A new curse for Toyota at Le Mans in 1999

Group C

Dec 29

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at **1999 24 Hours of Le Mans**. Katayama / Tsuchiya / Suzuki with #3 Toyota GT-One.

The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was one of the greatest of previous century with four manufacturers (BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Nissan) and two major new comers: it was Audi’s debut in La Sarthe with four cars at the start and the “Batmobile” Panoz Spyder from Don panoz with its terrific Ford V8, 6l.

Mercedes Nightmare

Bouchut / Heidfled / Dumbreck with Mercedes CLR #5 and Lagorce / Lamy / Schneider with #6 were getting ready to go for the last lap before the start. — *📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at **1999 24 Hours of Le Mans**. Webber / Gounon / Tiemann #4 CLR garage is closed as Webber went for a looping in the Hunaudières straight at 300km/h! Despite it was the second time that the #4 flew in the air, Bouchut / Heidfled / Dumbreck with #5 and Lagorce / Lamy / Schneider with #6 were getting ready to go to the start grid.

Mercedes was there to win with three CLRs but its last 24 hours of Le Mans turned into a nightmare. Mark Webber flew off in the air with CLR #4 during qualifying. As there were no videos nor photos from the CLR flying, nobody, in Mercedes team, believed Mark Webber it really happened. So, the three CLRs went out for the warm-up Saturday morning and Mark Webber flew off in the air again with his newly rebuild CLR. Despite concerns in the team, the other two Silver Arrows did start with the addition of fins at the front! After 4 hours, Peter Dumbreck also flew off while driving the CLR #5, triggering #6 CLR withdraw from the race and Mercedes from Endurance.

Toyota favorite but no victory yet

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at **1999 24 Hours of Le Mans**. Katayama / Tsuchiya / Suzuki with #3 Toyota GT-One.

With the retirement of Mercedes, the Audi, Nissan and Panos not able to keep the speed, the battle raged between Toyota and BMW. BMW Motorsport strategy was tu use the BMW #17 driven by JJ Lehto / Kristensen / Müllerwas as “rabbit” which constrained the Toyota GT-One to drive faster than expected. It worked, as Toyota #1 had to change gear box before Brundle went into the rails. That was the end of the race for Collard / Sospiri / Brundle with #1 GT-One. The battle was still going on between BMW #17 and Toyota #2 until Boutsen, at the wheel of #2 GT-One, crashed with a Porsche GT2 at Dunlop chicane ending the race in the rail with a broken vertebrate.

BMW dominates and wins

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at **1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.** #15 BMW V12 LMR with Martini / Winkelhock / Dalmas wins the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Since mid-race, the two BMW V12 were alone in the lead until JJ Lehto with #17 had an accident less than four hours from the finish.

Sister #15 took the lead for a breathless final as the last Toyota still on track did a strong comeback. The gap between the two varied between 20 seconds and one minute. We then saw two former Formula one drivers (Pierluigi Martini in the BMW and Ukyo Katayama in the GT-One #3) driving qualifying laps until the left rear tire of the Japanese car exploded at 2:20pm.

Martini / Winkelhock / Dalmas with #15 BMW won the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans one lap ahead #3 Toyota GT-One driven by Katayama / Tsuchiya / Suzuki. Toyota would have to wait until 2018 to finally secure victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Audi first podium at Le Mans

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R8R #8 with Pirro / Biela / Theys.

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R8R #7 with Alboreto Capello / Aiello.

Audi Sport Team Joest’s two R8Rs in the LMGTP category ended third and fourth reaching their reliability goal for their first race at Le Mans before heading for victory. The two Audi Sport UK R8Cs in LMP had to abandon.

BMW and Courage fifth and sixth

📷 © Luc Warnotte at 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. David Price Racing BMW V12 LM driven by Bscher/Auberlen/Soper ended fifth, 20 laps behind the winners while Courage Competition Courage C52 #13 driven by the Italian trio Caffi/Montermini/Schiattarella ended sixth 3 laps behind.

Panoz Motor Sports 7th and 11th

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at **1999 24 Hours of Le Mans**. David Brabham, Eric Bernard and Butch Leitzinger ended 7th with #12 Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S

*📷 ©* Luc Warnotte at **1999 24 Hours of Le Mans**. Magnussen / Angelelli / O ‘Connell sur la #11 with Panoz Roadster-S #11.

David Brabham, Eric Bernard and Butch Leitzinger ended 7th with #12 Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S while sister #11 driven by Jan Magnussen, Johnny O’Connel and Max Angelelli ended 11th under applause from enthusiastic fans with the sound of the V8.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Hawaiian Tropic girls had definitively as much success as the cars during the grid walk and they enjoyed smiling … to the fans.