McLaren F1 GTR: The Reluctant Racer That Ruled Le Mans
With more news this week that Gordon Murray and his team are developing a new lightweight chassis, codenamed project ‘M-LightEn’ (Monocoque architecture—Lightweight and Low Energy), which is aimed at the EV platform and will be suitable for a “portfolio of new vehicles”, we found ourselves reminiscing on Gordon Murray’s first attempt to build the world’s greatest road car - the McLaren F1, and also what followed… one of the most evocative racing cars of the modern era - the F1 GTR.
1994: A European Sports Car Renaissance
The curious story of the F1 GTR owes a lot to the twists and turns of the European sport car racing scene. By the end of 1992 there was a gap in the market for a GT racing series, with the FIA killing off Group C racing and concerted efforts from Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosely to entice major manufacturers into the world of Formula 1. The gentleman drivers who dreamed of success at Le Mans and elsewhere however were still around, and not willing (or able) to devote their lives and bank accounts to the F1 circus. When the BPR International GT Endurance Series appeared in 1994, thanks to the combined efforts of Patrick Peter, Stéphane Ratel and Jürgen Barth of Venturi and Porsche one-make racing fame, it was immediately attractive to the GT racing community. Once again, European circuits would echo with the sounds of two-seater sports cars which actually looked like something you could see on the street. By 1995, the BPR series not only had FIA approval to award points, but sponsorship, enthusiastic crowds and a packed 12-race calendar. And something called the McLaren F1 GTR…
Gordon Murray’s F1
With a glittering career as an F1 designer and a McLaren directorship, Gordon Murray was perfectly placed in the early 1990s to embark on a road car project with the blessing of Ron Dennis. With the intention to make a sports car to rival the best Italian creations, Murray created the McLaren F1, launched at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1992 as the world’s first ground-effect carbon road car packed with cutting edge technology and an incredible lightweight. 6.1l BMW S70/2 V12. Quickly christened the ‘Car of the Century’ by the media, Murray was nonetheless adamant that the F1 was not to go racing - it was too softly sprung, and the entire design brief had been to create the ultimate driving (and not racing) machine.
However McLaren had not reckoned with the pluck and determination of a number of gentleman drivers including German banker Dr Thomas Bscher and pharmaceuticals entrepreneur Ray Bellm, both accomplished racers who quickly expressed interest in racing this ground-effect, carbon-fibre, lightweight car powered by a BMW V12.
After a lot of badgering of Ron Dennis and some financial calculations by the McLaren board, Bscher and Bellm got their way. Murray managed to pull together an aero kit after a day’s testing at the NPL in Teddington; under the mantra of “no time, no money, keep it safe”, the initial F1 GTR builds (beginning with chassis no.19) were completed in four months and involved minimal necessary changes to roadgoing F1s. Much was thrown away - trim, sound deadening, exhaust system - and essential upgrades were made to the suspension and braking systems. Air conditioning, which would have cost 8bhp, was out - as well as the innovative twin fans of the original design. The BMW V12, aside from being remapped to put out less power, remained a standard road car engine. As the 1995 BPR season arrived, and with nine customer F1 GTRs produced, it was time to go racing after all.
Going Racing And Le Mans
1995 was the year it all came together, with the BPR Global GT Endurance Series attracting a field of 65 cars from 15 manufacturers which not only helped engage fans and sponsors, but also boosted the numbers for that years’ Le Mans 24 Hours. In the middle of all of this were the F1 GTRs, with their wonderful liveries and, as it turned out, scintillating racing performance. The Bellm/Sandro Sala Gulf Racing F1 GTR took the win at the first race of the season in the Jerez 4 Hours, and more victories followed at Paul Ricard and Monza (the latter for the Nielsen / Bscher DPR Davidoff entry). At the Nürburgring 4 Hours, the F1 GTRs were absolutely dominant, taking the top five places, and over the course of the season the F1 GTR would end up taking 10 of 12 rounds.
Of course, the most interesting turn of events in 1995 was at Le Mans. Despite the breathtaking performance of the F1 GTRs in the BPR series, Gordon Murray and McLaren were wholly opposed to 24h racing for the F1s - a Grand Prix season in a day. The gentleman drivers continued to push their demands however, and eventually McLaren agreed to provide a ‘Le Mans’ kit including carbon brake discs, NACA ducts, a new aero kit with a smaller wing for higher speeds, and additional engine cooling.
While the customer F1 GTRs ran impressively at pre-qualifying, most curious was the Paul Lanzante-run Kokusai Kaihatsu car, which was actually the prototype 1995 GTR test car chassis 01R, rebuilt and fettled for Le Mans at the behest of Motokazu Sayama, owner of the Ueno Clinic in Tokyo. Sponsorship from this chain of health clinics (which also offered vasectomy services) quickly earned the car the nickname of ‘Snippit’ from its mechanics; the other customer teams were more concerned with what looked like a works entry turning up to disrupt proceedings with a brace of experienced drivers in JJ Lehto, Masanori Sekiya and Yanick Dalmas.
While the tensions over the Ueno Clinic car continued to rumble into the main event at Le Mans, the 01R crew knuckled down in one of the wettest Le Mans races on record and managed to claw their way to the top, catching the Harrods-liveried GTR an hour from the finish. Both McLaren and Lanzante had done something extraordinary, winning Le Mans on their debuts - a feat only achieved by Ferrari previously in 1949. Four of the top five finishers were also McLaren F1 GTRs, a testament to the design and engineering of this unique car.
End Of An Era… And More
Aside from the stunning feat of victory at Le Mans, the 1995 and 1996 BPR seasons were dominated by the F1 GTR. From 1997, despite strong performances from F1 GTR teams, rival manufacturers such as Porsche and Mercedes began to push the envelope of technical development, and before long the emergence of the advanced GT1 class as part of the FIA GT Championship and the slow ebbing away of privateer racing teams saw the GTR lose its edge as a racing machine. It wasn't all bad however, as the late 1990s also gave us the GTR Long Tail, the swansong of the racing GTR and a photo favourite for many racing fans...
Images from ‘McLaren F1 GTR: The Definitive History’ is essential reading for anyone seriously interested in this iconic racing car.
