By the time he joined BMW, Yannick Dalmas had already won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times (in 1992, 1994 and 1995), and was even the only multiple winner of the 1990s. In 1998, as BMW was getting involved in prototypes for the first time, the Frenchman returned to the class with Porsche, after having driven GTs in 1995 (McLaren F1 GTR), 1996 and 1997 (Porsche 911 GT1).

Yannick Dalmas: "I had a long-term contract with Porsche, but they decided to shelve their program after the win in 1998. BMW was involved in prototypes that year and I was contacted by Gerhard Berger (former Formula 1 driver and the head of BMW Motorsport at the time, Ed.). He had taken the project over from A to Z, namely by way of a technical partnership with Williams F1 and everything it included in terms of technology and development, with BMW's power as an engine manufacturer behind it. Given the scope of work on the horizon, I accepted without hesitating."

What were your thoughts on the BMW V12 engine in the V12 LMR prototype as compared to the one with which you won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans in the McLaren F1 GTR?

"Even though the balance of the McLaren was delicate, the torque and power were phenomenal, which had very pleasantly surprised me. As they was little aerodynamic downforce, we went very fast in the straights and were even faster than the prototypes. In the V12 LMR, the balance between the chassis, the engine and the aerodynamics was more adequate. We had perhaps a bit less power than the McLaren, but it was no comparison to the work done on the prototype in terms of aerodynamics and weight."

BMW engine manufacturers also worked hard on fuel consumption...

"Absolutely. We held a lot of meetings during which the engineers mined my telemetry to see where I could improve consumption. By fine-tuning communication with the driver to help him to drive better and and consume less, the collaboration gained an additional lap, which was a huge advantage."

In 1999, BMW returned to the 24 Hours with a car overhauled from bumper to bumper, for a race described by Yannick Dalmas himself in the second and final installment in this interview series.

 

Click below to learn more about BMW's history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1) - Ten key dates

BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2) - Four groundbreaking GTs

BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (3) - 1999...and other wins

BMW at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (4) - Ten driver stories

 

PHOTO (Copyright - Christian Vignon/ACO): The 1999 version of the V12 LMR was the focus of a great deal of development work on the part of BMW and its six drivers: Yannick Dalmas, Pierluigi Martini, Joachim Winkelhock (#15), Tom Kristensen, J.J. Lehto and Jörg Müller (#17).