Jean Guichet (*), what memories do you have of Le Mans 66? What was the background to your race with the Ferrari team?

“In 1966, I was a Ferrari works driver. That season, I drove either the Dino 206P proto or the 330 P3. In fact, the 1966 season saw a confrontation between the Porsche 906 and the Ferrari Dino 206P in the 2L class, as well as the clash between the Ford GT40 and the Ferrari 330 P3. For the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, I shared one of the two works Ferrari 330 P3s with Lorenzo Bandini.”

How did you feel about Ford and Ferrari going head-to-head?

“The battle actually started in 1963 in the GT class with the AC Cobra Fords at Le Mans and the Ferrari 250 GTOs. The GTO, which was an extraordinary car – fast and robust –, enabled Ferrari to win the world championship. In 1964, the closed-cockpit Cobra Daytona Fords made their appearance, still with the engine at the front. They were much faster but again, Ferrari got the upper hand [in the world championship]. In 1963-64, Ferrari launched a new generation of rear-engined prototypes, the P series, and the following year, Ford came up with the rear-engined GT40. 
So that’s how I saw the Ford GT40s roll up at Le Mans in 1964. The cars were fast but weren’t yet reliable enough.
That year, I won the race with teammate Nino Vaccarella. In 1965, I shared a Ferrari P2 with Mike Parkes.
The Fords clocked the fastest times in practice and had the 7L engine, but the P2s were very fast. Mike and I lead for most of the race. Unfortunately, our gearbox didn’t stay the course and we were forced to pull out in the 23rd hour, leaving the win for the Ferrari LM.

In 1966, Ford entered an arsenal of Ford GT40s – there were 13 of them on the grid!  And we had to admit that they’d proven their reliability in the preceding races. At the 1966 24 Hours, there were only three Ferrari 330 P3s – two works entries and one for the Nart team. My car, a works 330 P3 prototype with a 4L engine, raced under the number #21. The Ferraris broke down and the Fords finished 1-2-3. Yet when we talk about Ford’s clean sweep at Le Mans, we should also recall Ferrari’s own 1-2-3 finish at Daytona in 1967.

The next 24-hour race after Le Mans was the 24 Hours of Daytona. So, in the States, on Ford’s home territory. The Ferraris took all three podium spots, with Pedro Rodriguez and I coming third. Towards the end of the race, Ferrari’s management gave us orders to group the three leading cars and cross the finish line together, which we did. Back then, that was seen as our revenge on Ford, and I think it was the real culmination of the battle between Ford and Ferrari."

Which drivers did you spend time with back then?

“At the time, my teammates at Ferrari were most often Mike Parkes, Pedro Rodriguez, Nino Vaccarella, Lorenzo Bandini and Giancarlo Baghetti.”

What was your relationship with the Ford team?

“I can’t really say I had one at the time. In early 1963, I had signed up with Ford to drive a Cobra Ford at Daytona alongside Jo Schlesser, after which Ferrari took me on as a works driver. I stayed with Ferrari from 1963 to ‘67.”

How was the Ferrari team run?

“Dragoni was the sporting director. He got his instructions straight from Mr Ferrari. The technical director was Forghieri  and he was our technical contact.”

How did the race go for you?

“I remember being worried about the transmission on the P3 and I knew that the Fords had clocked the best times during practice and would set off at speed, especially as there were so many of them: some of them would risk sprinting off to try and wear down the Ferraris. And, to make it to the finish, I knew we needed to take care of the car early in the race. I was fifth after four laps but after the sixth hour, the car was hit by one problem after another. We were the last Ferrari P3 to remain on the track, but we had to pull out in the 17th hour."

Were you surprised by the pace of the Fords?

“No, I wasn't surprised by the pace because I’d raced alongside them in previous events. However, I wasn’t expecting to see so many of them! Also, at Le Mans back then, the cars that started out front were not necessarily the ones that finished the race.”

(*) Jean Guichet counts 13 starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including a victory in 1964. He also won the Tour Auto.

LE MANS 66 EXHIBITION AT THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS MUSEUM

The 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum is turning the spotlight on Le Mans 66 in an exhibition running until 23 February 2020. Make sure you visit for a very special peek behind the scenes of James Mangold’s film and of the 1966 race. 

For more info: 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum

Photo: ACO/Heritage department