The 24 Hours of Le Mans has always been a record-breaking event, know its fastest lap till date
Every year in its lengthy history, something new was accomplished.
The vehicles went faster as well as further stretching the limits. The key thing for any motorsport aficionado was speed, and since its first Le Mans race was staged, speed was a major aim, followed by the durability of the driver and the vehicle.
24 Hours Of Le Mans All Time Fastest Lap And Top Speed Car Record Top 6 List
However, maximum speed is not the key to victory at Le Mans, and average lap speed is far more essential because it demonstrates the car’s entire performance (braking, cornering, downforce).
The top speed at Le Mans is 405 km/h, recorded on the Mulsanne Straight in 1988 by the prototype WM-P88 powered by Peugeot’s 2.8 V6 Turbocharged engine and piloted by Roger Dorchy.
The Mulsanne Straight on the Circuit de la Sarthe had no chicanes in 1988, therefore Team WM Peugeot had a chance to beat the speed record that year. At the conclusion of the six-kilometer Mulsanne Straight, the WM-P88 Peugeot piloted by Frenchman Roger Dorchy reached a high speed of 405 km/h. End of the race, the #51 vehicle experienced reliability issues and was forced to retire after 59 laps.
The average speed matters more:
The peak speed is one thing, and it’s exciting to win a contest, but the average pace is more important since it demonstrates how the car and driver can handle the entire 13.6-km circuit design.
This is a list of the top five quickest Le Mans vehicles based on the fastest average speed attained on the course. The majority of these lap speeds are qualification laps, which are more fascinating because the vehicle is driven harder and quicker during qualifying than it would in the race.
5. Peugeot 905 (243.329 km/h):
Peugeot dominated the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. The fastest qualifying time was recorded by the #2 Peugeot 905 Evo 1B, which reached 351 km/h. However, the quickest qualifiers were not the quickest in the race, therefore the #1 Peugeot won. Derek Warwick, Yannick Dalmas, and Mark Blundell drove the winning vehicle.
4. Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (247.160 km/h):
In 2008, the quickest vehicle on the French track was a French automobile, but the victor was an Audi Audi R10 TDI. Stephane Sarrazin in the #8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP was the quickest qualifier. He won the pole position with a lap time of 3.18.513. The #8 vehicle, driven by Sarrazin, Pedro Lamy, and Alex Wurz, had to stop early in the race due to headlamp repairs. The #7 Peugeot gained the lead, but the #1 Audi eventually won the race.
3. Mercedes C9 Sauber – 249.826 km/h (1989):
During qualifying for the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans, beautiful Mercedes supercars remained fastest, followed by Team Sauber. Mercedes won the race 1-2 with cars #63 and #61. The #62 C9, piloted by Jean-Louis Schlesser, Jean-Pierre Jabouille, and Alain Cudini, was the fastest in qualifying. Mulsanne Straight, which had no roundabouts for the last time, had the highest speed of 401 km/h. The fastest final lap was 3.15.040 seconds.
The #62 car finished 5th overall, nine laps behind the winning team in the #63 vehicle. Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens were the race winners.
2. Porsche 917 LH (250.069 km/h):
It’s incredible how quick and powerful 917 was. This average speed demonstrates that Porsche is one of the best racing vehicles ever built. The 1971 average speed record stood for 14 years, till another fast Porsche arrived.
Pedro Rodriguez and Jackie Oliver drove the long-tailed #18 Porsche 917 LH that set the quickest race win at the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans, clocking 3.13.9 seconds. During the race, the vehicle attained a high speed of 362 km/h. Rodriguez and Oliver led the opening several hours of the race, but they were unable to complete it, and the victory went to the #22 Martini Racing Porsche 917K, piloted by Helmut Marko.
1. Porsche 962 with a top speed of 251.815 km/h (1985):
This record aggregate speed was set during Le Mans qualifying in 1985. It is still the highest overall lap speed 30 years later. Hans-Joachim Stuck drove the #2 Rothmans Porsche 962C to the record. His final lap time of 3.14.80 won him pole position.
Stuck and Derek Bell finished third in the race, seven circuits behind the victorious #7 Porsche 956B of Joest Racing, driven by Klaus Ludwig, Paolo Barilla, and John Winter.