08/22/2021 12:57 PM
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 08/22/2021 12:57 PM
José María López made history by winning the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and joined
a select list of legends
who climbed to the highest step of the podium of the mythical endurance race that runs a no less traditional track of France.
Over the years few riders were able to achieve this milestone in the world's most important endurance race.
In fact, Juan Manuel Fangio, five-time Formula 1 world champion and the greatest exponent of Argentine motorsports, could never reach it.
The only antecedent of Argentine triumph was that of José Froilán González
, who in 1954 won accompanied by Frenchman Maurice Trintignant.
In addition, Pechito is the third Latin American to win since also the Mexican Pedro Rodríguez did in 1968.
The celebration of Pechito López and company at Le Mans.
Photo: AFP
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a race that few international motorsport figures were able to win.
Among the Formula 1 champions who managed to fly the checkered flag are figures such as the British Mike Hawthorn and Phill Hill, Jochen Rindt, the Austrian who was posthumous champion of Formula 1, and the Spanish Fernando Alonso.
The British Graham Hill, Damon's father, is also the only one to have reached the Triple Crown, which consists of winning Le Mans, Indianapolis and Monaco, as well as being king of the Maximum.
There are drivers who raced in Formula 1 and also won at Le Mans such as the aforementioned Pepe Froilán González and his partner, the Frenchman Maurice Trintignant, the Italians Ludovico Scarfiotti, Lorenzo Bandini and Michele Alboreto, the New Zealander Bruce McLaren, the Australian Geoff Brabham, the American Dan Gurney, Belgian Jacky Ickx, British Johnny Herbert and German Jochen Mass.
Fernando Alonso won twice at Le Mans.
Photo: AFP
For other motorsport figures, Le Mans was an elusive race.
The most memorable case is that of Fangio who could never win the mythical endurance test or Jackie Stewart, three-time Formula 1 champion, who could not score his name in glory either.
Le Mans is a unique test of world motorsport, which had passionate duels such as Ford vs.
Ferrari that was brought to the big screen in the film directed by James Mangold.
But only a few were able to score their name at the top of the leaderboard.
The top winner is Tom Kristensen who won nine times.
Other greats could not even reach it once despite having achieved many successes in prestigious categories of world motorsport.
For this reason, the triumph of Pechito López is enhanced and takes on an even greater significance for the history of national sport.
Look also
The unmissable photos of the historic triumph of Pechito López in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Look also
Pechito López won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and made great history for Argentine motorsports
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