The myth of Le Mans in 100 chapters (III): the champion ignored by Ferrari and the best champagne bath from Ford

During this weekend, in which the centennial edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is celebrated, EL MUNDO offers you some of the best moments of the legendary endurance test. If you want to consult the previous chapter, click on these links.

Part I: The winners who trafficked, Alonso's obsessive 'on board' and Porsche's pink pig

Part II: Alonso's hammer, a Japanese Batmobile and the winners arrested by the Gestapo

The Bentley Boys

65. THE SALE OF WO

During World War I, Walter Owen Bentley had made a name for himself as a fighter aircraft engineer, a background that he used to create his own brand of cars.. It was not just a luxury firm, but truly resistant vehicles. Therefore, the call for the 24 Hours of Le Mans would soon reach his ears, which he flatly rejected, classifying it as madness.. WHERE. produced cars of indisputable quality and that were already shining in races, but its high production costs forced him to make a decision. In 1926 he would sell his company to Woolf Barnato, an English magnate who had made his fortune in South Africa thanks to diamonds.. It was the beginning of an era.

66. THE 'BON LIVANT'

Barnato was nicknamed Babe because of his imposing physiognomy, closer to that of a heavyweight than that of a distinguished bon vivant.. He feared nothing or no one, not in business, not on the road, not in gallant salons.. In his country he had gained a certain prestige thanks to golf, swimming, cricket or boxing and journalists relentlessly persecuted him to include him in their society echoes.. In 1925, together with John Duff, he took a Bentley with which he would break the 24-hour record at the Montlhery Autodrome, at an average speed of 152.9 km/h.. After the overwhelming triumph of his Super Sport model at Le Mans (1927), with John Benjafield and Sammy Davis, he decided to put himself behind the wheel the following year. Between 1928 and 1930, he linked three wins alongside Bernard Rubin, Henry Birkin and Glen Kidston, becoming the only driver with a perfect Le Mans record.. Francis Scott-Fizgerald, a great lover of speed, would have loved to be his friend.

67. CAMAREDRESS AND SACRIFICE

Although they did not like the name, Barnato, Rubin, Birkin and Kidston have gone down to posterity as the genuine Bentley Boys.. Four guys for whom there were no risks on the track, nor the schedules at the Savoy. Their parties could be depraved and their tastes frivolous, but during their weekend at Le Mans they boasted exquisite professionalism.. They started from a very precise plan to tackle the race and practiced pit stops more rigorously than their adversaries. There was camaraderie and sacrifice in the Bentley garage.

68. AN ADVANTAGE OF 349.8 KM

Just before Barnato's breakthrough, Bentley had already entered the Le Mans gold book, winning the 1927 edition with the longest distance ever achieved there.. Benjafield and Davis led their closest rival by 349.8 km. However, its true zenith must be estimated on June 16, 1929, when the British brand took the first four places in a race that only 10 registered finished.. Leading the way is Barnato and Birkin's #1 Bentley Speed Six, familiarly known as the Old Mother Gun.

Links with F1

69. THE LAKE RECYCLING

Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier still hold the privilege of being the only father-son couple to win at Le Mans. It was in 1950, when Louis was 44 years old, 19 years older than Jean-Louis, who, according to ACO documents, only took the wheel for two laps.. Information that Rosier Sr. had to deny decades later. In any case, that triumph remains in the memory of the fans thanks to the Talbot-Lago T26. A very particular car, since it was essentially the same one with which Louis had competed in the F1 World Championship, where he finished fourth. The Italian Antonio Lago, Talbot's factotum, aware of his great sobriety, simply made small modifications to the headlights, the spare wheel, the fender and the passenger compartment, which according to the regulations had to have two seats.

70. POKER OF ACES

Only five F1 world champions have triumphed in La Sarthe: Mike Hawthorn (1955), Phil Hill (1958, 1961, 1962), Jochen Rindt (1965), Graham Hill (1972) and Fernando Alonso (2018 and 2019).. Another 12 winning drivers in the Grand Circus have worn the ACO laurel crown: José Froilán González, Maurice Trintignant, Ludovico Scarfiotti, Lorenzo Bandini, Bruce McLaren, Dan Gurney, Pedro Rodríguez, Jacky Ickx, Didier Pironi, Jochen Mass, Johnny Herbert and Michele Alboreto.

Hill, with Ferrari, during the 1961 race at Le Mans.

71. HILL AND THE DEATH OF VON TRIPS

“I was never his kind of pilot. Simply because he was not willing to die for Enzo Ferrari.”. This lapidary phrase was pronounced by Phil Hill, one of the most ignored world champions in the history of F1. The American keeps, however, the honor of being the only one capable of winning the most desired championship and victory in the 24 Hours in the same year. It was in 1961, at the height of the golden age of the Scuderia at Le Mans. Together with Olivier Gendebien, he led comfortably to ratify the red triplet on the podium. Just three months later, Hill wrapped up his world title with a win at the Italian GP. However, that September 10 was fateful for him, since his partner and great rival for the crown, Wolfgang von Trips, would die in an accident.. The German, after a collision with Jim Clark's Lotus, lost control at the entrance to Parabolica. That accident caused the death of 14 spectators in Monza and marked Hill forever.

72. FIT THE AGENDA

Since the creation of the World Cup in 1950, the drivers have balanced their tasks between F1 and endurance racing. In fact, the great aces of the moment paid as much attention to their commitments in the premier class as to the prestigious races at the Nurburgring, Sebring, Monza, Targa Florio or Daytona.. From the aforementioned Rosier, in 1950, to Didier Pironi, in 1978, this distribution of forces was carried out smoothly.. However, in the decades that followed, the trend reversed and specialization became the norm.. Thus, until very recently, when Nico Hulkenberg (Porsche-Force India, 2015) and Fernando Alonso (Toyota-McLaren, 2018) decided to divide their responsibilities.

Penske's Ultimate Challenge

73. MORE THAN 600 VICTORY

No one has won as much in motorsports as Roger Penske, the most successful of team managers.. No less than 42 titles in championships spread all over the planet, with more than 600 victories. Among the most outstanding, 19 in the Indianapolis 500, three in the Daytona 500, one in Formula 1, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Daytona or the 1,000 km of Bathurst (Australia). Not to mention the nine NASCAR titles and the six Indycar. At 86 years old, The Captain, a true legend in the United States, continues at the foot of the canyon, with only one pending challenge: winning at Le Mans. A career that continues to beat in his indomitable heart.

74. FORMATION YEARS

Penske's first experience at La Sarthe dates back to 1963, when he was just a young driver who had just beaten Dan Gurney in the USAC Road Racing overall.. Luigi Chinetti, a legend at Le Mans, sat him in the Ferrari 330 TRI to give relief to Pedro Rodriguez, his grand vedette. In that edition the pole system for the fastest time was released and the Mexican stopped the clock in a 3:50.9 inaccessible to the rest. There was plenty of fury in the red Penske car, which remained in the fight for the podium for 113 laps, until an oil leak triggered its goodbye. The volcanic Rodríguez would only shake off that bitterness by winning with Ford in 1968. Penske said goodbye as a professional driver in 1964 to throw himself fully into business.

75. THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF 1971

The 1971 season was the most productive for Penske, who was already beginning to cement the pillars of his empire, around Mark Donohue, his best driver and close comrade, the first who would lead him to glory in Indianapolis (1972).. For Le Mans, Penske prepared the dazzling Ferrari 512M with which he had already shone at the Daytona 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours, for his Le Mans debut.. That June 12, 1971 he started on the grid only behind three Porsche. The podium, in the company of the British David Hobbs, did not seem unreasonable, but a breakdown in the sixth hour put the plans down. Then I was only rolling behind the Porsche 917 of Pedro Rodríguez and Jackie Oliver.

76. FROM THE GROUND

After long periods of absence, Penske returns this year to Le Mans with Porsche. A brand new 963 LMDh with which he has been competing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the American Championship (IMSA).. A good omen to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the German brand. Penske himself has traveled to France to personally attend the event. Despite the apparent superiority of the Hypercars over the LMDh, Porsche's 20th victory could coincide with the great dream of the Captain.

historical anomalies

77. FROM SOLSTICE TO EQUINOX

Throughout a century, the 24 Hours have only suffered two cancellations and one date transfer. The Second World War forced the suspension of nine editions, between 1940 and 1948, when the circuit began to be used as a landing strip, both by the allies and the Nazis.. Less well known is the case of 1936, when the ACO had to cut short its plans due to a major strike in the automobile industry.. There were negotiations to move the date to August 1 and 2, although they finally came to nothing due to lack of personnel.. May 1968 had a greater impact, which made it necessary to vary from June 15 and 16 to September 28 and 29.. That is, from the solstice to the equinox. Or more clearly: from eight hours of night driving to just over 13.

78. DEPARTURES WITH OWN LABEL

One of the hallmarks of the 24 Hours, which even popularized its name among fans, has been its starting protocol.. After the line formation adopted in 1923 and 1924, the Le Mans-type start -with the cars located diagonally and the drivers running towards them- was consolidated for four decades (1925-1969).. After the aforementioned Ickx protest, in 1970 a middle ground was adopted, eliminating the previous little run for drivers. And from 1971 to today, for security reasons, the output was always released. Although it should not be overlooked what happened in 2016, when terrible weather conditions forced the start of the race behind the safety car. Only after seven cautious laps (52 minutes) was the safety car able to return to pit lane.

79. THREE EXCEPTIONAL CARS

Throughout this century, no car exercised such a marked tyranny as Toyota's #8 in 2018, with Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima at the controls.. For the first time, the TS050 Hybrid set the best time both in the test day (Alonso, 3:19.066), qualifying (Nakajima, 3:15.377) and the race (Buemi, 3:17.658).. In 1997, Porsche signed pole position with Michele Alboreto, plus the fastest lap in the race with Tom Kristensen. And in 2011, Audi claimed pole position with Benoît Tréluyer and the fastest lap with André Lotterer.

80. ELECTIONS AND FOOTBALL

From 1923 to 2005, according to ACO tradition, the departure time was four in the afternoon on Saturday. Except for some exceptional situations, such as the 1969 presidential elections (when it was brought forward to 2:00 p.m.), the 1996 European Football Cup (3:00 p.m.) or the 2006 World Cup (5:00 p.m.). From 2007 to 2019, the ACO advanced the race at 3:00 p.m. and in 2020, due to the Covid health crisis, at 2:30 p.m.. Since 2021, the custom of four in the afternoon has recovered.

The duel of the century

81. A FRUSTRATED PURCHASE

On June 20, 1965, Masten Grégory and Jochen Rindt celebrated Ferrari's victory at Le Mans on a podium filled with red cars. It was the sixth consecutive for the Scuderia, the eighth in 12 years. Despite these conclusive figures, Enzo Ferrari had been involved in economic hot flashes and legal proceedings for a couple of years. So in 1963 he had had to negotiate, behind the scenes, with Ford, eager to boost its sports division.. The sale seemed a fact, but at the last minute, Il Commendatore backed out. He wanted to continue taking the reins of his racing cars and not leave everything in the hands of those Yankees who in 1964 had already sent their best bet to Le Mans: the Ford GT.. The tension became entrenched and the spirits in Italy heated up to unsuspected limits. It was not only about the 24 Hours, but about the supremacy of motor sport.

82. “IF WE CAN'T BUY THEM, WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THEM”

To try to close the deal, Henry Ford II, the founder's grandson, had sent Donald Frey, one of the engineers who had developed his Mustang model, to Modena, whose good university manners contrasted with Ferrari's brittle demeanor.. At the moment that Frey transferred the Italian refusal to him, Ford uttered a few words that epitomized the most exacerbated rivalry: “If we can't buy them, we're going to beat them”. For such a high mission he gave all the facilities to Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. They had to evolve that Ford GT, which after arriving in 1964 as a great claim, had left Le Mans with two breaks in the gearbox and an outbreak of fire..

83. THE TEXAN AND 'THE FALCON'

Shelby was moved by an aversion to everything that sounded like Ferrari, who years before had not wanted to hire him as a driver. He was a stubborn and enterprising Texan, winner with Aston Martin at Le Mans (1959), whom a heart condition had forced to leave the wheel at just 37 years old.. He immediately formed his own division of competitive sports cars, Shelby American Inc., for which he hired Miles, a friend who not only had speed on the track, but also a fine nose as an engine tuner, which earned him the nickname of the falcon. In 1965, five of the six Ford GTs at Le Mans had passed through his hands.. The magnificent initial omens, with the pole position and the subsequent fastest lap in the race, gave way, instead, to a wave of retirements. In his Detroit office, anger consumed Henry Ford II.

84. MESSAGE TO BEEBEE

Sparing no expense and putting immense pressure on Leo Beebee, director of his competition department, the great Motown boss sent 12 of his Ford GTs to Le Mans in 1966. And he himself went to La Sarthe in person to give the starting signal. The climate of paranoia was such that, as soon as they arrived at the circuit, Ford inserted a little card into Beebee's pocket: “You better win”. Nine of their models dropped out, but the remaining three crushed Ferrari's 275 GTB. The victory for Ford was played by two Shelby cars. It was the tightest outcome in history. Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren edged Denny HulmeKen Miles at the finish by just 20 meters. The Falcon, who died shortly after after an accident at the Riverside circuit, could no longer enjoy the Ford dynasty at Le Mans (1967-1969).

The podium and the celebrations

85. NINE YEARS WITHOUT DOWNLOADING

From 1989 to 1991 Emanuele Pirro had suffered in the depths of F1, where he could only complete 17 of his 37 races with Benetton and Dallara.. In 1994, at the age of 32, his life turned around thanks to Audi, with whom he won five times at Le Mans (2000-02, 2006-07) and twice at Sebring (2000, 2007).. However, his most amazing record in La Sarthe had to do with consistency, since between 1999 and 2007 he did not get off the podium. Seven of his successes with the R8 and R10 were in the company of the German Frank Biela. With such a record, it is not surprising that the ACO granted him the privilege of driving the pilot car during the launched start of 2020.

86. WITHOUT HERBERT AT THE HIGHEST

The current Toyota dynasty may have diluted it in memory, but the truth is that the first Japanese victory at Le Mans was not theirs.. In 1991, Mazda appeared as a simple entertainer before the favorites, where three Sauber-Mercedes C11, four Jaguar XJR12 and an army of Porsche 962 (15 cars) stood out.. However, the performance of his 787B, flown by Betrand Gachot, Johnny Herbert and Volker Weidler, would smash the stakes thanks to its fabulous fuel economy.. Its engine made a hell of a noise, causing irreparable damage to Weidler's hearing, but its fuel economy was far better than the competition.. “We didn't even realize that we could win, but then we lengthened the stints and we did it,” said Herbert, author of the last relay, so exhausted that he had to be removed from the seat and immediately admitted to the medical center. In fact, he couldn't even make it to the podium ceremony.. Two decades later, in 2011, the ACO paid tribute to him so that, even if it was solo, he could climb to the top of the drawer.

87. THREE CONSECUTIVE

The Rudge-Whitworth Cup has always been the obscure object of desire for the world's best manufacturers.. Since 1923, when it was part of a triennial competition, 25 teams have achieved absolute victory at Le Mans, although not all of them can claim to have taken the trophy as their own.. In fact, the ACO only awards this honor to those who have linked three consecutive victories. Therefore, only nine teams have been able to wear it in their windows: Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Ferrari, Ford, Porsche, Matra, Audi and Toyota.

88. GURNEY'S CHAMPAGNE

There are those who go back to the 1966 ceremony, when Jo Siffert and Colin Davis were celebrating the victory of the Porsche 906 in their category and the bottle was uncorked involuntarily.. But the true initiatory moment must be located a year later. Dan Gurney and AJ. Foyt were the first American couple to win at Le Mans with a car from their country. The second in a row for that Ford GT, with four laps ahead of Ferrari. And the team's staff came up to the podium, including Carroll Shelby and Henry Ford II himself with his wife. Once again, unexpectedly, the champagne cork popped, bathing everyone, and inaugurating, this time officially, a custom that continues to this day.

spanish color

89. – THE TANK OF THE COUNT OF HERVÍAS

In 1924, the organizers were still racking their brains over the rules of the race. That year they introduced an article that made it compulsory to complete the first 20 turns with the top down,. And another that prohibited refueling, during that time, gasoline, water and oil. Under these parameters it is possible to place the irruption of the first Spaniard: Rafael Manso de Zúñiga, Count of Hervías. He finished fifth aboard a two-litre Chenard & Walcker. The following year, the wealthy aristocrat repeated with the best brand of the moment, which had developed another project: the Z1 Spéciale.. Its angular lines, reminiscent of World War I tanks, earned it the nickname Tank.. Of course, that vehicle had more reliability than speed. And Manso reached the finish line tenth.

Gene, Wurz and Brabham, after the 2009 triumph.

90. – THE VICTORY OF GENÉ IN 2009

His fifth place with Williams, replacing Ralf Schumacher in the 2003 Italian GP, did not continue and Marc Gené left F1 with the feeling of having been able to offer something more.. In need of new horizons, the Barcelonan received a great opportunity from Peugeot, one of the references at that time in Le Mans. In 2007 he would debut with the 908 HDi in a race where he came to run second, although he was forced to abandon due to a lubricant leak.. After the chilling accident in 2008, his great moment was to come the following year, forming a triplet with Alexander Wurz and David Brabham.. The #9 Peugeot received the checkered flag with barely a minute to spare over its sister car and Gené scored the first absolute victory for a Spaniard in the 24 Hours.

91. – BROKEN DREAMS OF EPSILON EUSKADI

In the heat of F1 fever, the first Spanish project for Le Mans began to take its first steps in 2005. Under the auspices of Joan Viladelprat and John Travis, based in Azkoitia, Epsilon Euskadi was born. After three years of work, to which the Argentine Sergio Rinland joined, the registration of two cars in LMP1, the highest category, was achieved.. A totally Spanish lineup, with Ángel Burgueño, Miguel Ángel de Castro and Adrián Vallés, plus another with a certain international pedigree (Stefan Johansson, Shinji Nakano and Jean Marc Gounon). Both abandoned before the halfway point of the test was passed. With the institutional faucet of the Basque Government closed, without muscular sponsors, the project was dying until its total disappearance at the beginning of 2012.

92. – LOWER RANGE PODIUMS

In addition to the aforementioned achievements, and before Alonso blew up Le Mans with his Toyota, another handful of compatriots climbed to the drawer in their respective categories. Among the most outstanding it is worth mentioning Juan Jover, who in 1949 finished second with a Delage D6 in the two-litre group; Carlos Palau, who together with Jesús Pareja, won GT2 in 1994; Jordi Gené won the LMP675 with Jean-Denis Deletraz and Pascal Fabre in 2001; Fermín Vélez scored the victory in Group 2 in 1987 with Pontiac and 11 years later he won in P1 with Ferrari; and Antonio García, always at the wheel of his Corvette, won GTE Pro in 2011, with another two seconds (2014, 2021) and a third (2017).

Other crazy people behind the wheel

93. – TO THE RHYTHM OF PINK FLOYD

In January 1979, Pink Floyd traveled to France to record, at the Super Bear and Miraval studios, one of their most influential albums: The Wall.. The creative process suffered more setbacks than expected because of Nick Mason, his drummer, who by then already had one of his childhood dreams between his eyes: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.. Thanks to the sales success of The Dark Side of the Moon, he had had the luxury of a Ferrari 250 GTO, unbeaten at La Sarthe between 1962 and 1964.. But since his only wish was real fire, Mason ended up sitting in a Lola T297, with which he was able to climb twice to the podium in his category (1979, 1980).

94. – THE SON OF THE IRON LADY

While his mother devoured her rivals in the Conservative Party, on her way to Downing Street, Mark Thatcher was making a name for himself at Brands Hatch Pilot School.. He did not have plenty of talent, but he did have contacts, so in 1980, at the age of 26, he was able to sign up for Le Mans with Lella Lombardi, the only woman capable of scoring points in an F1 Grand Prix. His balance behind the wheel of an Osella PA8 was rather discreet. Same as the following year, with a Porsche 935. In fact, his figure did not catch on in British public opinion until his famous episode in the Paris-Dakar in 1982, when he was lost in the Algerian desert for almost a week.

95. – NEW CHALLENGES FOR BARTHEZ

On the grass, in a demarcation that requires sobriety, he stood out for his histrionics. Fabien Barthez, a very particular guy, also always needed new challenges, so after hanging up his boots with Nantes in 2007 he signed up for the Porsche Cup in his country. Step by step he climbed until he was proclaimed French GT champion in 2013, a prelude to his double adventure at Le Mans. First, with a Ferrari 458, in the GTE Am category. In 2016, working with Olivier Panis, his LMP2 crossed the line in twelfth position.

96. – FROM THE VELODROME TO THE GARAGE

Six gold medals and one silver in four Olympic Games made Chris Hoy one of the best British athletes in history. The speed of the velodrome, obviously, something must have boosted his love for the motor. So what had started as a hobby to occupy idle time on the bike ended up becoming a busy course in 2015 of the European Le Mans Series.. The following year, Hoy had his chance in LMP2, behind the wheel of a Ligier with a Nissan engine.. Despite some notorious oversight in the garage, he was able to finish seventeenth overall.

Out of track

97. CHAMPAGNE, COGNAC AND A THOUSAND LIES

L'Auberge Les Hunaudieres was inaugurated in 1927 by François and Denise Génissel, who turned it into one of the most famous restaurants in the region. Its privileged location, between Tertre Rouge and the first Mulsanne chicane, boosted its fame as the headquarters of the pilots, who shared a table, tablecloth, champagne, cognac and a thousand lies. The American Sammy Davis, winner with Bentley in 1927, came to establish his residence there. Although beyond gastronomy, what attracted guys like Maurice Trintignant and Jacky Ickx was the unmistakable charm of a place that almost collapsed in the 70s with the victories of Renault and Matra. After the retirement of Maurice Génissel in 1998, Dominique and Nathalie Trotté took over the kitchen in 2007. Even today, everything there continues to ooze gasoline.

98. THE GREAT CENTENARY EXHIBITION

The ticket for the weekend at Le Mans, whatever its cost, includes a visit to the 24 Hours Museum, a must for any motor fanatic. For this edition, the ACO has done the rest with The Great Centennial Exhibition, in which 80 of the authentic cars that won there are exhibited. From the 1924 Bentley 3 Liter Sport to the 2021 Toyota GR010 Hybrid. Without forgetting emblematic models such as the Ferrari 330 P4, the BMW Calder or the Mazda 787B. In case you need more aroma of tradition, the visitor can walk along the street that gives access to the Museum, renamed in 2019 in homage to the Bentley Boys, those gentlemen drivers who achieved glory in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.

99. FERVOR IN THE STREETS

Friday, the eve of the start, is a day of partying and madness in Le Mans, a city thrown onto the streets to celebrate the traditional Drivers Parade, organized by Classic Automotive in collaboration with the ACO, the club that owns the Circuit de La Sarthe. The procession leaves from the Jacobins Square, in the shadow of the Cathedral, and crosses the main avenues of the city: General De Gaulle, Francois Mitterrand or Pierre Mendès France. An indescribable communion between tens of thousands of fans and motor aces, mounted on vintage cars, some of them collector's jewels. Over there flags fly, candies and confetti fly. The parade ends with the arrival at the Plaza de la República, from where the pilots dedicate a brief address to the enraged mass.

100. FROM THE FERRIS

No Le Mans experience can end without a visit to the great Ferris wheel that dominates the circuit, 40 meters high. And the best time to do it is always at night, when the roar of the engines mixes with the unmistakable vapors of the fair, with shooting booths, fast food and bumper cars included.. Until the 1970s, children could have a great time at an amusement park located on the outskirts of Dunlop Loop.. Years later, some of these facilities were moved to the Porsche curves, where the Ferris wheel was erected for the first time.. It is currently in the Virage du Raccordement, which leads to the finish line.