The most famous endurance race in the world – the 24 Hours of Le Mans – will be held this weekend. The classic race is marked by sportsmanship and quest for performance, has wrote an heroic chapter of automobile history since 1923.
1923 : First edition of the “24 Heures du Mans”
1949 : Luigi Chinetti wins the event for Ferrari
1955 : A dreadful accident in the first hours of the race caused the death of 80 people
1967 : The “Race of the Century” with 300,000 spectators witnessed the epic race between Ford and Ferrari. The 5,000 km mark is broken for the first time!
1970 : First victory for Porsche and making of the film Le Mans with Steve McQueen
1971 : Rolling start and not a standing start for the first time
1972 : Matra, Pescarolo and Graham Hill win. Hill is the only driver having won in Le Mans, in Indianapolis and being F1 world champion
1980 : Rondeau becomes the first driver who wins in Le Mans driving his own car
1988 : Top speed record of 405 km/h by the WM prototype powered by a Peugeot engine
1991 : Victory for Mazda, first and only Japanese manufacturer having won the event
1998 : 16th and last victory of Porsche. A record!
2006 : First victory of a diesel engine at Le Mans
2008 : Tom Kristensen wins for the 8th time the event with Audi
2011 : 13.85 seconds is the gap on the finishing line between the winning Audi and the Peugeot
2012 : A hybrid car puts its name on the winners’ list: the Audi R18 e-tron quattro
1923 : First edition of the “24 Heures du Mans”
1949 : Luigi Chinetti wins the event for Ferrari
1955 : A dreadful accident in the first hours of the race caused the death of 80 people
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| The terrible accident of 1955. (Photo: WRI2) |
1967 : The “Race of the Century” with 300,000 spectators witnessed the epic race between Ford and Ferrari. The 5,000 km mark is broken for the first time!
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| Ferrari vs Ford duel in 1967. (Photo: WRI2) |
1970 : First victory for Porsche and making of the film Le Mans with Steve McQueen
1971 : Rolling start and not a standing start for the first time
1972 : Matra, Pescarolo and Graham Hill win. Hill is the only driver having won in Le Mans, in Indianapolis and being F1 world champion
1980 : Rondeau becomes the first driver who wins in Le Mans driving his own car
1988 : Top speed record of 405 km/h by the WM prototype powered by a Peugeot engine
1991 : Victory for Mazda, first and only Japanese manufacturer having won the event
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| Mazda wins Le Mans with a rotary engine. (Photo: WRI2) |
1998 : 16th and last victory of Porsche. A record!
2006 : First victory of a diesel engine at Le Mans
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| A diesel car wins Le Mans. (Photo: WRI2) |
2008 : Tom Kristensen wins for the 8th time the event with Audi
2011 : 13.85 seconds is the gap on the finishing line between the winning Audi and the Peugeot
2012 : A hybrid car puts its name on the winners’ list: the Audi R18 e-tron quattro