Jacky Ickx: "Victory is sometimes fought over within a single lap [at Le Mans]"

Summary:

• Jacky Ickx claimed the top step on the podium at Le Mans six times between 1969 and 1982
• He believes winning the 24 Hours can come down to a single lap, possibly the final lap
• Success at Le Mans depends on precision, driver trio cohesion and the absence of errors
• He feels the organisers and spectators are the core of this legendary race

Nothing is decided before the chequered flag is waved at Le Mans. Six-time winner Jacky Ickx won the race following a decisive final lap in 1969 at the wheel of a Ford GT40 shared with Jackie Oliver. Beginning with his rookie start in the 1966 24 Hours on to his successes with Porsche, the Belgian driver left an undeniable mark on the history of endurance racing. In the video below, he shares his perspective on a discipline that demands absolute precision, total trust between teammates and a shared determination.

Why winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans can come down to a single lap

Sometimes the gap between competitors widens as the hours pass at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Other times, everything is decided in the final moments as several cars battle for the win. Jacky Ickx: This victory is sometimes fought over within a single lap against 10 cars. Check out this full episode of the Drivers of Destiny series available on the 24 Hours of Le Mans YouTube channel.

The Belgian driver is crystal clear: despite the length of the race, the outcome remains uncertain right to the very end as it is impossible to single out any contender as a sure thing. With numerous constructors capable of winning and driver line-ups consisting of three top-tier pilots, even the smallest detail makes a massive difference.

That is the true magic of Le Mans. The race can turn on its head in a matter of minutes. And when the cars are neck and neck, every corner, overtaking and decision takes on a whole new significance.

Read: Today's Photo Story - Jacky Ickx wins the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ford

To illustrate the rigor of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ickx invokes an unexpected image. Ickx: Everything must be perfect. You cannot afford a single wrong note. Because a wrong note has the same impact as one in a philharmonic orchestra. If you hit a wrong note, the concert is ruined. The only problem is there is only one winner and it takes a massive effort to reach that level.

From 1966 to present day, Jacky Ickx refuses to compare different eras

Ickx took his rookie start in the 24 Hours in 1966 as the duel between Ford and Ferrari was in full swing. Ickx: When I came here in 1966, I was just happy to be here. And if I had been offered to win just once, I would have gladly accepted, and I think that’s still true today. He has won the iconic race a staggering six times: in 1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1982, making him one of the key figures in its legacy.

Ickx: My style isn’t to live in the past, even if I reap the rewards today. Only the present counts. It means not being tempted to compare an era that was mine with today’s. They have nothing in common, that’s a deep mistake.

320,000 spectators: the beating heart of the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Ickx feels the legend of Le Mans does not rest solely on the cars, teams and drivers. It belongs as much if not more to the spectators who come to experience the magic. Ickx: This shared passion that I love so much also belongs to the organisation. To achieve 100 years of racing over time, it’s because people stepped up to organise out of love for racing, and passed the torch year after year and decade after decade to build this extraordinary monument that is the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The legend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a collective endeavor belonging to the drivers who fuel it, the teams that make it possible and everyone who comes to live it.

Enjoy the fifth and final episode of the Drivers of Destiny series spotlighting Jacky Ickx, and learn more about how the fate of competitors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans often hinges on the smallest details.

FAQ – Jacky Ickx at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

How many times has Ickx won the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

He won the race six times: in 1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981 and 1982. He took the start 17 times from 1966 to 1985.

When did Ickx first win the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

He scored his first victory in 1969 with British driver Jackie Oliver at the wheel of a Ford GT40. After taking off dead last in protest of the running start, he ended up winning the race in the last lap against the Porsche 908 driven by Hans Herrmann and Gérard Larrousse.

Why does Ickx feel he should not have won the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans?

He won the 1977 running of the race following an unprecedented turn of events. After the engine failed in the #3 Porsche 936 he was sharing with Henri Pescarolo, he took the wheel of the #4 Porsche 936 of Jürgen Barth and Hurley Haywood for which he had been registered as a reserve driver.

During the night, he broke the lap record previously set by François Cevert in 1973 on three separate occasions. By dawn, the Porsche had moved into second place before taking the lead in the wake of the retirement of the Renault-Alpine driven by Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Derek Bell. Despite an engine running on only five cylinders, the #4 936 reached the top step on the podium.

Ickx: It was, by all accounts, a lost cause. I shouldn’t have won that year. He describes that particular win as a magical moment during which the entire team managed to turn certain defeat into triumph.

What is the link between Ickx and Genesis?

Ickx has served since February 2024 as an ambassador for Genesis, the premium line of the Hyundai Group. The six-time Le Mans winner holds a threefold role: advisor, ambassador and marque representative. In particular, he contributes his motorsport experience to the Genesis Magma Racing programme as it competes in the Hypercar class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Read: Jacky Ickx at the wheel of the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar: when a legend meets the future