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Saturday's Sporting Icon - Pierre Levegh

Welcome to Saturday's Sporting Icon! 


Every Saturday, this page will showcase some of history's most unappreciated sports superstars. From the winding streets of Monaco to the NBA hardcourt, I think it's time to shed some light on the greatness of some of the world's least treasured icons.

Saturday 9th January - Pierre Levegh (24 Hours of Le Mans) 

Outside of Formula One, the biggest race for international motorsport is undoubtedly the 24 hours of Le Mans. In 1952, 57 cars lined up to begin the historic race around the French countryside and only 17 would finish, among them sat Pierre Levegh. As a proud Frenchman himself, Levegh desperately wanted a French car to win on home soil, but with others not being able to provide a victory, he stepped up and delivered one of world motorsports' greatest ever drives. 

In a car he built himself, Levegh drove for 23 of the possible 24 hours, with a perfectly healthy and capable co-driver sat frustrated and confused on the pit wall. Now, not only was this a feat of superhuman endurance and driving ability but also of pure mechanical genius. Having discovered a fault with the engine within the first few hours of the race, Levegh had no option but to keep the engine running and feared that if the car was to stop when changing the driver, they may never get it started again. So in a show of ultimate competitiveness and driver instinct, he drove on. Levegh led the race for 20 hours straight, ahead of motorsport giants such as Mercedes and Ferrari, only stopping for fuel and the occasional change of tires. 

This record is one that will truly stand the test of time as due to implemented safety guidelines, modern-day Le Mans drivers can only drive a maximum of 4 hours at a time and may only drive for 14 hours in total.   

Unfortunately, this story does not have a fairytale ending, as after 23 hours, Levegh's engine finally gave out and the car rolled to a standstill on the Mulsanne straight. By the time Levegh was pulled from his car, he was hardly a picture of health. His legs had been severely burned from the heat of the engine, he had vomited from exhaustion, and he was suffering from acute hypnotism from the hundreds of laps he had completed. It was a herculean effort, but it is one that was brushed aside by the motor racing community, all because his car never crossed the line. 

Levegh would return to Le Mans on a further 3 occasions before his tragic and horrific death in 1955, which saw his somersaulting Mercedes crash into a nearby grandstand at over 150mph, taking the lives of 84 people, including his own. Although his final act as a driver may live in infamy, his racing dedication and pure drive to win is something all should remember him by. 


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Comments

  1. Stevo 57January 9, 2021 at 10:54 AM

    Fabulous, I enjoyed that for sure and had no idea, poor man !!

    ReplyDelete

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