Chris Hoy: My amazing Le Mans debut 20 | 06 | 2016
OLYMPIC CYCLING LEGEND, Sir Chris Hoy, added to his record list of achievements when he finished the world’s most demanding motorsport endurance race, the Le Mans-24-Hours, on his debut.
Piloting his Nissan-powered Algarve Pro Racing Ligier LMP2 sportscar — and partnered by Frenchman Andrea Pizzitola and Brit Michael Munemann — Hoy finished 12th in class and 18th overall, in the 60-car field.
And the 40-year-old from Edinburgh’s contribution to the team’s achievement was notable. Thrown in at the deep end on the famous 8.45-mile circuit — which encompasses closed-off public roads normally used by cars, lorries and trundling French tractors — Hoy started with a quadruple stint which lasted 2hrs 40mins.
“Aye, there was none of this being eased into the race,” he laughed as he celebrated with another beer in the French sunshine. “I was right into it. Strapped into the car, and seconds later travelling at around 180mph on the Mulsanne Straight.
“It’s been the most exhilarating experience. I knew it would be tough, but I didn’t underestimate Le Mans. I did three stints; a quadruple and two triples.
“Getting into the car for my final stint was tough. I’d had a massage and an hour-and-a-quarter’s sleep, and I think I slept too much. I woke up and felt drunk with tiredness, almost jet-lagged. It was about 7am and I was back in the car around 8.20am for my final stint.”
And Hoy (pictured with his wife Sarra), who admitted finishing the race felt like winning another medal to add to his six-gold Olympic haul, reflected on the harsh reality of getting back on-track.
“It’s just ‘bang’, you’re out on the track with guys who have been at full pace for hours. They’re on it, and you have to be on it too.
“There’s none of this ‘ah, I’ll just take a lap and ease myself into it’. It’s the ferocity of the pace, and the fact the track has the potential to bite you at any moment. You need to be aggressive and fast, but you also need to treat it with respect.
“If you don’t attack it, you won’t get the performance, but if you take liberties you’ll be in the wall. And it’s a high-speed circuit, is you’re likely to get hurt; or yes, killed.
“But at night, the lights; the traffic; the faster LMP1 cars; the sensation of people being all round the circuit: in the morning the growing light and the smell of breakfast barbecues … everything. It was amazing.
“I’m delighted and proud to have been part of it this year.”
Hoy, who has dedicated himself to four-wheels since retiring from cycling after the London Olympics, is aware this could be his only opportunity to race at Le Mans.
“At the moment, this race brings my motorsport programme to an end,” the Scot, who will be at the Rio Olympics this summer as an ambassador for Nissan, the global car giant who backed his Le Mans assault, admitted.
Related: Delight for Hoy — Toyota distraught
“There’s nothing else in the calendar for the rest of the year, unfortunately. But I’ve got the Le Mans bug, and I’m desperate to come back, do it again, and improve my driving. As we know, racing costs money, but I’d love to come back and race again.”
Along with Hoy, three other Scots contested the 84th running of the race. Kirkcaldy’s Jonny Adam powered his #97 Aston Martin to sixth in the highly competitive GTE Pro class — helping Aston take the lead in the manufacturers’ standings in World Endurance Championship — but there was frustration and disappointment for two other Scots.
While the Extreme Speed Motorsport Ligier-Nissan of Airdrie’s Ryan Dalziel finished 16th in LMP2, the #67 Ford GT of Bathgate’s Marino Franchitti endured a miserable race.
Gear selection problems meant the car started from the pitlane, two laps behind the leaders. Worse though was to follow a few laps later when the problems resurfaced, requiring almost two-hours in the garage.
While Franchitti fought back to finish ninth in GTE Pro, and 41st overall, was left contemplating what might have been: his team-mates in the three other Fords finished first, third and fourth.
At the head of the main LMP1 field, Porsche won its 18th Le Mans in dramatic style.
Related: Allan McNish tips Hoy to finish Le Mans 24-Hours
Having spent the bulk of the race behind the #5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, the #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid inherited the lead when the Japanese car ground to a halt on the start-finish line with just three minutes remaining.
The Toyota, driven my Japan’s Kazuki Nakajima, Swiss Sebastien Buemi and Brit Anthony Davidson, lost power on the penultimate lap, allowing Porsche to clinch its 18th Le Mans win.
It also allowed the sister #6 Toyota of Brit Mike Conway, Frenchman Stephane Sarrazin and Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, to be promoted to second.
Toyota has now finished second at Le Mans five times.
Audi, which endured a testing 24 hours with its brand new R18 Hybrid, took the final step on the podium with its #8 car driven by England’s Oliver Jarvis, Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, and Frenchman Loic Duval.
The German manufacturer — whose new car is the most technologically advanced in the sport, and which is the first of a pioneering new breed of hybrid sportscars — uncharacteristically struggled for reliability.
“It’s certainly not gone as smoothly as we had hoped,” three-times winner, Dumfries racer Allan McNIsh, and who is now a pivotal figure at Audi, admitted. “But we’ll learn from this, and come back bigger and stronger.”
Related: Sir Chris Hoy — Le Mans 24-Hours interview
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Jim McGill