24h Le Mans
A FORMER WINNER OF THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS AS A DRIVER WITH MATRA IN 1973/4, AND THEN AS DIRECTOR OF RENAULT SPORT, THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR’S SPIRIT OF LE MANS AWARD IS GÉRARD LARROUSSE.
As a driver Larrousse expressed his talents both at the wheel of small Alpine prototypes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the mid-sixties, and then at the wheel of the monstrous 917s also in the Sarthe (two second places in Porsches). He was involved in the thrilling 1969 race when his battle with Jacky Ickx ended in victory by just 120 metres for the Belgian! Not long afterwards Larrousse became Henri Pescarolo’s team-mate and was a main player in the brilliant string of victories scored by Matra of which two were at Le Mans. The 6-time French Champion went on to drive in F1 and F2, sports cars and GT, and demonstrated the same qualities on circuits as in international rallies.
After leaving the driving seat, he took up a managerial role and was the man behind Renault’s victory in the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans. As manager of Renault Sport he looked after the French firm’s involvement in rallies and F1. After working at Ligier in 1985-86, he set up his own F1 team in 1987. The 72-year-old fully deserved the Sports Academy Prize on two occasions for the greatest French sporting feat: in 1969 after his thrilling battle for second place at Le Mans and again in 1973 for his stunning success with Matra, he was also awarded the prestigious Légion d’Honneur.
In the Hall of Fame of endurance drivers, Gérard Larrousse has more than deserved his place alongside Paul Frère, Jacky Ickx, Luigi Chinetti, Raymond Sommer, Jean-Pierre Wimille. Vice-President of the Club International des Pilotes des 24 Heures du Mans, no one deserves the Spirit of Le Mans award more than Gérard Larrousse in this 80th running of the race.
Awarded by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest since 2001 to people who have best served the spirit of Le Mans, the following is the list of esteemed recipients:
2001 : Ferdinand Piech, Paul Frère, Alain Bertaut
2002 : Derek Bell, Jean Rédélé, René Leret
2003 : Phill Hill, Norbert Singer, Herb Fishel
2004 : Reinhold Joest, Jacky Ickx
2005 : Christian Moity, Henri Pescarolo
2006 : Tom Kristensen, Yojiro Terada, Don Panoz, Franz-Joseph Paefgen
2007 : Wolfgang Ullrich, Jacques Issautier
2008 : Yves Courage, Martin Birrane
2009 : Patrick Peter
2010 : Roland du Luart
2011 : Pr. Yoshimasa Hayashi
2012 : Gérard Larrousse
Photo : MUSEE DES 24 HEURES (LE MANS, SARTHE), ACO PRESS CONFERENCE, 14TH JUNE 2012. Gérard Larrousse receives the « Spirit of Le Mans » Award.
