Jochen Rindt tribute: Le Mans 1965
To mark the 40th anniversary of Jochen Rindt's death, AUTOSPORT looks back at some of his finest moments. First up is the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours, where the 23-year-old fledgling F1 driver made a name for himself
Ford's greatest onslaught at Le Mans ended in dismal failure when their 7-litre machines went out early on, after setting a cracking pace. With the disappearance of the Bruce McLaren/Ken Miles and the Phil Hill/Chris Amon cars, and the mechanical troubles of the smaller-engined GT Fords, Ferrari swept on to an undisputed victory. True, the SEFAC machines had troubles, but the independent entries were there to score a 1-2-3 success, followed by a couple of the inevitable Porsches.
The highest-placed British entry was the Rover-BRM turbine of Graham Hill/Jackie Stewart, which finished in 10th place having covered 2370.42 miles - only 12.8 miles more than the perfectly standard Stage Two MGB driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Andrew Hedges.
The philosophical problems the WEC's new Hypercar class is already facing
OPINION: Most of the column inches after the World Endurance Championship's opener were centred around the relative pace of the Hypercar class and the LMP2s, but there's another question that needs addressing in order for the new division to have a successful future
How stumbling Toyota drew first blood in the WEC's new era
Amid concerns that the new Hypercar class would be upstaged on debut by the spec LMP2 machines at Spa, Toyota delivered the pole and victory that the vast majority of observers expected. But neither car had a clean run, which gave the grandfathered Alpine LMP1 an unexpected shot at glory
Seven things to watch in the 2021 World Endurance Championship
Beyond the slender grid of headline-grabbing hypercars, there are numerous subplots and changes to look out for in the new season of the WEC, which gets underway at Spa this weekend. Here's the seven key things you need to know about
What to expect from sportscar racing's bold new Hypercar era
A slim field of three cars will be entered in the Hypercar class for the first round of the World Endurance Championship's post-LMP1 age. But there are plenty of reasons for optimism with the new wave of manufacturer entries and competing class philosophies just around the corner
How Aston Martin Racing scaled new heights in the Prodrive era
The 2021 World Endurance Championship kicks off at Spa this weekend, but for the first time since its 2012 inception there will be no works Aston Martins in the GTE-Pro class. As its new era in Formula 1 begins, Aston leaves behind a legacy of success courtesy of its Prodrive-run factory programme that was a hit from the word go in 2005
How 'Brilliant' Bob Wollek lived up to his nickname
Sportscar racing lost one of it's greatest talents 20 years ago today when Bob Wollek was knocked from his bicycle prior to the Sebring 12 Hours. The enigmatic Frenchman never won the Le Mans 24 Hours, but many still remember today why 'Brilliant Bob' became a legend
Top 10 moments of an underrated British great
Brian Redman was one of the best sportscar drivers of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as a three-time champion on the fearsome American Formula 5000 scene. To celebrate his 84th birthday Autosport contacted him about his best races – and he decided to write the piece himself…
How an endurance racing boom could help one of LMP2's top teams
The G-Drive squad has been a mainstay of endurance racing in recent years, and has linked up with Russian manufacturer Aurus in recent years to promote its brand. With a change of rules in endurance racing's top tables, the team could be well-placed to take advantage of a potential boom...
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