24h Le Mans
Photo : Frederic GAUDIN - ACO/NIKON
By his own admission, Alessandro del Piero is passionate about motorsport. He has also worn the colours of a city where football and cars are closely linked. Turin is the city of one of the most prestigious Italian clubs, Juventus (where Alessandro del Piero was for nearly twenty years), and the land of Fiat, an acronym of “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino” (Italian car factories Turin). Remember also that before becoming president of Ferrari (a position he still holds today) in 1991, Luca di Montezemolo had organized the Football World Cup 1990.
Lately, another footballer has gone even further by becoming a driver, and taking up the motorsport challenge: Fabien Barthez, former goalkeeper of the France team World Champion in 1998. Now aged 41, he became a regular of the French GT Tour series. He also took the wheel of a Formula Le Mans prototype on the 3rd of June 2012, during the test day of the 80th edition of the 24 Hours. He hopes to one day compete in the race (read HERE). For the record, the 1998 edition of the Sarthe classic was brought forward to The 6th and 7th of June, just before the start of the Football World Cupl in 1998 which saw the home victory of Barthez, Zidane, Deschamps , Lizarazu, Djorkaeff and others. As for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it was the sixteenth (and still most recent) victory for Porsche, with Laurent Aiello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish.
The paddock of the 90th anniversary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (ticket information here) could there be a meeting between Alessandro del Piero and Fabien Barthez, both former winners of the World Cup? Wait until16th to 23rd June to find out!
Jean-Philippe Doret
Photo: CIRCUIT OF 24 HOURS (LE MANS, SARTHE) TEST DAY FOR 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 3rd June 2012. Fabien Barthez behind the wheel of the Formula Le Mans Oreca prototype does his first laps on the 13 km circuit of the 24 Hours.
