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01/05/2023
McLaren F1 GTR - 1995
McLaren F1 GTR
Author : Cette collection est une adaptation de 24H Le Mans ® Le auto delle corsa più leggendaria al mondo Éditeur : Centauria Editore s.r.l.
Read moreIn 1993, McLaren created with the F1 one of the most extraordinary road cars of its time. It was so exceptional that, although it was not designed for competition, the lure of the racetrack was irresistible and it took very little to turn it into the GTR, a GT1 that immediately won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
1. The slightly more massive bumper than that used on the production McLaren F1 features larger air intakes.
2. The F1 GTR is 120 kg lighter thanks to the removal of a large part of the interior trim, including the passenger seats, which have been replaced by instruments and electronic devices.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.
Designed by Gordon Murray, the F1 is a supercar capable of setting the absolute speed record for naturally aspirated cars: 386 km/h. The shift towards racing was made by a customer, amateur driver Ray Bellm, who, after considerable pressure, finally convinced McLaren to build a version of the F1 for him and two other customers that would be suitable for entry in the BPR championship (which replaced the World Sportscar Championship in 1994) in the GT1 category reserved for cars derived from series production, but with considerable freedom to modify them, making them more similar to prototypes.
1. Despite its high-level performance, the standard F1 does not have a rear spoiler or extractors. The GTR is equipped with a fixed spoiler.
2. The original BMW V12 engine can deliver over 680 bhp, but the statutory restriction on the intake limits power to 600 bhp.
3. The four exhaust pipes emerging from the rear fairing are no different from those on the street version.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.
Despite some initial problems and restricted engine power, the three original cars, and subsequent models, immediately proved to be very strong, dominating the 1995 BPR season with 10 wins from a total of 12 starts. Ray Bellm and Maurizio Sandro Sala of the Gulf Racing GTC team claimed the majority of the wins, with five victories. However, the overall championship went to Thomas Bscher and John Nielsen of David Price Racing, who achieved a more consistent result.
A. The handling of the McLaren F1 GTR is more rigid than that of the road version due to the removal of rubber bushings.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.
For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the brand entered a genuine GTR in the hands of the trio of Yannick Dalmas, J.J. Lehto and Masanori Sekiya, in the colours of Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing. During qualifying, it was the best-placed team, finishing ninth behind the surprising WR LM94 from Welter Racing, two Courages, one of the Kremer K8s and three Ferrari F40s, the direct rivals of the McLarens in the GT1 category. During the race, with heavy rain making conditions difficult for the prototypes, fortune was on the side of the British sports car, which, thanks to Lehto, succeeded in securing a stunning victory on its debut, finishing one lap ahead of the Courage driven by Bob Wollek, Mario Andretti and Eric Hélary. The third place and the two subsequent places were taken by McLaren: the all-British team made up of Andy Wallace (winner of the last three BPR races with Frenchman Olivier Grouillard), Derek and Justin Bell, racing for Mach One Racing, finished ahead of the F1 GTR of Team Gulf, driven by Mark Blundell, Ray Bellm and Maurizio Sandra Sala, and that of the French Giroix Racing team, with drivers Jean-Denis Delétraz, Fabien Giroix and Olivier Grouillard.
B. Among the F1's refinements is the attention paid to the choice of materials. The pistons are made of aluminium alloy, while some of the insulating coatings are made of gold.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.
The next year, McLaren was encouraged by this success and upgraded the GTR, revamping its style and mechanics and reducing its weight. However, it failed to repeat its 1995 performance, even though three McLaren F1s took 4th, 5th and 6th place at Le Mans behind Porsche's surprising TWR WSC-95, beating the 911 GT1s that had started as favourites. The GTR dominated the BPR, where with four victories and several good placings, Ray Bellm, partnered with James Weaver, became champion.
C. British drivers Derek Bell and Andy Wallace, who finished third in 1995, also competed in the 1996 edition with the McLaren sponsored by Harrods, finishing in sixth place.© IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.
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