TOP 10 LMP1 RACES
Ahead of the current LMP1 racers’ last hurrah at Le Mans, we pick out the best contests from a category that has helped define endurance racing this century
A stunning opportunist manoeuvre decided an amazing race between the two Veloqx
Audis in the inaugural Le Mans Endurance
Series race at Monza in May 2004. The difference between the two factory-backed R8s over the course of the four-hour race was Johnny Herbert’s overtaking move on the grass on the exit of the Ascari Chicane.
Herbert, who co-drove his R8 with Jamie Davies, was chasing Pierre Kaffer, in the car started by Allan Mcnish, through the third hour. The Brit knew he was quicker, but was concerned about finding an opportunity to make it past an identical car (the evenly matched Audis were rarely separated by much more than 20 seconds). He saw that chance coming when he spied a Ferrari GT1 car
200 or so metres up the road as they exited the second Lesmo.
“I knew Pierre was going to catch the Ferrari on the exit of the chicane and I needed to keep my momentum so I could get a run down to the Parabolica,” recalls Herbert. “It was more or less planned and I thought I might have to put a couple of wheels on the grass as I went around the Ferrari.”
Herbert had to go much wider than he anticipated: “I knew the grass was flat and there was no drop from the kerb, so I changed up early to avoid spinning the wheels and just kept my foot in and put all four wheels off track. The grass, as I expected, was like a bowling green and my momentum allowed me to pass.”
The race was far from over, however. A late rain storm allowed Mcnish to come back at Herbert. He caught the leader, despite two offs at the first chicane, and ended up just six tenths behind at the finish.