The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most famous races in motorsport. There, on the Sarthe circuit, pages of motorsport history were written, unfortunately also dramatic. This is an endurance race, which requires more than one driver, usually three, to drive the same car. The first race dates back to 1923, so we are close to the centenary of Le Mans. One of the historic races in this competition was the focus of a 2019 film ‘Le Mans ’66’, who had as protagonists two real Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale. A film that told the challenge between Ford and Ferrari. The film will be broadcast tonight on Rai 1.
The film, directed by James Mangold – who will also direct the fifth chapter of Indiana Jones to be released in 2023 – tells the story of the engineers and members of the American team directed by the designer. Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and who he has as a star driver ken miles (Christian Bale). Both hired by Henry Fordd II and Lee Iacocca with the aim of creating an unbeatable and winning car: the Ford GT40, which in their intentions should have won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans against Ferrari.
Ford manages to dominate the race and scores a one-two, but something goes wrong in the final stages🇧🇷 As Ford wanted to enter the parade, it is not possible to have both cars win. But the photo would have been perfect. A one-two for the Ford that finished ahead of everyone. Ken Miles crossed the finish line first, but when he got out of the car he discovered that first place went to Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren.
The character also appears in the film. Enzo Ferrari, the Drake played by Remo Girone. Four Oscar 2020 nominations for ‘Le Mans ’66’, including one for best picture.
The true story of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans that inspired the film
In the early 1960s, Ferrari racked up victories at Le Mans. Ford, which did not have a pleasant relationship with Ferrari, in fact, precisely with Enzo Ferrari, went in search of success. Also because the house in Maranello ended up in the sights of Henry Ford II. In a difficult period, the American businessman asks his leaders for a brilliant idea to win again. A young manager, Shelby, offers him to create a winning machine. the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but we had to beat Ferrari. Ford, to avoid creating the project, tried to acquire Ferrari directly.
At first, Drake said yes, but at the last moment he threw out all American leaders and insulted them, including Henry Ford II. It is easy to understand that from that moment on relations became anything but cordial. Shelby was hired by Ford with the goal of building a winning car. And when the 24 Hours of Le Mans was run from June 18 to 19, 1966, the tension was cut like a knife. Nobody wanted to lose. It wasn’t just a single victory that was at stake.
The Ford-Ferrari Rivalry and Ken Miles’ Failure to Win
Ford and Ferrari would pay gold to win. Ford nailed the project and created formidable cars, unlike the Reds which were quite fragile. All the Ferraris dropped out, including Lorenzo Bandini, Formula 1 driver who tragically died the following year in an accident in Monte Carlo.
When Ford realized it could make a historic duo, it asked Ken Miles, who was racing in tandem with Denny Hulme (also a Formula 1 GP winner), to slow down. Miles created the car, he tested it, he grew it, and he raced it wildly. Because the Miles-Hulme duo has difficulties at the start and loses positions, but manages to recover and take the lead. From the garage they tell you that you have to slow down to reach two o’clock Ford GT40 along with the finish line, a parade finish. So is. But when Ken Miles gets out of the car, he discovers that the victory is not his. Because the other car, the one driven by Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren (the founder of the stable of the same name), covered more meters. Atrocious mockery.
Ken Miles’ death a few months later at Riverside
It cannot be remedied. Miles lost, he finished second. But either way he takes it well knowing he’s won a lot and promises to try again next season. But fate plays the worst possible joke on him. THEl August 17, 1966, that is, two months after the Le Mans race, in a test at the Riverside circuit, in the United States, Ken Miles, on a dry California afternoon, loses control of the car and crashes at more than 320 kilometers per hour. He dies instantly. A tragedy.
Source: Fan Page IT
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
