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24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans or 24 Heures du Mans is the world's oldest sports car race. This motor sports test the endurance of the driver and is held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. It is organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and runs on a circuit containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and driver's ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24 hour period. Hence it is also commonly called the Grand Prix of Endurance.
History
The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first run on 26 and 27 May, 1923, through public roads around Le Mans. Originally planned to be a three year event with a winner being declared by the car which could go the farthest distance over three consecutive 24 Hour races, this idea was abandoned in 1928 and overall winners were declared for each single year depending on who covered the farthest distance by the time 24 hours were up. The early races were dominated by French, British and Italian drivers, teams and cars, with Bugatti, Bentley and Alfa Romeo being the dominant marques. In 1936 the race was cancelled due to general strikes in France and with the outbreak of World War II in late 1939, the race went on a ten year hiatus while France rebuilt itself.
The race was resumed in 1949 following the reconstruction of the circuit facilities. After the formation of the World Sportscar Championship in 1953, of which Le Mans was a part, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and many others began sending multiple cars backed by their respective factories to compete for overall wins against their competitors.
The race took a turn towards more extreme speeds and automotive designs in 1970. Although production-based cars still raced, they were now in the lower classes while purpose-built sports cars become the norm. The Porsche 917, Porsche 935 and 936 were dominant throughout the decade, but Matra-Simca and Renault saw the first victories for the nation since the 1950 race. The decade 1970-80 is also remembered for strong performances from many privateer constructors.
The rest of the 1980s was known for the dominance by Porsche under the new Group C race car formula which pushed for fuel efficiency. Originally running the effective 956, it was later replaced by the 962. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz returned to sports car racing, with Jaguar being the first to break Porsche's dominance with victories in 1988 and 1990. Mercedes-Benz won in 1989 and Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to succeed in 1991 with its unique rotary-powered 787B. Peugeot 905 dominated the race in 1992 and 1993.
The circuit underwent one of its most notable changes in 1990, when the 5 km long Bentley Mulsanne was modified to include two chicanes in order to stop speeds of more than 400 km/h from being reached.
History
The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first run on 26 and 27 May, 1923, through public roads around Le Mans. Originally planned to be a three year event with a winner being declared by the car which could go the farthest distance over three consecutive 24 Hour races, this idea was abandoned in 1928 and overall winners were declared for each single year depending on who covered the farthest distance by the time 24 hours were up. The early races were dominated by French, British and Italian drivers, teams and cars, with Bugatti, Bentley and Alfa Romeo being the dominant marques. In 1936 the race was cancelled due to general strikes in France and with the outbreak of World War II in late 1939, the race went on a ten year hiatus while France rebuilt itself.
The race was resumed in 1949 following the reconstruction of the circuit facilities. After the formation of the World Sportscar Championship in 1953, of which Le Mans was a part, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and many others began sending multiple cars backed by their respective factories to compete for overall wins against their competitors.
The race took a turn towards more extreme speeds and automotive designs in 1970. Although production-based cars still raced, they were now in the lower classes while purpose-built sports cars become the norm. The Porsche 917, Porsche 935 and 936 were dominant throughout the decade, but Matra-Simca and Renault saw the first victories for the nation since the 1950 race. The decade 1970-80 is also remembered for strong performances from many privateer constructors.
The rest of the 1980s was known for the dominance by Porsche under the new Group C race car formula which pushed for fuel efficiency. Originally running the effective 956, it was later replaced by the 962. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz returned to sports car racing, with Jaguar being the first to break Porsche's dominance with victories in 1988 and 1990. Mercedes-Benz won in 1989 and Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to succeed in 1991 with its unique rotary-powered 787B. Peugeot 905 dominated the race in 1992 and 1993.
The circuit underwent one of its most notable changes in 1990, when the 5 km long Bentley Mulsanne was modified to include two chicanes in order to stop speeds of more than 400 km/h from being reached.
Following the demise of the World Sportscar Championship, Le Mans saw a resurgence of production-based grand tourer cars. The trend continued through the 1990s as more exotic supercars were built. This culminated in the 1999 event, in which BMW experienced its first victory. Following the 1999 event, many major automobile manufacturers would pull out of sports car racing due to the costs associated with running the event. After three victories in a row, Audi provided engine, team staff and drivers to its corporate partner Bentley, who had returned in 2001. At the end of 2005, after five overall victories for the R8 and six to its V8 turbo engine, Audi took on a new challenge by introducing a diesel engined prototype known as the R10 TDI. Although not the first diesel to race, it was the first to achieve victory at Le Mans. This era saw other alternative fuel sources being used, including bio-ethanol, while Peugeot decided to follow Audi's lead and also pursue a diesel entry in 2007 with their 908. The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was a great race between the Audi R10 and the Peugeot 908. For the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Peugeot introduced a new energy-recovery system similar to the KERS used in Formula One.
Successful Marques and Drivers
Over the years, many manufacturers have managed to take the overall win, while even more have taken class wins. By far the most successful marque in the history of the race is Porsche, who have taken 16 overall victories, including seven in a row from 1981 to 1987. Ferrari follows with nine, also including six in a row from 1960 to 1965, while Jaguar has seven wins. Bentley, Alfa Romeo and Ford all managed to win four races in a row, with Bentley recording two other victories in other years as well. Recently the Audi marque has dominated the event, winning in eight of the ten years they have participated. Audi and Team Joest have had two hat-tricks, the first being in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The only Japanese marque to win the race so far has been Mazda, although nearly every major Japanese manufacturer has made attempts at the race. Mazda's 1991 victory also saw the only win by a rotary engine, one of Mazda's hallmarks.
For drivers, two drivers stand apart for their number of victories. Initially, Jacky Ickx held the record at six, scoring victories between 1969 and 1982, earning him an honorary citizenship to the town of Le Mans. However, Tom Kristensen has been able to quickly eclipse this record with eight wins between 1997 and 2008, including six in a row. Three-time winner Woolf Barnato (1928 to 1930) and American racing legend AJ Foyt (1967) are still the only drivers to have won every Le Mans they participated in.
Henri Pescarolo has won the race four times, yet currently holds the record for the most Le Mans appearances at 33. Graham Hill is the only driver to win the so-called Triple Crown of Motorsport which is defined as winning the Indianapolis 500 (1966), Monaco Grand Prix (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972).
Successful Marques and Drivers
Over the years, many manufacturers have managed to take the overall win, while even more have taken class wins. By far the most successful marque in the history of the race is Porsche, who have taken 16 overall victories, including seven in a row from 1981 to 1987. Ferrari follows with nine, also including six in a row from 1960 to 1965, while Jaguar has seven wins. Bentley, Alfa Romeo and Ford all managed to win four races in a row, with Bentley recording two other victories in other years as well. Recently the Audi marque has dominated the event, winning in eight of the ten years they have participated. Audi and Team Joest have had two hat-tricks, the first being in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The only Japanese marque to win the race so far has been Mazda, although nearly every major Japanese manufacturer has made attempts at the race. Mazda's 1991 victory also saw the only win by a rotary engine, one of Mazda's hallmarks.
For drivers, two drivers stand apart for their number of victories. Initially, Jacky Ickx held the record at six, scoring victories between 1969 and 1982, earning him an honorary citizenship to the town of Le Mans. However, Tom Kristensen has been able to quickly eclipse this record with eight wins between 1997 and 2008, including six in a row. Three-time winner Woolf Barnato (1928 to 1930) and American racing legend AJ Foyt (1967) are still the only drivers to have won every Le Mans they participated in.
Henri Pescarolo has won the race four times, yet currently holds the record for the most Le Mans appearances at 33. Graham Hill is the only driver to win the so-called Triple Crown of Motorsport which is defined as winning the Indianapolis 500 (1966), Monaco Grand Prix (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972).
