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13th
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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
 |
| 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!
 |
| 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
 |
| 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
 |
| 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