Photo : DOMINIQUE BREUGNOT/ACO

 

For Allan McNish, it all started in La Sarthe in 1997 with Porsche, at the wheel of a 911 GT1 of the Roock Racing team with Austrian Karl Wendlinger and Stéphane Ortelli from Monaco. Though the first time ended in retiring from the race, he returned the following year as a factory driver with Ortelli and the 911 GT1. They won the race, along with French Laurent Aiello. Meanwhile, McNish performed a test session at the wheel of a Porsche prototype. This schedule was prematurely ended and the German automaker released the Scot, who participated in 1999 in his third 24 Hours at the wheel of a Toyota GT-One (retired). Then he accompanied Toyota for its Formula 1 debut in 2002, before finally returning to endurance with Audi, with whom he had already finished second at Le Mans in 2000.

For ten years, from 2004 to 2013, McNish was one of the great leaders of the 24 Hours. When he was at the finish, he never left the top 5: two new victories (2008 and 2013), a second place finish (2012), four third place finishes (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010), a fifth (2004) and twice retired (2007 and 2011). His association with Audi earned him one of the best track records in endurance history with a total of 29 wins (two at Le Mans, four at the 12 Hours of Sebring, three at Petit Le Mans and one at Tourist Trophy). In 2014, he will not be at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but no doubt he will follow very closely the triangular confrontation between Audi, Porsche and Toyota, the only three automakers for whom he has raced in the Sarthe.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO

The 82nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place June 14th and 15th (ticket information and entry list).

Photo : LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 19 2013, PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING. In 2013, Allan McNish ended his career with a third victory at Le Mans and a driver's world title in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).