It would be difficult to forget this year’s dramatic closing moments of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which saw Porsche sneak through to claim its record 18th overall victory in the French endurance classic.
However, you can now re-live the race through a detailed look back at every key moment in the newly released “Porsche Victory 2016” book, which is now available in time for the holiday season.
Authored by renowned motorsports journalist and Sportscar365 contributor Rene de Boer, the 192-page hardcover bounded book documents the German manufacturer’s effort, both in LMP1 and in the GTE ranks, beginning with the FIA World Endurance Championship pre-season Prologue test in the build up to Le Mans itself.
It features a forward by six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx, who sets the tone for the nail-biting battle that ended with a heartbreaking engine issue for the then race-leading No. 5 Toyota TS050 Hybrid in the final minutes of the twice-around-the-clock enduro.
Toyota’s failure handed overall honors to the No. 2 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas, who also went on to claim the 2016 WEC title last weekend in Bahrain.
Incidentally, both Lieb and Dumas have not been retained by Porsche for its LMP1 program next year, making its Le Mans triumph all the more meaningful, as detailed in this book.
While De Boer’s words adequately depict the twists and turns of the event, the 500 photos, including many never-before-seen images, brings readers into each pivotal moment that unfolded during the week.
The multi-lingual (English, German, French) book, produced by GruppeC, also features comprehensive results and race statistics not only for the winning LMP1 entry but Porsche’s factory and works-supported efforts in GTE-Pro, as well as its customer entries in GTE-Am.
It was highlighted by a third place GTE-Am class finish for the Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR, with the challenging story of the two Manthey-entered GTE-Pro entries also being told.
All told, the book is a must-have for any Porsche or endurance racing fan wanting a piece of history following an unforgettable battle at La Sarthe.
Porsche Victory 2016
ISBN: 978-3-928540-858
Rene de Boer
Tim Upietz
€40.00 ($42 USD)