Photo : - Mazda Motor Europe GmbH

For Toyota's return to endurance racing next year, they will have the operational support of Oreca. This Japanese-French alliance is not unlike that which allowed Mazda to win in 1991 with the support of ... Oreca!

When he created Oreca (ORganisation Exploitation Compétition Automobile) in 1972, Hugues de Chaunac turned first to single-seater cars and particularly Didier Pironi, Alain Prost and Jean Alesi. With numerous wins in F3, the team boss began to widen his horizon - after leading the Lada offensive in the Dakar in 1990 - decided to tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Meanwhile, Mazda was looking for a European office to facilitate the logistics of its entry to the greatest test of endurance in the world ... 

"The project was entirely developed in Japan by MazdaSpeed ​​and the cars were run by Oreca", remembers Johnny Herbert, winner of the 1991. "This combination was key to victory at Le Mans." Jacky Ickx, who was an adviser in Oreca confirms. "Our cultures are complementary," said the six-time winner of the event. "On the one hand, there was the experience and the European strategy, on the other, self-denial and discipline Japanese ... All this in an atmosphere of united passion welded on both sides." The Belgian driver Pierre Dieudonné agrees with his compatriot:" A relationship of trust had been established. This helped to exploit the best of each culture and make our programme so effective."

Thus, on Sunday, June 23, 1991, in a race announced as a battle of wits between Mercedes and Jaguar, the rotary-engined outsider Mazda upset all predictions to take victory.

On 17 June 2012, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be presented as a clash of wits between Audi and Peugeot. The Toyota hybrid will be the outsider. Maybe history repeat itself?

Julien Hergault

Photo : LE MANS (SARTHE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 22 JUNE 1991. Standing with the door of the blue and white 787 #56 at his elbow Hugues de Chaunac prepares to take Mazda to victory.