Presented in its road version in Monaco in 1992, the McLaren F1 made its mark with aesthetic daring, particularly in the switchblade doors and three front seats with the middle driving seat situated slightly forward. The car was designed by Gordon Murray, one of the most imaginative "brains" in Formula 1 between 1970 and 1980. At the request of certain teams, a race car version became available in 1995, called F1 GTR. And, from the outset, clinched the most prestigious victory there was for a high performance road car adapted into one for competition.

-The McLaren F1 GTR won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for its first participation, in 1995, with at the wheel Yannick Dalmas, JJ Lehto and Japanese driver Masanori Sekiya. In doing so, the latter became the first citizen of his country to win at Le Mans. It was a true triumph for the F1 GTR, with four units in the top 5 (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th).

-Eight other former and future winners at the 24 Hours have driven the McLaren F1 GTR at Le Mans: Andy Wallace, Derek Bell, Mark Blundell, Jochen Mass, John Nielsen, David Brabham, Dindo Capello and Emanuele Pirro. They have 25 wins between them.

-Current President of the Endurance Commission for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones drove the McLaren F1 GTR twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with as best result a fifth place finish in 1996 shared with David Brabham and Pierre-Henri Raphanel. At that time, he was the CEO of L'Oréal.

-Auctioneer and gentleman-driver Hervé Poulain turned the F1 GTR into the "Art Car" of the 1995 24 Hours, commissioning the famous French sculptor César (1921-1998) for the task. Along with Marc Sourd and Jean-Luc Maury-Laribière, he finished 13th overall. That F1 GTR was on display on September 6th for the second edition of Arts & Elégance at the Château de Chantilly.

-Manager for the band Pink Floyd until his death, and also a gentleman-driver (a passion shared with Nick Mason, the group's drummer), Steve O'Rourke (1940-2003) achieved at the wheel of the McLaren F1 GTR his best result at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a fourth place finish in 1998, along with Tim Sugden and Bill Auberlen.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY & SUNDAY JUNE 15-16 1996. The McLaren F1 GTR sported the famous Gulf oil company's blue and orange livery. Here, the car of Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, Pierre-Henri Raphanel and David Brabham, fifth in 1996.