This image was posted on Twitter more than ten days ago now and it’s still getting mentions and RT’s. But while most people agree it’s a great shot of two superb machines duelling it out, not many people seemed to know exactly what, where, who or when. Well hopefully this fills n the gaps.
In 1988, Ferrari released the F40. CEO of Ferrari France, Daniel Martin, approached the factory with the idea of taking the F40 racing. Although Ferrari France instigated the programme, the chassis were built by official Ferrari partner Michelotto and delivered to the team.
The full story is covered in detail over on the French motoring website Automotiv Press. However, studying the text and other sources, the Twitter shot would appear to be at Del Mar in 1989, with Jean Pierre Jabouille in the Ferrari and Audi factory driver Hans Stuck in the Audi. JP lead initially, but Stuck passed him and maintained a lead to the end.
The Ferrari France racing programme was a pretty ambitious one for IMSA, as they had basically a production car with some racing modifications up against GTO class cars, where the only nod to mass production was the engine block and it’s general location in the chassis.
Ferrari F40LM’s are currently achieving stratospheric prices, with this Ferrari build thread an interesting read here. Take a look at this video from 1992, what appears to be a quick shakedown. No crash helmet, harness kind of fastened…. Listen for the vicious hiss from the turbos and how the dog gearbox seems to be a bit of a git on the downshifts. Oh yes, and look out of the windscreen at the rate of progress…
