Across his 13 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud experienced three great French motorsport adventures of the 1970s and 1980s with Matra, Renault-Alpine and Rondeau. With Matra, he claimed his first podium finish at the race, in 1973, the third place shared with Jean-Pierre Jabouille. After taking part in the start of Jean Rondeau's involvement in 1976 (under the Inaltéra), Jaussaud joined Renault-Alpine the following year. In the wake of the retirement in 1977 with Patrick Tambay, he teamed up with Didier Pironi in 1978.

The 46th 24 Hours was the scene of the second big duel for victory between Renault-Alpine and Porsche. After winning in 1976 and 1977, the next year the Porsche 936 fell victim to several problems (namely the gearbox) and never held the lead of the race. On the other hand, Renault-Alpine was dominating. In the top spot for the first six hours, Jaussaud and Pironi passed the reins to teammates Patrick Depailler and Jean-Pierre Jabouille, then picked them back up definitively in 19th hour.

Sadly, after winning his eighth running of the race, Jaussaud had to celebrate alone on the podium. Dehydrated during his final stint to the finish line, Pironi fell ill getting out of the race car. As the first notes of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, began playing, Jaussaud burst into tears. The victory was the culminationn of an already impressive career – the French driver was 41 years old at the time – and another emotional experience awaited him at the 24 Hours circuit two years later.

"The longest 30 seconds of my life."

After a Franco-British detour with Mirage-Ford in 1979 (retirement), Jaussaud reconnected with his 1980 teammate, Jean Rondeau. Another duel with Porsche was on the menu for the French duo against Jacky Ickx and Reinhold Joest, both highly motivated: a possible fifth victory would make Ickx the new win record holder at Le Mans, while Joest was seeking his first triumph at the race.

Most of the 48th running of the 24 Hours took place in relentless rain and turned into a long chase back and forth between Ickx/Joest and Jaussaud/Rondeau. The race took a turn shortly before 10:-00 on Sunday when Joest was stuck in the garage for half an hour with fifth gear troubles.

So the Rondeau car retook the lead, seemingly for good. Forty-fve minutes from the checkered flag, a torrential downpour hit the circuit. In the middle of his climb, Ickx switched to rain tires as Jaussaud opted to stay with the dry. He soon spun out and stalled his engine. It took three attempts to restart the 3-liter V8 Ford-Cosworth. The win may have been saved, but it was no walk in the park! Jean-Pierre Jaussaud: "The longest 30 seconds of my life. A real miracle!" 

After five years of effort, it was pure euphoria for the troops of Le Mans native Jean Rondeau, the first – and sole to this day – constructor-driver to win the 24 Hours. An overjoyed Jaussaud threw his winner flower crown into the crowd! The French driver's two victories appear to be a true compendium of the spectrum of strong emotions caused by the 24 Hours, including tears, fears, determination, resilience, relief and jubilation.

PHOTOS (Copyright - ACO ARCHIVES): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS 1978 & 1980. Jean-Pierre Jaussaud's wins in two shots, tears on the podium in 1978 (above) and the jubilation in 1980 with Jean Rondeau (below).