In 2005, the rally driver’s first time at Le Mans was as tense as a Hitchcock film or an episode of the TV series “24”. The race against time began on Sunday 5 June, the Test Day, an especially important day for rookie drivers negotiating the circuit for the first time.
Loeb was in Turkey. Having won the rally there, he jumped into a helicopter and headed straight for the aerodrome in Le Mans. At 18:16 precisely, he took the wheel of his Pescarolo prototype to complete the compulsory ten laps. Just to spice things up, it started raining! Not the best conditions for a reconnaissance mission. Ten laps and several negotiations later – to extend the test an hour – Henri Pescarolo breathed a sigh of relief.
Loeb teamed up with 1993-winner Eric Helary and Soheil Ayari but their #17 didn’t make it to the end of the race. However, the team still had cause for celebration as Pescarolo’s other car, driven by Emmanuel Collard, Jean-Christophe Boullion and Erik Comas, came second. The following year it was Loeb’s turn to come second, behind Biela, Pirro and Werner in the Audi. This time he drove with Eric Helary and Franck Montagny. In the interval between the two Le Mans races, Loeb was crowned rally world champion for the second time, with a record ten wins in one season. The next time he entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans it was several years later, as a team owner.
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translated from French by Emma Paulay
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, LE MANS 24 HOURS, SUNDAY 18 JUNE 2006, FINISH. Sébastien Loeb finishes second, much to the delight of the French crowd.