1990 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 58th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 16 and 17 June 1990.[1]

1990 24 Hours of Le Mans
Previous: 1989 Next: 1991
Index: Races | Winners
Le Mans in 1990 (Note the chicanes added on the 3.6 mile Mulsanne Straight).

Background

Two chicanes were introduced along the Mulsanne Straight prior to the race. This was done to reduce the maximum speed of the cars after the Sauber C9 of Kenny Acheson reached 400 km/h (249 mph) the previous year.[2][3] FISA refused to renew the licence for the track unless the chicanes were installed to comply with a ruling passed by the World Motor Sport Council.[4] The ruling decreed no circuit licensed by FISA may have a straight longer than 2km.[4]

Defending race winners and world champions Sauber did not compete in the event after backers Mercedes pulled out when it was declared a non-championship race.

Qualifying

Qualifying was dominated by Nissan, with the Japanese marque claiming first, third, fourth and fifth on the grid. Mark Blundell in the #24 pulled out a phenomenal lap to qualify on pole position six seconds faster than anybody else (thanks partly due to his turbo wastegate sticking wide open ). He was joined on the front row by the fastest Porsche, the Brun #16 of Oscar Larrauri. The #8 Joest Porsche had been one of the favourites going into the race, but its week was ended prematurely when with Jonathan Palmer at the wheel it crashed heavily at Mulsanne in Friday qualifying due to a suspension failure.

Class leaders are in bold

Pos No. Team Car Class Time Gap
1 24 Nissan Motorsports International Nissan R90CK C1 3:27.020
2 16 Repsol Brun Motorsport Porsche 962C C1 3:33.060 +6.040
3 23 Nissan Motorsports International Nissan R90CP C1 3:33.170 +6.150
4 83 Nissan Performance Technology Inc. Nissan R90CK C1 3:33.280 +6.260
5 25 Nissan Motorsports International Nissan R90CK C1 3:35.760 +8.740
6 7 Joest Porsche Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:36.080 +9.060
7 4 Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-12 C1 3:36.100 +9.080
8 1 Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-12 C1 3:36.550 +9.530
9 3 Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-12 C1 3:37.000 +9.980
10 36 Toyota Team SARD Toyota 90C-V C1 3:37.130 +10.110
11 63 Trust Racing Team Porsche 962C C1 3:38.280 +11.260
12 10 Porsche Kremer Racing Porsche 962CK6 C1 3:38.390 +11.370
13 43 Richard Lloyd Racing Porsche 962C GTi C1 3:38.720 +11.700
14 37 Toyota Team SARD Toyota 90C-V C1 3:38.740 +11.720
15 26 Obermaier Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:39.380 +12.360
16 38 Toyota Team SARD Toyota 90C-V C1 3:39.760 +12.740
17 2 Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR-12 C1 3:39.780 +12.760
18 9 Joest Porsche Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:40.010 +12.990
19 11 Porsche Kremer Racing Porsche 962CK6 C1 3:40.270 +13.250
20 45 Alpha Racing Team Porsche 962C C1 3:41.320 +14.300
21 44 Richard Lloyd Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:42.730 +15.710
22 202 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Mazda 787 GTP 3:43.040 +16.020
23 201 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Mazda 787 GTP 3:43.350 +16.330
24 85 Team Le Mans Nissan R89C C1 3:43.400 +16.380
25 84 Nissan Performance Technology Inc. Nissan R90CK C1 3:44.280 +17.260
26 13 Courage Compétition Cougar C24S C1 3:44.340 +17.320
27 33 Team Schuppan Porsche 962C C1 3:45.440 +17.420
28 27 Obermaier Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:45.570 +18.550
29 82 Courage Compétition Nissan R89C C1 3:45.660 +18.640
30 6 Joest Porsche Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:45.770 +18.750
31 55 Team Schuppan Porsche 962C C1 3:46.010 +18.990
32 21 Spice Engineering Spice SE90C C1 3:47.750 +20.730
33 15 Brun Motorsport Porsche 962C C1 3:47.920 +20.900
34 203 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Mazda 787 GTP 3:49.450 +22.430
35 230 Momo Gebhardt Racing Porsche 962C GTP 3:49.960 +22.940
36 103 Team Mako Spice SE88C C2 3:50.690 +23.670
37 54 Mussato Action Lancia LC2 C1 3:54.560 +27.540
38 107 Pierre-Alain Lombardi Spice SE86C C2 3:57.490 +30.470
39 102 Graff Racing Spice SE89C C2 3:59.340 +32.320
40 12 Courage Compétition Cougar C24S C1 3:59.540 +32.520
41 19 Team Davey Porsche 962C C1 4:00.070 +33.050
42 113 Etablissement Chereau Cougar C20B C2 4:00.550 +33.530
43 131 GP Motorsport Spice SE87C C2 4:02.590 +35.570
44 106 Louis Descartes ALD C289 C2 4:03.030 +36.010
45 128 Chamberlain Engineering Spice SE90C C2 4:04.090 +37.070
46 116 PC Automotive Spice SE89C C2 4:05.070 +38.050
47 132 GP Motorsport Tiga GC289 C2 4:10.460 +43.440
48 105 ADA Engineering ADA 02B C2 4:13.640 +46.620
49 20 Team Davey Porsche 962C C1 4:14.900 +47.880
DNQ 110 Argo Cars Argo JM19 C2 4:17.690 +50.670
DNQ 30 GP Motorsport Spice SE90C C1 No time
DNQ 59 Paul Canary Eagle 700 C1 No time
WD 8 Joest Porsche Racing Porsche 962C C1 3:43.790

Race

The #25 Nissan which qualified fifth had a very short race. The car had to start from pit lane due to an issue with the gearbox on the grid, but it didn’t even complete a full lap before the problem proved terminal and it had to pull up.

The opening hours of the race looked much the same as qualifying, the Nissans swapping the lead with the Brun Porsche, whilst the Jaguars moved up the field after a sub-par qualifying. But four hours in a major incident occurred. Gianfranco Brancatelli driving the #24 collided with the Toyota of Aguri Suzuki at the Dunlop curve, the Japanese driver was uninjured but his car and the armco barrier were destroyed. Although the Nissan only had to pit to fix a damaged front nose, it was the beginning of the teams downfall; all of their cars would suffer from various problems during the night, with the #24 and #83 both dropping out. The incident also allowed the Jaguars to take control of the race, #1 in the lead with #4 and #3 also at the sharp end. Their sister car, #2, lost time when Franz Konrad beached it in the gravel at Indianapolis.

As night fell problems began to hit the Jaguar team, with both #1 and #4 hit by engine trouble, allowing #3 to assume the lead. The problems would eventually put the 1 out, and it sparked a crucial decision from team boss Tom Walkinshaw. He decided to remove Eliseo Salazar (who’d yet to drive) from the 3 and replace him with their top driver Martin Brundle from the 1, in an attempt to maximise the car’s chances. The Chilean would subsequently be transferred into the 4 to replace Luis Pérez-Sala.

The decision paid off, as the #3 dominated the second half of the race allowing Brundle, John Nielsen and Price Cobb to claim victory by four laps, Jaguar’s second in three years. Second place looked like it was heading to the Brun Porsche, but with just 15 minutes of the race remaining it blew its engine. A heartbreaking result for the Walter Brun’s privateer team who had been the fastest Porsche all week. This allowed the no. 2 Jaguar of Jan Lammers, Andy Wallace and Konrad to complete a 1-2 for the British marque. The misfortune of the Brun car also promoted the Japanese Alpha Racing Porsche, driven by the all-British crew of David Sears, Tiff Needell and Anthony Reid to a shock podium finish and the honour of top Porsche, ahead of the more fancied #7 Joest car. The remaining Nissan, the all-Japanese #23, completed the top five.

Official results

Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Tyre Laps
Engine
1 C1 3 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
John Nielsen
Price Cobb
Martin Brundle
Jaguar XJR-12 G 359
Jaguar 7.0L V12
2 C1 2 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Jan Lammers
Andy Wallace
Franz Konrad
Jaguar XJR-12 G 355
Jaguar 7.0L V12
3 C1 45 Alpha Racing Team Tiff Needell
David Sears
Anthony Reid
Porsche 962C Y 352
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
4 C1 7 Joest Porsche Racing Hans-Joachim Stuck
Derek Bell
Frank Jelinski
Porsche 962C M 350
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
5 C1 23 Nissan Motorsports International Masahiro Hasemi
Kazuyoshi Hoshino
Toshio Suzuki
Nissan R90CP D 348
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
6 C1 36 Toyota Team Tom's Geoff Lees
Masanori Sekiya
Hitoshi Ogawa
Toyota 90C-V B 347
Toyota R32V 3.2L Turbo V8
7 C1 13 Courage Compétition Pascal Fabre
Michel Trollé
Lionel Robert
Cougar C24S G 347
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
8 C1 9 Joest Porsche Racing Louis Krages
Stanley Dickens
Bob Wollek
Porsche 962C M 346
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
9 C1 27 Obermaier Racing Jürgen Lässig
Pierre Yver
Otto Altenbach
Porsche 962C G 341
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
10 C1 15 Brun Motorsport Harald Huysman
Massimo Sigala
Bernard Santal
Porsche 962C Y 335
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
11 C1 44 Richard Lloyd Racing John Watson
Bruno Giacomelli
Allen Berg
Porsche 962C G 335
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
12 C1 33 Team Schuppan
Omron Racing
Hurley Haywood
Wayne Taylor
Rickard Rydell
Porsche 962C D 332
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
13 C1 63 Trust Racing Team George Fouché
Steven Andskär
Shunji Kasuya
Porsche 962C D 330
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
14 C1 6 Joest Porsche Racing Jean-Louis Ricci
Henri Pescarolo
Jacques Laffite
Porsche 962C G 328
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
15 C1 55 Team Schuppan
Omron Racing
Eje Elgh
Thomas Danielsson
Tomas Mezera
Porsche TS962 D 326
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
16 C1 11 Porsche Kremer Racing Patrick Gonin
Philippe Alliot
Bernard de Dryver
Porsche 962CK6 Y 319
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
17 C1 84 Nissan Performance Technology Inc. Steve Millen
Michael Roe
Bob Earl
Nissan R90CK G 311
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
18 C1 21 Spice Engineering Fermín Velez
Tim Harvey
Chris Hodgetts
Spice SE90C G 308
Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8
19 C1 20 Team Davey Max Cohen-Olivar
Giovanni Lavaggi
Tim Lee-Davey
Porsche 962C D 306
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
20 GTP 203 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Takashi Yorino
Yoshimi Katayama
Yojiro Terada
Mazda 767B D 304
Mazda 13J 2.6L 4-Rotor
21 C2 116 PC Automotive Richard Piper
Olindo Iacobelli
Mike Youles
Spice SE89C G 304
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8
22 C1 82 Courage Compétition Hervé Regout
Alain Cudini
Costas Los
Nissan R89C G 300
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
23 C2 102 Graff Racing Xavier Lapeyre
Jean-Philippe Grand
Michel Maisonneuve
Spice SE89C G 291
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8
24 C1 10 Porsche Kremer Racing Kunimitsu Takahashi
Sarel van der Merwe
Hideki Okada
Porsche 962CK6 Y 279
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
25 C2 103 Team Mako Robbie Stirling
James Shead
Ross Hyett
Spice SE88C G 274
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8
26 C1 19 Team Davey Katsunori Iketani
Patrick Trucco
Pierre de Thoisy
Porsche 962C D 261
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
27 C2 131 GP Motorsport Richard Jones
Dudley Wood
Stephen Hynes
Spice SE87C G 260
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.9L V8
28 C2 132 GP Motorsport Craig Simmiss
Alistair Fenwick
Alex Postan
Tiga GC289 G 255
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.9L V8
29
DNF
C1 16 Repsol Brun Motorsport Oscar Larrauri
Jesús Pareja
Walter Brun
Porsche 962C Y 353
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
30
DNF
C1 4 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Davy Jones
Luis Pérez-Sala
Eliseo Salazar
Jaguar XJR-12 G 282
Jaguar 7.0L V12
31
DNF
C2 128 Chamberlain Engineering Philippe de Henning
Charles Zwolsman
Robin Donovan
Spice SE90C G 255
Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8
32
DNF
C1 83 Nissan Performance Technology Inc. Geoff Brabham
Chip Robinson
Derek Daly
Nissan R90CK G 251
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
33
DNF
C1 38 Toyota Team SARD Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Roland Ratzenberger
Naoki Nagasaka
Toyota 90C-V D 241
Toyota R32V 3.2L Turbo V8
34
DNF
C1 1 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Martin Brundle
Alain Ferté
David Leslie
Jaguar XJR-12 G 220
Jaguar 7.0L V12
35
DNF
C1 85 Team Le Mans Takao Wada
Anders Olofsson
Maurizio Sandro Sala
Nissan R89C Y 182
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
36
DNF
C1 43 Richard Lloyd Racing
Italya Sport
Manuel Reuter
JJ Lehto
James Weaver
Porsche 962C GTi G 181
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
37
DNF
C2 107 Pierre-Alain Lombardi Pierre-Alain Lombardi
Denis Morin
Ferdinand de Lesseps
Spice SE87C G 170
Ford Cosworth DFY 3.0L V8
38
DNF
C2 105 ADA Engineering Ian Harrower
John Sheldon
Jerry Mahony
ADA 02B G 164
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8
39
DNF
GTP 202 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Volker Weidler
Bertrand Gachot
Johnny Herbert
Mazda 787 D 148
Mazda R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor
40
DNF
GTP 201 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Stefan Johansson
David Kennedy
Pierre Dieudonné
Mazda 787 D 147
Mazda R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor
41
DNF
C1 24 Nissan Motorsports International Mark Blundell
Julian Bailey
Gianfranco Brancatelli
Nissan R90CK D 142
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
42
DNF
GTP 230 MOMO Gebhardt Racing Gianpiero Moretti
Nick Adams
Günther Gebhardt
Porsche 962C G 138
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
43
DNF
C1 26 Obermaier Racing Jürgen Oppermann
Harald Grohs
Marc Duez
Porsche 962C G 140
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
44
DNF
C1 54 Mussato Action Cars Massimo Monti
Fabio Magnani
Lancia LC2 D 86
Ferrari 308C 3.0L Turbo V8
45
DNF
C1 37 Toyota Team Tom's Aguri Suzuki
Johnny Dumfries
Roberto Ravaglia
Toyota 90C-V B 64
Toyota R32V 3.2L Turbo V8
46
DNF
C1 12 Courage Compétition Bernard Thuner
Alain Ianetta
Pascal Pessiot
Cougar C24S G 57
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
47
DNF
C2 113 Etablissements Chereau Philippe Farjon
Jean Messaoudi
Cougar C20S G 43
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-6
48
DNF
C2 106 Automobiles Louis Descartes François Migault
Gérard Tremblay
Jacques Heuclin
ALD C289 D 36
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8
49
DNF
C1 25 Nissan Motorsports International Kenny Acheson
Martin Donnelly
Olivier Grouillard
Nissan R90CK D 0
Nissan VRH35Z 3.5L Turbo V8
DNS C1 8 Joest Porsche Racing Bob Wollek
Jonathan Palmer
Philippe Alliot
Porsche 962C M -
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6

Statistics

  • Pole Position - Mark Blundell, #24 Nissan Motorsports International - 3:27.020[1]
  • Fastest Lap - Steve Millen, #84 Nissan Performance Technology Inc. - 3:40.030[1]
  • Distance - 4882.4 km
  • Average Speed - 204.036 km/h
  • Highest Trap Speed — Jaguar XJR-12 - 353 km/h (219 mph) (race), Nissan R90CK - 366 km/h (227 mph) (qualifying)

References

  1. "1990 Le Mans 24 hrs overview". Motor Sport Magazine. July 1990. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
  2. "1989 Le Mans 24 Hours" C.Moity & J.M. Teissedre, Autotechnica, London 1989
  3. "Mulsanne's Corner: Maximum Speeds at le Mans, 1961-1989".
  4. "FISA waves stick at Le Mans". Motor Sport Magazine. January 1990. p. 74. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
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