This year, the 24-hours of Le Mans race promises to be spectacular.Not only will we see Audi, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota jumping on each
others throats for 24-hours straight, but a celebration of the
automobile as well.
Last year, group C prototypes were invited to take part in the support race – just a few hours before the start of the modern 24-hour endurance event; this year, it seems the “Le Mans Legend” race will honor cars that raced in La Sarthe between 1949 and 1968. Ford GT40s Porsche 908s and Alfa Romeo T33/2s are just a few examples.
Furthermore, McLaren will parade five F1 GTRs to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their famous Le Mans victory. In 1995, five McLarens dominated the race, finishing in 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th position, despite the fact that the team made its debut in the fearsome race.
After 20 years, all these F1s will be reunited for a parade lap on the legendary circuit – including the winning chassis #01R. Furthermore, the P1 GTR will make its global debut, leading the pack of McLarens on the track.
It will be a sight to behold, as the five F1 GTRs will be brought together for the first time – in the last two decades – at La Sarthe, alongside the newest track munching hyper-car.
We cannot help but wonder, how would an F1 GTR stack up against a P1 GTR? Mind you, because of the rules at the time, the F1 was required to use an air-restrictor to limit the power of the BMW-sourced V12 engine to around 600 BHP, making the car less powerful than the road-going version. Put it up against a 968 BHP P1 wouldn’t be very fair now, would it?
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