan Manuel Fangio during his time in Formula 1.

Pechito won the three-time WTCC championship in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and accumulated the titles in a row in 2020 and 2021 of the World Endurance Championship.

Beyond this achievement, last year was more than special for López. For the second time in the history of national motorsport, an Argentine ended up victorious in the famous 24 hours of Le Mans. After 67 years, and on his fifth attempt, the 38-year-old from Cordoba won the French competition in which he shared the driving of the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid in the main class, the Hypercar, alongside Japanese Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and English Mike Conway.

It was a great task of the trio that in the last two editions they missed the triumph, but in which for them the third was the charm. With that triumph, Pechito joined the historic victory that José Froilán González won in 1954 aboard a Ferrari.

In dialogue with Infobae after the consecration, López was forceful in his message: “Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans filled the gap by not reaching Formula 1″, he recalled for his truncated passage through the top category of world motorsport.

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