Racing with consequences
The most traditional endurance race of all, the 24h of Le Mans, covers every possible episode in racing. As well as breakthrough accolades, deep tragedies marked the French circuit. One event combined both: 1969 24h of Le Mans. During practise held months before the competition, Lucien Bianchi, winner of the previous year's edition, fatally crashed in his Alfa Romeo T33, which flew into a telephone pole and took fire. A year earlier, compatriot Willy Mairesse suffered a career ending incident, which is related to the characteristic of Le Mans racing. At the start signal, drivers ran from the opposite side of the start-finish line to their vehicles, jumping in and driving off straightaway to minimize time losses. This led to safety aspects being neglected. Mairesse is said to not having properly closed his door that eventually opened at high speed, leading to his fate.
The right decision
Jacky Ickx, Belgian as well, protested against the classic procedure. When the flag waved to open the dances, he walked towards his Ford GT40, properly fastened his seatbelts and thus found himslef at the back of the field. No lap went by and tragedy struck once again in the darkest period of motor racing. Inexperienced Brit John Woofle, who persuaded his equipe to take the start and then hand over his car, lost control on the first lap at the rapid Maison Blanche corner. His Porsche 917 capsized and took fire, whilst Woofle was thrown out with lose seatbelts and perished before arriving in hospital. The fuel tank of the wreck was hit by Chris Amon, whose one caught flames too. However, he successfully made use of the on-board fire extinguisher and escaped unharmed. The happening blocked the track, causing all other prototypes to make their way through the debris.
Result
With the race continuing uninterruptedly, Ickx and his teammate Jackie Oliver, who later co-founded the F1 constructor Arrows, progressed up to the podium positions. Hans Hermann and Gérard Larrousse found themselves in a solid lead, more than 5 laps ahead of P2. Yet, mechanical issues plagued them and one sole hour before the chequered flag, the Ford took over the top spot. Ickx and Hermann were chasing the victory, setting up a memorable fight. Constantly reovertaking each other, it all came down to the last straight. Ickx clevery let his rival pass at the beginning of the Mulsanne Straight, remained in his slipstream and swiftly passed him back before the following turn. The driver who stood up for motorsport safety won his first of six races on the Circuit de la Sarthe. He was ultimately listened to, as from 1970 all drivers are firmly sitting in their vehicles before the 24h of Le Mans start.
