24h Le Mans
In the early 1990s, endurance racing found itself at a turning point. Major constructors were competing at Le Mans as well as in the world sports car championship, and their prototypes were all exceptional. Peugeot and Toyota in particular wowed spectators with the sensational mechanical beauty of their designs.
How two constructors were able to reach legendary status during this period could be the subject of its own book. At the end of the 1980s, racing authorities were looking to elevate endurance racing to the level of Formula 1 through a series of unprecedented measures. They aimed to shorten championship rounds to sprints, but keep the 24 Hours on the calendar. From 1989 to 1991, the situation wasn't exactly clear, but the major manufacturers were still keen on Le Mans as the annual premier event.
The powers that be decided to force carmakers interested in the new Group C world championship to design a 3.5L naturally aspirated engine like in F1. This is how Peugeot, through its sports division Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) joined the conversation at the end of 1990. Porsche had gotten a head start by entrusting its 962C to customer teams, Mazda was helped by its rotary engine prototypes, and then of course there was Toyota, Jaguar, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz.
Though the popularity of private teams had waned within the World Championship, the ACO did its best to preserve a certain consistency at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, engaging in an intense standoff with the organisation. As such, Mazda won a historic victory in 1991 ahead of the aforementioned marques who either were penalised for no longer meeting FISA requirements or failed to enter a prototype capable of winning. Peugeot's new weapon fell into the latter category, causing the French constructor to turn its sights on 1992.
Unveiled in February 1990, Peugeot's new car showed it meant business. The 905, with its white livery and three colours familiar to rally fans, was a stunner. The design of the carbon fiber chassis was executed by Dassault Aviation with the same software used for the Rafale. The 3.5L naturally aspirated V10 engine generated staggering horsepower.
The rival constructors who kept their hat in the ring fielded extremely powerful prototypes in their own right. All were obligated to comply with the even more restrictive changes to the regulations for 1992. Toyota and its TS010 quickly rose to the top of the hierarchy. In fact, no car except the 905 outperformed the TS010 at the 24 Hours.
Tests for the new 3.5L V10 were conducted in 1990, but only an earlier 89C-V could host the magnificent RV10. A new chassis was needed, and so emerged the TS010 designed by Tony Southgate responsible for the famous Jaguar XJR-9 and XJR-12 winners at Le Mans in 1988 and 1990, respectively. The new Toyota boasted so much aerodynamic downforce that Andy Wallace broke two ribs in a turn taken at more than 300 kph at Eastern Creek in Australia.
The confrontation between the two giants began in 1992 with Peugeot enjoying a one-year advantage. The new regulations cost teams a fortune in testing, with the French marque focusing on lengthy tests in order to win the 24 Hours. The 905 ran for nearly 40 hours at Paul Ricard! For the race at Autopolis in Japan in 1991, Peugeot arrived with 20 tonnes of equipment, 65 staff and seven spare engines. Toyota's strategy was similar, hitting nearly all the circuits in the world, sometimes for as long as nine days, to perfect the prototype's mechanics.
Test session results proved that, in terms of performance, the cars were capable of rivaling Formula 1s at several circuits. All that remained was to compete at Le Mans and make history because, barring any major surprises, either Peugeot or Toyota was sure to claim its very first win at the 24 Hours.
The Peugeot 905 had already greatly evolved since its first appearance on the track in late 1990. No other carmaker developed its prototype more than the French marque during that period. Three Peugeots and three Toyotas were entered in the 1992 24 Hours. The qualifying session demonstrated two things: the huge gap between the different categories (including the C4 created to compensate for the low number of participants) and the speed of the 905. With a time of 03:21.209, Philippe Alliot in the #2 Peugeot established a new lap record (the two new chicanes had by then been installed in the Mulsanne Straight). It would take until 2010 for another Peugeot, the 908 HDi FAP, to beat the record.
Remember what we said about "barring any major surprises"? Relentless downpours flooded the 1992 24 Hours from the very start. The naturally aspirated V10s easily exceeding 10,000 rpm ripped through the deluge lap after lap with one prototype unexpectedly holding its own better than the others: the #5 Mazda MXR-01 powered by Judd.
Shortly thereafter, however, the #1 Peugeot took the reigns thanks to Michelin tyres more effective in wet conditions than the Goodyears chosen by Toyota. The first major blow hit the Japanese marque late in the afternoon. Geoff Lees at the wheel of the #7 TS010, hindered by a slowed car ahead and constant blinding sprays of water, hit the brakes, causing a collision with Alain Ferté in the #31 Peugeot. Significantly delayed, both were forced to retire later on with engine failures.
Up ahead, the #2 905 joined its sister car in the lead, but they still had a long way to go. Peugeot like Toyota fell prey to critical complications: incidents for one and transmission worries for the other. At dawn, it seemed clear the #1 Peugeot was headed to victory despite certain electronic malfunctions. The car had held the lead nearly without fail since the start of the race, and no rival seemed equipped to battle for second place. The French marque set its sights on a one-two until the #2 905 slowed with transmission difficulties followed by an incident. The #33 TS010, the only Toyota still in good position, also experienced mechanical concerns, but nothing too detrimental.
Now on a dry track, the Japanese carmaker proved faster than its immediate pursuer on the same lap. Peugeot won the 1992 24 Hours thanks to the efforts of Derek Warwick, Yannick Dalmas and Mark Blundell in clinching the first French win since Rondeau in 1980. The #33 Toyota finished second (six laps behind) trailed by the last 905 still in the race (almost one lap behind).
PTS director Jean Todt deserved recognition for the success. Meanwhile, on the surface the race went as expected, but behind the scenes, the clash between the top racing authorities continued and the once glorious sports car world championship was entering its final days. The 1993 24 Hours was excluded from the championship, allowing the reintroduction of grand touring models for the first time since 1986. But the presence of the 3.5L beasts provided little suspense during race week.
Both constructors worked to improve their prototypes, Peugeot more so than Toyota in fact (now outfitted with Michelins as well). The qualifying sessions perfectly demonstrated the excess of that period. Philippe Alliot, seeking to improve his time from Wednesday, completely destroyed the #2 905 EV1 Ter at 200 kph in the Porsche Esses. Eddie Irvine in the #36 Toyota made a mistake at Mulsanne with an engine specially prepared for qualifying. Amazingly, Peugeot was able to repair the 905 in just one day. Alliot had already secured the pole for the second year in a row with a time of 03:24.94. In comparison, the best time of the old, restricted Porsche 962Cs was 03:47.723.
A stunning battle kicked off betwen the 905s and TS010s from the jump. As the frenzy settled down, the #1 Peugeot 905 EV1 Ter snatched the lead, chased by the #38 Toyota TS010. Unfortunately, Juan Manuel Fangio II, at the wheel of the latter, was hit by Yojiro Terada's Lotus at the second Mulsanne Straight chicane. What terrible luck! It took more than 30 minutes for repairs, relegating the car to P10 when it retook the track.
The #1 Peugeot carried on, but around 02:30 Teo Fabi found himself under duress! Faulty wiring filled the cockpit with smoke. The team's well-trained mechanics took less than five minutes to set things right, but that was enough for the #3 Peugeot to take control. The two cars took turns in P1 according to pit stops, while Toyota pushed hard to get back into the game.
Though the French marque suffered its fair share of misfortunes, the TS010s experienced a string of troubles, possibliy due to the driving pace. Irvine in the #36 Toyota delivered fast lap after fast lap and even established the record in just 03:27.47. His efforts were then dashed by an engine problem shortly after noon, costing the team half an hour. Andy Wallace's #37 TS010 had already been in the garage for quite some time, eventually retiring with a broken gearbox. The #38 Toyota, the last in the race, endured similar setbacks.
The race ended in a comfortable hat trick for Peugeot led by the #3 905 EV1 Ter shared by Éric Hélary, Christophe Bouchut and Geoff Brabham. The first Japanese car finished fourth, 11 laps behind. The waving of the chequered flag signalled the end of an era. Todt soon announced his departure for Scuderia Ferrari in F1. Peugeot left endurance competition to power McLaren in F1. Toyota blamed its engine department, but it made no difference. The barely used TS010 was destined for the marque's museum.
This extraordinary period in the history of endurance racing is difficult to define, but one thing is clear: the roar of the V10s still echoes at the 24 Hours circuit, a reminder to competitors never to give up and to come back stronger than ever.
