Graham Hill (1929-1975), an outstanding track record - Hill’s 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours triumph was the culmination of a stunning career. His triumphs include two Formula One championships (1962 and 1968), fourteen Grand Prix (including five in Monaco) and the Indianapolis 500. He started the 1967 Grand Prix at Le Mans in pole position. Hill remains the only driver ever to have won the “triple crown”: the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans. The Briton formed his own Formula One team in 1974 but lost his life in an aeroplane crash on 29 November 1975.

Pedro Rodriguez (1940-1971), the Mexican icon - Pedro Rodriguez de la Vega was one of the greatest drivers of the late sixties and early seventies. He and his brother Ricardo made a great impression at the 1961 Le Mans 24 Hours, hot on the tail of winners Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill yet success in the French endurance race came late for Rodriguez who only finished twice in fourteen attempts (seventh in 1965). It was not until 1968 that he triumphed in the Ford GT40 with Lucien Bianchi. After a magnificent victory in the 1970 Belgian F1 Grand Prix Rodriguez found a car to match his talent, the Porsche 917, with which he took pole position in the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours with a qualifying time of over 250kph. He died in an accident at the Norisring circuit in Germany on 11 July 1971.

Jochen Mass, from Porsche to Mercedes - Like many other drivers of the seventies and eighties Jochen Mass was a master of both Formula One and endurance racing. He won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix and the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours. In 1976, the German teamed up with James Hunt at McLaren and therefore witnessed Hunt’s rivalry with Niki Lauda at close quarters.  In endurance, he formed a partnership with Jacky Ickx at the wheel of the Porsche 935. However, the pair only contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans once as a team, in 1985, finishing tenth. A loyal Porsche driver, Mass eventually triumphed at Le Mans in a Sauber-Mercedes in 1989, with fellow countryman Manuel Reuter and Swede Stanley Dickens.

Johnny Herbert, a win for Japan - In 1991, Johnny Herbert made history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when he won the race in a Mazda, still the only Japanese manufacturer to have triumphed in the French marathon. Herbert collapsed with exhaustion once over the finish line and did not recover in time to enjoy the podium ceremony with his co-drivers Bertrand Gachot and Volker Weidler. At the 20th anniversary of the win, a special celebration was organised to make up for it. In the meantime, Herbert was a major contributor to the Audi campaign, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2002 and Petit Le Mans in 2003.

 

The story of the sixteen drivers who won both Le Mans 24 Hours and a Formula One Grand Prix continues. Read the following instalments to find out more.

 

If you missed the beginning of the series, catch up here:

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (1) - Six winners, six stories

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (2) - Five drivers who competed in both

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (3) - Five Ferrari drivers

1967: Le Mans 24 Hours and the F1 Grand Prix (4) - Five more Ferrari stories

 

Photo (Copyright ACO Archives): After seven attempts at wining Le Mans with Porsche between 1978 and 1987, Jochen Mass switched to Sauber-Mercedes in 1988 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989.