24-hours of Le Mans - The greatest finish

Fifty years ago, arguably the greatest 24 Hours of Le Mans ever ended with Jacky Ickx’s Ford GT crossing the finishing line just 20 metres ahead of the second place Porsche in the most nail-biting finish in the history of the world-famous endurance race.

The race got off to a controversial start when Ickx ignored tradition and walked to his Gulf-liveried GT on the start line, rather than sprinting like the other drivers, got in, buckled his harness and pulled away at the back of the field.

The Belgian was protesting against regulations that allowed drivers to set off without being fully belted in, a move that would prove hauntingly prophetic when on the very first lap, unrestrained English driver John Woolfe crashed his Porsche 917 and died. It would be the last Le Mans that started with drivers running to their vehicles.

Ickx and his co-driver, Englishman Jackie Oliver, were not expected to feature very highly. The pole-setting Porsche was more technologically advanced and 15 seconds a lap faster. However, after some spirited driving and a few retirements they made their way up to seventh after four hours.

Ickx and Oliver continued their climb up the leader board, and when both leading Porsches retired just three hours from the end of the race, they took the lead. Hans Herrmann’s Porsche, however, was close behind and as the race entered its final two hours, spectators witnessed some of the most scintillating wheel-to-wheel action ever seen at the circuit.

Entering the final lap, Ickx chased the Porsche out of Tertre Rouge and, mustering all the grunt he could from the 5.0-litre V8, slipstreamed past on the long Mulsanne Straight. It was a gamble, but it worked, and he took the chequered flag just two seconds ahead of Herrmann in the closest finish in Le Mans history.

For Ford, it was the last of four consecutive Le Mans wins with the GT. For Ickx, it was the first of six Le Mans wins – a feat which makes him the second most successful Le Mans competitor.

Ickx and Oliver will be reunited with their race-winning Ford GT at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.

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