For the Voix aux Calandres organized by the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum for the exhibition dedicated to Porsche's 70th anniversary (until 24 February), Gérard Larrousse agreed to a brief interview.

What inspires you about Porsche's involvement in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1951 to today?

"What I find remarkable is the marque's evolution since its debut. Starting with a small car like the 356 all the way to the 919 Hybrid is extraordinary. I would have loved to drive the 2018 911 RSR. I was able to visit the exhibition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum, 'Porsche at Le Mans,' and it was very moving for me to see these cars again because they are so impressive."

In 1969, you missed winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans by 120 meters at the wheel of the Porsche 908 shared with your teammate Hans Herrmann. Does it still bother you?

"Not at all. At the time, of course I was disappointed. I've seen photos where you can see it on my face, but that didn't last. That day I gained international exposure since I'd never taken part in a race as important as the 24 Hours of Le Mans before."

The Porsche 917 you drove in 1970 and 1971 made history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What can you tell us about the car?

"The Porsche 917 I drove in 1970 and 1971 was a very successfully developed car. It was quite different from the first version in 1969 that I never drove. It wasn't hard to manage. It was extraordinary and extremely fast in the straights. You could get up to 390 km/h. Its grip was nearly perfect. The car allowed me to finishe second overall in 1970 despite very challenging weather. That was an agonizing race since my biggest problem was overtaking the 911s in the straights while they were spraying water everywhere and if I accelerated too much I could aquaplane. Unfortunately, in 1971 we were forced to retire."

What do you remember about Ferry Porsche ?

"My main memory is that he attended practically every race, oftentimes with his wife. He knew how to create a family atmosphere within his team. Ferry Porsche was a simple and easily approachable man. He was pretty extraordinary."

Which teammate made the biggest impression on you?

"Vic Elford was definitely my favorite teammate. In the beginning, he was pretty much my hero because he got me with Porsche. I did the entire 1971 season with him and I remember that time fondly. That year, we won the 12 Hours of Sebring."

After representing Porsche from 1969 to 1971, you competed against the marque in 1973 and 1974 with Matra, then as the head of Renault Sport in the late 70s.

"It was a fifth gear battle between Porsche and Renault (laughs, Ed.). We won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 after Porsche broke the fifth gear in its gearbox, the same problem we had had multiple times during testing sessions. It was my engineers' Achilles heel. To find a solution, we first went to do high speed testing in the U.S. at a technical center. We went full bore for hours and hours until the gear broke. Then we set up testing at Renault Sport tailored specifically for the Le Mans circuit. Our engineers developed an adapted program. In the end, we reinforced it and it held during the race. Porsche engineer Norbert Singer shared with me thereafter that their fifth gear had a factory defect. It just goes to show that at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the smallest detail can affect getting the win."

PHOTO: Gérard Larrousse during the Voix aux Calandres conference during the exhibition "Porsche at Le Mans" at the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum.