The world’s greatest motorsport endurance race will get underway later at this time, because the 2024 version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will get underway.
And one of many drivers within the subject has a shot at becoming a member of considered one of motorsport’s most unique golf equipment.
Jenson Button, the 2009 Method 1 Drivers’ Champion, is again within the Le Mans subject this season. A 12 months in the past Button made his Le Mans debut, driving within the “Storage 56” entry with Hendrick Motorsport that completed thirty ninth.
However this 12 months, Button is driving for Hertz Staff Jota, which certified seventeenth for the race, a part of the triple crown of motorsport. And if Button have been in a position to be a part of a profitable group at Le Mans, he would turn into simply the sixth F1 champion within the historical past of motorsport to style victory at Le Mans.
Mike Hawthorn was the primary driver to win each a F1 Drivers’ Championship and Le Mans, however he tasted victory within the endurance race first, profitable the 1955 installment with Jaguar. He went on to say an F1 title three years later, in 1958 with Ferrari.
Subsequent up was Phil Hill, who like Hawthorn climbed to the highest of the endurance mountain first. Hill, together with Olivier Gendebien, captured victory at Le Mans for Ferrari in 1958, the primary of three wins at Le Mans. Then in 1961 he and Gendebien once more win at Le Mans for Ferrari, however Hill additionally received the F1 Drivers’ Championship for Ferrari.
The following driver to win each was Jochen Rindt, though his is likely one of the sadder tales in motorsport. Rindt was a part of a group that received Le Mans in 1965, after which throughout the 1970 F1 season he established a commanding lead within the Drivers’ Championship standings whereas collaborating for Lotus-Ford.
Nevertheless, throughout observe forward of the 1970 Italian Grand Prix Rindt’s Lotus skilled a brake shaft failure, and he crashed closely close to the Parabolica nook, and tragically handed away because of his accidents. Regardless of his tragic demise with 4 races remaining within the season, Rindt’s lead within the Drivers’ Championship was insurmountable, and he was posthumously awarded the F1 title.
Graham Hill is the one driver to have captured every leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, having received the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His first F1 Drivers’ Championship got here in 1962 with BRM, however he lastly captured a win at Le Mans in his tenth and closing begin, profitable in 1972 alongside Henri Pescarolo for Matra-Simca.
Hill stays the one driver to have received every leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
The fifth and closing member of this membership? Fernando Alonso. He received back-to-back F1 titles in 2005 and 2006, after which pulled off an identical double in Le Mans, capturing wins in each 2018 and 2019 with Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Ought to Button style victory this weekend, he would turn into the sixth member of that membership.
And it’s one thing he’s completely aiming for.
“There’s each probability we are able to combat for a win at Le Mans, in any other case I wouldn’t be doing it,” mentioned Button final 12 months. “I’m not all in favour of simply being on the grid after the profession I’ve had.”
We are going to see if he joins that membership over the subsequent 36 hours.
