24h Le Mans
On 11 June this year, James Calado became the second British driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a Ferrari, fortifying his place in history by claiming the top step at the Centenary. Several other Brits had previously made it into the top 10 with the Italian marque since its first appearance in 1949. Here's a look back at a legacy forged primarily in the 1960s and 1970s.
While Forza Ferrari (loosely translated to "Go, Ferrari") is a rallying cry for Italian fans, known as tifosi, the remarkable results achieved by drivers from across the Channel have certainly earned an additional Ferrari slogan of Forza Britannia.
After climbing all levels of the single-seater promotion formulas, James Calado made the move to endurance racing in 2015 and joined AF Corse, Ferrari's official representative at Le Mans. Just two years later, he and Alessandro Pier Guidi had proven themselves major contenders in the FIA World Endurance Championship with three world titles (2017, 2021 and 2022) as well as two class wins at the 24 Hours in LMGTE Pro (2019 and 2021). Both were given well-earned promotions to the Hypercar 499 P shared with Antonio Giovinazzi. Fun fact: Calado and Pier Guidi both won all of their victories in the FIA WEC with the same racing number: 51.
The name Peter Mitchell-Thomson, 2nd Baron Selsdon, forever marked Ferrari's history after clinching the marque's first win in 1949 as a stand-in for Luigi Chinetti. The latter had circumvented Enzo Ferrari's refusal to enter the 166 MM in the 24 Hours by having the Brit do so in his place. Chinetti proceeded to spend more than 22 hours at the wheel, ceding the car to his teammate only after he felt there was enough of a lead. The following year, Lord Selsdon's fourth and final appearance ended in a retirement with a Ferrari once again fielded himself, and shared with Jean Lucas. He had also taken the start twice before World War II, finishing fourth with a Lagonda in 1939.
John Surtees' experience with Ferrari amounted to both a special achievement and failed opportunities. After joining Ferrari in 1963, he became world champion the next year and the only racer to be crowned in Formula 1 and moto racing (seven titles between 1956 and 1960). Meanwhile, from 1963 and 1965, Surtees' speed and exceptional talent as an engineer-driver made him a consistent contender for victory at Le Mans, but to no avail. In 1963, he clocked the in-race lap record, but the 250 P shared with Belgian driver Willy Mairesse was forced to retire after holding the reins for 252 laps. In 1965, he was once again unable to reach the finish line after leading the race consistently. Surtees earned his best result in 1964 with pole position and third place with Lorenzo Bandini, and then walked out on Ferrari during testing for the 1966 24 Hours following a dispute with sporting director Eugenio Dragoni.
Hill is the only driver in history to secure the car racing Triple Crown (F1 world champion and winner of the 24 Hours and the Indianapolis 500). Moss is a four-time F1 world champion runner-up who finished second at Le Mans twice, and even took a certain pride in being the "uncrowned champion." Sharing a Ferrari 250 GT in 1961, the duo was in fourth position overall when a fan blade damaged a water hose, causing the car's engine to overheat and leading to retirement. The following year, Moss was involved in an accident that ended his career while Hill finished second in 1964 at the wheel of a Ferrari 330 P shared with Swedish driver Jo Bonnier. Just shy of his 80th birthday in 2009, Moss got back in the 1961 250 GT fully restored by Ferrari Classiche, the department dedicated to the marque's collection cars.
Ronnie Hoare never drove a Ferrari at Le Mans, but remains nonetheless a key figure in the manufacturer's history across the Channel. Known as the "Colonel" in deference to his military service, Hoare purchased a 250 GT in 1958, then became a Ferrari importer in the U.K. when he established Maranello Concessionaires in 1960. Three years later he took his first start in the 24 Hours, joining forces with Jack Sears and Mike Salmon and finishing fifth. In 1964, Graham Hill/Jo Bonnier and Innes Ireland/Tony Maggs scored the team's best results at Le Mans with second and sixth places, respectively. In 1966, Piers Courage and Roy Pike secured Ferrari's top finish that year with a class win (eighth overall).
Long-time Ferrari partner Mike Parkes possessed extraordinary technical saavy, enabling him to contribute to the development of several road Ferraris. In 10 starts with the Italian manufacturer (out of 11 participations), he reached the top 10 four times and claimed three podium finishes (second in 1961 and 1967, third in 1963). During his career, Parkes teamed up with four different 24 Hours winners: Lorenzo Bandini (1962), Ludovico Scarfiotti (1964, 1966 and 1967), Jean Guichet (1965) and Henri Pescarolo (1971). Fun fact: his versatility also earned him a role in the development of the Lancia Stratos, one of the queens of rally racing in the 1970s.
In 14 runnings of the 24 Hours between 1967 and 1989, the competitive nature of Brian Redman earned him a seat in the top cars of the era: the Ford GT40, Porsche 917, 935, 936 and 962C, the BMW Art Car, Lola, Jaguar and Aston Martin, as well as the 1973 Ferrari 312 PB prototype. He joined Jacky Ickx for the Ferrari factory team's return to the race after a three-year hiatus, facing off against French constructor and 1972 winner Matra. On Sunday morning, Redman/Ickx delivered an outstanding duel with the Matra driven by Henri Pescarolo/Gérard Larrousse. After losing the lead due to a spin-out and then a fuel tank problem, Redman/Ickx made it back to the same lap and triumphed as the Matra failed to restart during a pit stop and was then forced to retire at 14:27 with a broken engine with Ickx at the wheel.
After that peak Franco-Italian duel, 50 years would pass before for an official Ferrari team would return to the head class at Le Mans. This year, at the Centenary running no less and just like the 166 MM in 1949, the 499 P Hypercar reached the top step on the podium for its first participation, in the wake of a stunning battle with Toyota on Sunday morning.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Calado teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi, and for more stories about Italian Ferrari racing drivers.
PHOTOS (Copyright - ACO Archives): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. From top to bottom: the #51 Ferrari's win at the Centenary with James Calado brandishing the chequered flag; flanked by teammates Alessandro Pier Guidi (at left) and Antonio Giovinazzi, Calado leaves his imprint on the history of the 24 Hours; starting in 1964, the Ferraris fielded by British outfit Maranello Concessionaires sported a red livery with a centre sky blue stripe, pictured here the #16 365 P2 in 1966 driven by David Piper, a major player in sporting races in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and Richard Attwood who in 1970 gave Porsche the first of its 19 wins at Le Mans; Brian Redman taking on the Arnage Corner in 1973 at the wheel of the #15 312 PB he shared with Jacky Ickx.
