Components 1 and the Le Mans 24 Hours are about as totally different as you may get: one, an all-out dash in automobiles particularly designed round a strict algorithm, pushed by single drivers in occasions around the globe, and the opposite, a single day the place the purpose is to final so long as attainable and canopy as a lot floor, in automobiles much like those you see on the highway, pushed by groups.
Regardless of these huge variations, there are some Components 1 drivers who’ve managed to make the change, profitable in each Components 1 and Le Mans. Learn on to seek out out who they’re.
F1 world champions who gained the Le Mans 24 Hours
Mike Hawthorn / Ivor Bueb, Jaguar Vehicles, Jaguar D-type
Photograph by: Motorsport Images
Mike Hawthorn
- F1 begins: 45 (1952 – 1958)
- F1 championships: 1 (1958)
- Le Mans begins: 5 (1953, 1955 – 1958)
- Le Mans wins: 1 (1955)
Mike Hawthorn was the primary driver to win titles in each Components 1 and Le Mans, together with his Le Mans win coming first.
Having been disqualified for topping up the brake system earlier than they have been allowed to in 1953, Hawthorn got here again for 1955 in a Jaguar D-type.
Hawthorn grew to become engaged in a titanic battle with Juan Manuel Fangio’s Mercedes within the early levels, the pair breaking the lap file 10 instances within the first two hours of the race.
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Whereas it was setting as much as be a implausible race, tragedy struck simply over 4 hours in. Hawthorn, making an attempt to pit, braked in entrance of the Austin-Healey of Lance Macklin, who swerved and was hit by Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes-Benz 300SLR. The Mercedes was despatched into the air and in direction of the group, hitting a hill and disintegrating. The automotive’s engine, suspension, radiator and different particles have been flung into the packed crowd, whereas the remainder of the automotive caught fireplace.
Levegh was killed, together with greater than 80 spectators, whereas 180 extra have been injured. Macklin was one way or the other unhurt however, following one other deadly incident the identical yr, he would by no means race once more.
There was a lot debate in regards to the position Hawthorn performed within the accident, regardless of an official inquiry deeming that he wasn’t chargeable for it and that it was a racing incident. He returned to Le Mans three extra instances, however was unable to complete larger than an general sixth.
His F1 title got here in 1958 – the yr earlier than he was killed in a highway site visitors accident. Although he solely took one win to second-placed Stirling Moss’s 4, he was in a position to end extra races than his compatriot – Hawthorn retired from two races whereas Moss retired from 5. This gave Hawthorn, and his Ferrari 246, the crown by a single level.
Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill, 1st place, increase their bouquets on the rostrum on the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours
Photograph by: Motorsport Images
Phil Hill
- F1 begins: 49 (1958 – 1964, 1966)
- F1 championships: 1 (1961)
- Le Mans begins: 14 (1953, 1955 – 1967)
- Le Mans wins: 3 (1958, 1961, 1962)
Phil Hill both gained the Le Mans 24 Hours or failed to complete – of his 14 begins, he was first in three races and DNF in 11.
His first try was for the American Rees T. Makins crew, driving the OSCA MT-4, which lasted for 80 laps earlier than a transmission problem. Then got here eight makes an attempt for Ferrari, the crew with which his Le Mans profession is most related. These eight races yielded blended outcomes – whereas he did take the general win thrice, his automotive additionally accomplished simply two laps within the 1957 race and 22 laps in 1960.
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His remaining 5 makes an attempt noticed him swap between David Brown/Aston Martin Lagonda, Ford, Shelby-American and Chaparral automobiles.
Hill’s Components 1 profession additionally introduced three wins and one title. This came in 1961 – the identical yr as certainly one of his Le Mans wins – and was additionally in a Ferrari, the well-known sharknose Ferrari 156.
Race winner Jochen Rindt (AUT) / Maston Gregory (USA) Ferrari 250 LM, 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours
Photograph by: David Phipps / Motorsport Images
Jochen Rindt
- F1 begins: 60 (1964 – 1970)
- F1 championships: 1 (1970)
- Le Mans begins: 4 (1967 – 1967)
- Le Mans wins: 1 (1965)
Jochen Rindt entered Le Mans 4 instances, participating within the endurance race between 1964 and 1967. Like Hill, these have been additionally wins or retirements for the Austrian – the primary of which he retired from on zero laps.
His second entry introduced his first, and solely, win at Le Mans, behind the wheel of a Ferrari 250 LM alongside co-driver Masten Gregory. They crossed the road 5 laps forward of second place, and eight forward of third.
His subsequent two entries additionally resulted in retirement – the primary after eight laps following engine points in his Ford GT40, and the fourth after 103 laps.
Rindt was additionally the ‘King of F2’ and proved he might tackle and beat the most effective drivers on the planet though his F1 breakthrough win didn’t come till 1969.
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Rindt has the unlucky title of the primary and, hopefully, solely posthumous Components 1 world champion.
Racing for Staff Lotus, Rindt took the win in 5 of the 9 races he began in 1970, earlier than being killed throughout a follow session for the Italian Grand Prix.
Regardless of there being 4 races to go (together with the Italian GP), Rindt had accomplished sufficient to safe the title, ultimately beating second-placed Jacky Ickx by 5 factors.
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Graham Hill and Henri Pescarolo, 1st place, rejoice on the rostrum, 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours
Photograph by: Rainer Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images
Graham Hill
- F1 begins: 176 (1958 – 1975)
- F1 championships: 2 (1962, 1968)
- Le Mans begins: 10 (1958 – 1966, 1972)
- Le Mans wins: 1 (1972)
Graham Hill is the one man to carry motorsport’s illustrious triple crown – wins on the Indianapolis 500, Le Mans 24 Hours and at Components 1’s Monaco GP.
He secured the primary of the three wins required for the crown in 1963 in Monaco, a yr after turning into F1 world champion with BRM. ‘Mr Monaco’, as he grew to become identified, would take a complete of 5 wins within the principality.
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The Indy 500 win got here three years later, in 1966. Hill was a rookie, averted early chaos in his Mecom Lola and gained regardless of controversy when Jim Clark’s Lotus crew reckoned its man had really gained.
The ultimate jewel within the crown got here a lot later, in 1972. Having entered the Le Mans 24 Hours 9 instances beforehand, Hill’s finest consequence had been a second place in 1964 (some 5 laps adrift of the winner). His tenth, and remaining, entry was alongside Frenchman Henri Pescarolo, and was behind the wheel of a Matra-Simca MS670.
The pair fought by way of powerful situations to take the win 11 laps forward of second place, securing the ultimate win wanted and giving Hill the triple crown.
PLUS: How Hill won the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours
#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050: Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, Fernando Alonso, rejoice profitable the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Fernando Alonso
- F1 begins: 322 (2001, 2003 – 2018, 2021)
- F1 championships: 2 (2005, 2006)
- Le Mans begins: 2 (2018, 2019)
- Le Mans wins: 2 (2018, 2019)
Whereas Fernando Alonso would possibly ‘solely’ have two world titles to his identify, he might undoubtedly have taken extra have been it not for some poor automotive selections and dangerous luck.
His first two world championships got here 4 and 5 years into his F1 profession, profitable back-to-back titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. This gave technique to a season at McLaren, who he moved away from after one season (a yr later, Lewis Hamilton gained the title with them). He completed second within the championship thrice after that, all with Ferrari, and was simply 4 factors shy in 2012.
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He returned to McLaren in 2015, simply in time for his or her stunning fall from grace. Reliability and energy points dogged his time at McLaren, and that partly led to him performing some extra-curricular actions in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The primary of those occasions was in 2017 when he took on the Indy 500 with McLaren’s IndyCar crew (with a watch on turning into the second driver to attain a triple crown). Whereas his Indy 500 dream by no means grew to become a actuality, his Le Mans one did.
Alonso partnered F1 alumni Sebastian Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in 2018 and 2019, the trio driving the Toyota TS050 HYBRID. They took the victory each years, by two and three laps respectively, leaving simply the Indy 500 lacking from Alonso’s triple crown.
F1 race winners who gained the Le Mans 24 Hours
Jürgen Barth / Hurley Haywood / Jacky Ickx, Martini Racing Porsche System, Porsche 936/77 – Porsche 911/78, lead the 1977 Le Mans 24 Hours
Photograph by: Motorsport Images
Not everybody who wins at Le Mans has been a world champion, and plenty of Components 1 world championship race winners have additionally taken victories at Le Mans.
Probably the most profitable driver throughout each disciplines is Jacky Ickx, who gained eight F1 races and 6 instances at Le Mans. Whereas he by no means grew to become an F1 world champ, he greater than proved his abilities in any self-discipline he turned his hand to – taking wins within the Bathurst 1000 and Dakar Rally in addition to Le Mans.
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|
Driver |
F1 Race Begins |
F1 Race Wins |
Le Mans Begins |
Le Mans Wins |
|
Jose Froilan Gonzalez |
26 (1950 – 1957, 1960) |
2 |
4 (1950 – 19511 1953 – 1954) |
1 (1954) |
|
Maurice Trintignant |
81 (1950 – 1964) |
2 |
15 (1950 – 1962, 1964 – 1965) |
1 (1954) |
|
Ludovico Scarfiotti |
10 (1963 – 1968) |
1 |
8 (1960 – 1967) |
1 (1963) |
|
Lorenzo Bandini |
42 (1967 – 1967) |
1 |
5 (1962 – 1966) |
1 (1963) |
|
Bruce McLaren |
100 (1958 – 1970) |
4 |
8 (1959, 1961 – 1967) |
1 (1966) |
|
Dan Gurney |
86 (1959 – 1968, 1970) |
4 |
10 (1958 – 1967) |
1 (1967) |
|
Pedro Rodriguez |
55 (1963 – 1971) |
2 |
14 (1958 – 1971) |
1 (1968) |
|
Jacky Ickx |
116 (1966 – 1979) |
8 |
15 (1966 – 1967, 1969 – 1970, 1973, 1975 – 1983, 1985) |
6 (1969, 1975 – 1977, 1981 – 1982) |
|
Didier Pironi |
70 (1978 – 1982) |
3 |
4 (1976 – 1978, 1980) |
1 (1978) |
|
Johnny Herbert |
161 (1989 – 2000) |
3 |
8 (1990 – 1992, 2001 – 2004, 2007) |
1 (1991) |
|
Jochen Mass |
105 (1973 – 1980, 1982) |
1 |
11 (1972, 1978, 1981 – 1983, 1985 – 1989, 1991, 1995) |
1 (1989) |
|
Michele Alboreto |
194 (1981 – 1994) |
5 |
8 (1981 – 1983, 1996 – 2000) |
1 (1997) |
Winless F1 drivers who gained Le Mans 24 Hours
#19 Porsche Staff Porsche 919 Hybrid: Nico Hulkenberg, Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber rejoice profitable the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours
Photograph by: Eric Gilbert / Motorsport Images
In fact, profitable in Components 1 isn’t any simple feat, and might rely not solely on the automotive you drive however your crew, the placement, and plenty of different components. Some drivers by no means get to face atop the rostrum in F1, however achieve this at Le Mans.
Maybe one of the vital notable is Nico Hulkenberg. The German holds the file for many entries in Components 1 with no podium, nonetheless in 2015 he piloted a Porsche 919 Hybrid to victory on the French circuit, beating F1 driver Mark Webber within the course of.
|
Driver |
F1 Race Begins |
Le Mans Begins |
Le Mans Wins |
|
Louis Rosier |
38 (1950 – 1956) |
9 (1938, 1949 – 1956) |
1 (1951) |
|
Peter Walker |
4 (1950 – 1951, 1955) |
1 (1951 – 1956) |
1 (1951) |
|
Peter Whitehead |
10 (1950 – 1954) |
8 (1950 – 1955, 1957 – 1958) |
1 (1951) |
|
Hermann Lang |
2 (1953 – 1954) |
1 (1952) |
1 (1952) |
|
Tony Rolt |
3 (1950,1953,1955) |
7 (1949 – 1955) |
1 (1953) |
|
Duncan Hamilton |
5 (1951 – 1953) |
9 (1950 – 1958) |
1 (1953) |
|
Ivor Bueb |
5 (1957 – 1959) |
5 (1955 – 1959) |
2 (1955, 1957) |
|
Ron Flockhart |
13 (1954, 1956 – 1960) |
6 (1955 – 1957, 1959 – 1961) |
2 (1956 – 1957) |
|
Olivier Gendebien |
14 (1955 – 1966, 1958 – 1961) |
8 (1955 – 1962) |
4 (1958, 1960 – 1962) |
|
Carroll Shelby |
8 (1958 – 1959) |
2 (1954, 1959) |
1 (1959) |
|
Roy Salvadori |
47 (1952 – 1962) |
11 (1953 – 1963) |
1 (1959) |
|
Nino Vaccarella |
4 (1961 – 1962, 1965) |
11 (1961, 1962, 1964 – 1972) |
1 (1964) |
|
Masten Gregory |
38 (1957 – 1963, 1965) |
16 (1955, 1957 – 1966, 1968 – 1972) |
1 (1965) |
|
Chris Amon |
96 (1963 – 1976) |
8 (1967 – 1967, 1969, 1971 – 1973) |
1 (1966) |
|
Lucien Bianchi |
17 (1959 – 1963, 1965, 1968) |
13 (1956 – 1968) |
1 (1968) |
|
Jackie Oliver |
50 (1967 – 1973, 1977) |
3 (1968, 1969, 1971) |
1 (1969) |
|
Richard Attwood |
16 (1964 – 1965, 1967 – 1969) |
9 (1963, 1964, 1966 – 1971, 1984) |
1 (1970) |
|
Helmut Marko |
9 (1971 – 1972) |
3 (1970 – 1972) |
1 (1971) |
|
Gijs van Lennep |
8 (1971, 1973 – 1975) |
7 (1970 – 1976) |
2 (1971, 1976) |
|
Henri Pescarolo |
57 (1968 – 1974, 1976) |
33 (1966 – 1968, 1970 – 1999) |
4 (1972 – 1974, 1984) |
|
Gerard Larrousse |
1 (1974) |
8 (1967 – 1974) |
2 (1973 – 1974) |
|
Derek Bell |
9 (1968 – 1972, 1974) |
26 (1970 – 1983, 1985 – 1996) |
5 (1975, 1981 – 1982, 1986 – 1987) |
|
Vern Schuppan |
9 (1972, 1974 – 1975, 1977) |
16 (1973 – 1979, 1981 – 1989) |
1 (1983) |
|
Paolo Barilla |
9 (1989 – 1990) |
7 (1982 – 1986, 1988 – 1989) |
1 (1985) |
|
Hans-Joachim Caught |
74 (1974 – 1979) |
18 (1972 – 1973, 1980 – 1983, 1985 – 1991, 1993 – 1998) |
2 (1986 – 1987) |
|
Lan Lammers |
23 (1979 – 1982, 1992) |
24 (1983 – 1984, 1987 – 1990, 1992 – 1993, 1996 – 2008, 2011, 2017 – 2018) |
1 (1988) |
|
Johnny Dumfries |
15 (1986) |
5 (1987 – 1991) |
1 (1988) |
|
Martin Brundle |
158 (1984 – 1989, 1991 – 1996) |
8 (1987 – 1988, 1990, 1997 – 1999, 2001, 2012) |
1 (1990) |
|
Volker Weidler |
10 (1989) |
5 (1987, 1989 – 1992) |
1 (1991) |
|
Bertrand Gachot |
47 (1989 – 1992, 1994 – 1995) |
6 (1990 – 1992, 1994 – 1995, 1997) |
1 (1991) |
|
Derek Warwick |
147 (1981 – 1990, 1993) |
5 (1983, 1986, 1991 – 1992, 1996) |
1 (1992) |
|
Yannick Dalmas |
24 (1987 – 1990, 1994) |
12 (1991 – 2002) |
4 (1992, 1994 – 1995, 1999) |
|
Mark Blundell |
61 (1991, 1993 – 1995) |
7 (1989 – 1990, 1992, 1995, 2001 – 2003) |
1 (1992) |
|
Geoff Brabham |
48 (1995 – 1997) |
3 (1989, 1990, 1993) |
1 (1993) |
|
Mauro Baldi |
36 (1982 – 1985) |
12 (1984 – 1986, 1988 – 1989, 1991 – 1994, 1997 – 2000) |
1 (1994) |
|
JJ Lehto |
62 (1989 – 1994) |
10 (1990 – 1991, 1995 – 1997, 1999, 2002 – 2005) |
2 (1995, 2005) |
|
Alexander Wurz |
69 (1997 – 2000, 2005, 2007) |
9 (1996, 2008 – 2015) |
1 (1996) |
|
Stefan Johansson |
79 (1980, 1983 – 1991) |
15 (1983 – 1984, 1990 – 1992, 1997 – 2001, 2003, 2006 – 2008, 2012) |
1 (1997) |
|
Allan McNish |
16 (2002) |
14 (1997 – 2000, 2004 – 2013) |
2 (1998, 2008) |
|
Pierluigi Martini |
118 (1984 – 1985, 1988 – 1995) |
5 (1984, 1996 – 1999) |
1 (1999) |
|
Emanuele Pirro |
37 (1989 – 1991) |
13 (1981, 1998 – 2008, 2010) |
5 (2000 – 2002, 2006, 2007) |
|
David Brabham |
24 (1990, 1994) |
18 (1992 – 1993, 1996 – 2010, 2012) |
1 (2009) |
|
Mark Gene |
36 (1996 – 2000, 2003 – 2004) |
8 (2007 – 2014) |
1 (2009) |
|
Andre Lotterer |
1 (2014) |
11 (2009 – 2019) |
3 (2011 – 2012, 2014) |
|
Nico Hulkenberg |
179 (2010, 2012 – 2020) |
1 (2015) |
1 (2015) |
|
Brendon Hartley |
25 (2017 – 2018) |
9 (2012 – 2020) |
2 (2017, 2020) |
|
Sebastian Buemi |
55 (2009 – 2011) |
9 (2012 – 2020) |
3 (2018 – 2020) |
|
Kazuki Nakajima |
36 (2007 – 2009 |
9 (2012 – 2020) |
3 (2018 – 2020) |