Gallery: McLaren F1 Anniversary Marked at Retromobile
The Richard Mille stand at Retromobile features a great display of McLaren F1 sportscars - a sight that we should see more than once over 2020 as the 25th anniversary of the model’s 1995 Le Mans win is marked.
The McLaren F1 line-up is headlined by the GT01R, better known as the Le Mans-winning Ueno Clinic-liveried F1 GTR. Crewed by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, the number 59 car powered McLaren into the history books with victory on its debut in the French endurance classic.
Also competing in the same race, F1 GTR #42 turned heads for its striking livery. It was prepared by French team BBA Compétition, whose founder Jean-Luc Maury-Laribiére commissioned famous compatriot, sculptor Cesare “César” Baldaccini to create its artistic facade.
Two years later and in response to increasing competition, McLaren updated the F1 with the ‘Longtail’ that would inspire McLaren’s extreme road cars, including the 675LT and 600LT. Liveried in Gulf colours and wearing the race number 41, GT020R Longtail was helmed by Jean-Marc Gounon, Pierre-Henri Raphanel and Anders Olofsson to second place overall and first in the GT1 category, a formidable 29 laps clear of the highest-placed car from another manufacturer in class.
