The 38th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 was marked by the battle of the giants, Porsche and Ferrari. To counter the German’s 917, which had made its first appearance the year before, the Italians fielded the new 512 and an appealing line-up of new drivers. In fact, Enzo Ferrari had brought in Jacky Ickx, who had won his first Grand Prix for the team in 1968 before moving to Brabham in 1969... and winning his first Le Mans 24 Hours race in the Ford GT40 that year. He shared the wheel of the 512 #5, with Swiss driver Peter Schetty. Meanwhile, another Le Mans rookie, Derek Bell raced the #7 car with Swedish co-driver Ronnie Peterson. The Belgian and the Brit were unfortunately forced to retire, Ickx in the eleventh hour because of an accident, and Bell in the fourth hour due to engine failure.

While Jacky Ickx continued to race for “il Commendatore” in both endurance and Formula 1 until 1973, he would never complete the 24 Hours at the wheel of a Ferrari. Derek Bell, however, crossed the finish line at Le Mans for the first time in one of the best-known Ferrari tourers of the 1970s, the 365 GTB4 Daytona, finishing eighth overall with teammates Teddy Pilette and Richard Bond. Two years later, he broke into the Top 5 for the first time, when he was fourth to cross the line in the Gulf Mirage GR7 prototype. Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx first drove together on the Gulf Research team in 1975. The partnership’s four Le Mans entries resulted in three victories (1975 in the Gulf Mirage GR8, 1981 in the Porsche 936/81 and 1982 in the Porsche 956) and one second place (1983 in the Porsche 956).

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DE LA SARTHE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 10 & SUNDAY 11 JUNE 1972. On his third appearance at the 24 Hour of Le Mans, Derek Bell finished eighth in the Ferrari “Daytona” under the colours of the Belgian Ecurie Francorchamps team.