The 24 Hours of Le Mans is 100 years old, but the first images of the race, only 90. Filmed in 1933 and broadcast in the cinemas of the nascent talking cinema, they show the victory of Raymond Sommer and Tazio Nuvolari, on Alfa Romeo. Television arrived much later, on June 26, 1950, to be exact.
The TV News is barely a few months old when, at the initiative of Pierre Sabbagh, its creator-editor-in-chief, images shot the day before are mounted in a makeshift laboratory, and broadcast shortly after 20 p.m. As the commentary, made live, has not been recorded, it is a silent account that has been preserved in the archives. We discover shots of the crowd in the stands, cars lined up around which mechanics and drivers are busy, the start, the hot night when spectators sleep on air mattresses or in the grass, and finally, the solo victory of the Talbot number 5. Louis Rozier drove for 23 hours 10, his teammate, who is none other than Jean-Louis his son, having declared forfeit after only two laps.
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Much more spectacular images were taken on June 12, 1971. Madelen invites you to discover or rediscover them. They were shot by a subjective camera in a car driven by Fernand Tavano, a specialist in rallies and hill climbs. The commentary is provided by Henri Pescarolo, record holder of participations in an event he has won four times.
INA: The 24 Hours of Le Mans seen from the car of champion Henri Pescarolo
Discovering this report, one feels like finding oneself in one's place, negotiating, as quickly as possible, the Mulsanne curve, the Indianapolis bend, those of Arnage and Maison Blanche, the Ford chicane, not to mention the legendary Hunaudières straight. It was completely redesigned at the end of 1955, after an accident on June 12 that killed 80 people and injured 100. Just after entering the pit stop, the Mercedes driven by Pierre Levegh exploded. Splinters of molten magnesium from the engine are projected towards the grandstands above the audience. The pilot will not survive a tragedy whose origin no one has ever really analyzed.
Paul Newman, Jean-Louis Trintignant et al.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans was also marked by the presence of stars, passionate about motor racing, and one of whose dreams was to participate in an event that has become mythical around the world. By registering for the 1980th edition in 48, Jean-Louis Trintignant took over the family. Maurice Trintignant, his uncle, known as "Pétoulet", participated 15 times. He won the event in 1954. It didn't go as well for his nephew. The yellow Porsche 935 he was driving went off the road on the Hunaudières straight. "For a few seconds, I thought I was going to die," the actor admitted.
Americans were also present, starting with Patrick Dempsey, Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy. In 2002, he created his team, "Dempsey Racing" and entered four times, between 2009 and 2015. Finally, in 1979, the day after his 54th spring, Paul Newman also tried the adventure, at the wheel of a Porsche 935. To everyone's surprise, starting with his own, he finished in second place overall and won first in his category. Throughout the event, he showed absolute rigor. He didn't make any cinema. A victory that is therefore not a scam.