For Stefan Johansson and Pierluigi Martini, victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans came later in life after long careers in Formula 1. But Allan McNish quickly made endurance his preferred playing field, earning him one of the most remarkable track records in the history of the discipline.

Stefan Johansson, the 24 Hours and single-seaters at the same time - British Formula 3 Champion in 1980, Stefan Johansson competed in most all other single-seater disciplines (Formula 2, Formula 1, three participations in the Indianapolis 500), but he knew, like many other drivers of the early 1980s, to follow a parallel journey in endurance and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The year he debuted in Formula 1, in 1983 he joined Reinhold Joest's camp as a rookie, became a factory Mazda driver then returned to Joest for the win in 1997. For that peak in his career, the Swedish driver reached the top of the podium along with Michele Alboreto, his former Ferrari teammate in Formula 1 in 1985 and 1986, and a certain...Tom Kristensen. During his long career at Le Mans, Stefan Johansson shared the wheel with several other 24 Hours winners (Klaus Ludwig, Yannick Dalmas, Emanuele Pirro, J.J. Lehto and Jan Lammers) and even became the driver-owner of his own team. Now involved in the management side of motorsport, he handles among others Scott Dixon, winner of the Indianapolis 500 and seen in 2016 and 2017 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a Ford GT.

Stefan Johansson (born on September 8, 1956) - 15 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1983 and 2012 (1 win in 1997), 69 Grand Prix from 1983 to 1991 (12 podiums).

Allan McNish, the flying Scotsman - Allan McNish is undoubtedly one of the greatest figures in the history of endurance, to such a degree his short but impressive career in Formula 1 is (almost) secondary. After winning the first of three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for his second participation in 1998, he joined Toyota for the 1999 edition of the 24 Hours then became involved in the development program that led the Japanese manufacturer to Formula 1 in 2002. Allan McNish was named a regular driver after having served as a test driver with McLaren and Benetton. At the end of his only F1 season, he returned to endurance full-time with Audi, "the best decision I ever made" he admitted in 2013 upon his retirement. McNish's stunning track record includes three wins at Le Mans, four at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, three American Le Mans Series titles and one in the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC)...not to mention a never waning popularity thanks to his devastating sense of humor (dished with an inimitable Scottish accent!) at the microphone and his exceptional fighting spirit. These days Allan McNish is a renowned Formula 1 commentator and the Audi team manager in Formula E.

Allan McNish (born on December 29, 1969) - 14 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1997 and 2013 (3 wins in 1998, 2008 and 2013), 16 Grand Prix in 2002.

Pierluigi Martini, the last to win - After a long journey in Formula 1, Pierluigi Martini finally won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the most important victory of his career. It was a late but deserved triumph after 10 seasons in Formula 1 in which his tenacity earned him a few top 5s up until 1995. Twelve years after his first participation in the 24 Hours with Lancia in 1984, he returned to Le Mans with Porsche at the wheel of a prototype (1996), then with the 911 GT1 (1997) before becoming a factory BMW driver when the marque moved into LMP1 in 1998 and 1999. The second year, the BMW V12 LMR he shared with Yannick Dalmas and Joachim Winkelhock took the lead on Sunday after the car of their teammates Tom Kristensen-J.J. Lehto-Jörg Müller had an incident. Pierluigi Martini had to endure relentless pressure from the Toyota GT-One driven by Katayama-Suzuki-Tsuchiya until the car suffered a flat tire. For his final participation in the 24 Hours, the Italian driver was able to drive the car under the checkered flag.

Pierluigi Martini (born on April 23, 1961) - 5 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1984 and 1999 (1 win in 1999), 118 Grand Prix from 1984 to 1995.

 

Click below for previous installments in this series:

12 Formula One drivers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1988-1999 (1) - '88 to '90

12 Formula One drivers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1988-1999 (2) - 1992

12 Formula One drivers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1988-1999 (3) - '94 to '96

 

PHOTO (Copyright - ACO Archives/Christian Vignon): As soon he crossed the finish line the winner of the 1999 24 Hours, Pierluigi Martini was congratulated by Joachim Winkelhock, one of his teammates.