*Sportscar/GT* Questions and Answers

[crooky]

For the curious and knowledgable, I thought it might be an idea to have a thread for random questions about Sportscars in general that don't really warrant a whole new thread every time.

I'll get things started:

Who was the last F1 driver to drive at Le Mans who drove in F1 as well that season? (Like Irvine in the Toyota and Jordan in 1994)

Is Webber the last of the current F1 grid to have driven at Le Mans?

Who was the last current F1 champion to race at Le Mans?

Last one... Alain Prost is well known for giving Le Mans a wide berth but are there any rumours that Peugeot approached him to drive in 1992 during his sabbatical?

[FstrthnU]

Is Webber the last of the current F1 grid to have driven at Le Mans?

Looking it up, Romain Grosjean ran in the GT1 class in 2010.

Who was the last current F1 champion to race at Le Mans?

Depending on which way you look at the question, Michael Schumacher was still racing last year and ran in Le Mans in 1991. The latest who ran at Le Mans was Jacuqes Villeneuve in 2008. Others of interest include Nelson Piquet, Damon Hill

[crooky]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

Looking it up, Romain Grosjean ran in the GT1 class in 2010.

Ah would never have guessed that thanks.

Depending on which way you look at the question, Michael Schumacher was still racing last year and ran in Le Mans in 1991. The latest who ran at Le Mans was Jacuqes Villeneuve in 2008. Others of interest include Nelson Piquet, Damon Hill

Yeah I also know Rosberg started off in the 905 in 1991 before it quickly hit problems but what I was really after was who was the last current champion to take part at Le Mans for example it would be Vettel this year, Hakkinen in 1999/2000, Hill in 1997 if that makes things clearer. It's most likely back in the 70s or perhaps even earlier I reckon.

[GT6]

Surely that would be schuey himself, was there when he drove at le mans

[vincegail]

I think he means which driver drove at Le Mans in the same year as he was the F1 champ. Schumacher was not F1 champ yet in 1991, and in 1994 he didn't drive at Le Mans.

I think you must go back to Andretti or Hill.
After a little wikipedia I found that Andretti didn't take part in Le Mans **until** after his F1-career. Hill was F1 champ in 1962 and he drove an Aston Martin that year at Le Mans, which didn't finish.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by vincegail

After a little wikipedia I found that Andretti didn't take part in Le Mans after his F1-career.

Mario absolutely took part in Le Mans after his F1-career, the last time in 2000 for Panoz.

[vincegail]

Oops. I know that of course, I just missed a little word **until**.

[Simmi]

Champions aside, Sebastien Bourdais (2009) was the last F1 driver to compete in the race whilst also currently in F1. Albeit he got dropped from Toro Rosso about a month later.

Can't imagine that will ever happen again to be honest. No current F1 driver will have:
a) the same affinity for/desire to do the race, and
b) the time to actually do it

[The Badger]

What about Oscar Larrauri for EuroBrun , while also driving for Brun in sportscar championship ..... cant remember the year though ..... but was in the early 1990's .

[crooky]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Champions aside, Sebastien Bourdais (2009) was the last F1 driver to compete in the race whilst also currently in F1. Albeit he got dropped from Toro Rosso about a month later.

Can't imagine that will ever happen again to be honest. No current F1 driver will have:
a) the same affinity for/desire to do the race, and
b) the time to actually do it

So surprisingly recent. I would have bet on some no name backmarker in the mid 90s.

On the champions question Phil Hill appears to be the last person to win the F1 championship (1961) then not only take part in, but win Le Mans the following year (1962) and to confuse matters slightly he also won in 1961 as well but he wouldn't have been the current champion for that one.

EDIT: I have the answer it was John Surtees in 1965 driving a Ferrari 330 P2. This record was very close to bring broke in 1970 though when Jackie Stewart was lined up to drive alongside actor Steve McQueen in a Porsche 917 who was unfortunately enable to get insurance.

Any takers on the Prost question and anymore questions from anyone else?

[skycafe]

Graham Hill won at LeMans in 1972, he was World Champion in 1962 and 1968

[FstrthnU]

Looking at the 2006 Le Mans results, how did Corvette Racing score a 4th-place overall finish with the GT1? Was there huge attrition in the prototype categories?

[J.C.]

Originally Posted by FstrthnU

Looking at the 2006 Le Mans results, how did Corvette Racing score a 4th-place overall finish with the GT1? Was there huge attrition in the prototype categories?

Ha...becasue back then LMP2 cars didn't last very long during a 24hr race.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by J.C.

Ha...becasue back then LMP2 cars didn't last very long during a 24hr race.

And neither did the non-factory LMP1 cars. Half the top ten in 2006 and 2007 was made up of the old GT1 cars.

[TF110]

They were quite fast as well.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Champions aside, Sebastien Bourdais (2009) was the last F1 driver to compete in the race whilst also currently in F1. Albeit he got dropped from Toro Rosso about a month later.

Can't imagine that will ever happen again to be honest. No current F1 driver will have:
a) the same affinity for/desire to do the race, and
b) the time to actually do it

I was about to say Franck Montagny when he was at Super Aguri but this is a good shout.

I agree. With 20 races or so on the calendar, why would you add another few GPs in one day right in the middle of the season?

[Steptoe]

Jack Brabham was current world champ in 1967 when he drove at LM but Denny Hulme also drove there in 1967 and became world champ the same year. Technically though neither of them were in sportscars .........

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Steptoe

Jack Brabham was current world champ in 1967 when he drove at LM but Denny Hulme also drove there in 1967 and became world champ the same year. Technically though neither of them were in sportscars .........

Is GT40 not a sports car? What did Brabham drive in '67? Can't find him in the results.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Is GT40 not a sports car? What did Brabham drive in '67? Can't find him in the results.

1967? I think he meant the French GP.

[Gingers4Justice]

(I know the answer myself to this one, but it will be interesting to see what people answer).

In which year did the highest percentage of entrants which took the start finish the race at Le Mans? (Bonus points if you can give me the figures).

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

(I know the answer myself to this one, but it will be interesting to see what people answer).

In which year did the highest percentage of entrants which took the start finish the race at Le Mans? (Bonus points if you can give me the figures).

I'm going to think very recent and say 2008, 55 cars started and I think about 36 or 37 cars finished (albeit a couple of them under the 70% threshold for classification).

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

I'm going to think very recent and say 2008, 55 cars started and I think about 36 or 37 cars finished (albeit a couple of them under the 70% threshold for classification).

Incorrect I'm afraid.

To dish out a bit of a clue: you're wide of the mark with both parts of your answer.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by vincegail

After a little wikipedia I found that Andretti didn't take part in Le Mans **until** after his F1-career. Hill was F1 champ in 1962 and he drove an Aston Martin that year at Le Mans, which didn't finish.

Andretti did drive Fords at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967 I believe, well before he was World Champion and before his F1 career was established.

DK

[Steptoe]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

1967? I think he meant the French GP.

Victor yes I did mean the French GP I knew someone would work it out pretty fast

[Gingers4Justice]

The answer to my question was 1923, the first race.

33 entered, and 3 failed to be classified. That's a 90% finishing rate that has not been beaten since, in 89 years!