GIJS VAN LENNEP
The Targa Florio and Le Mans-winning Porsche aficionado discusses Formula One, distance records and conquering the Mulsanne, with Total 911
In a career spanning five decades, Gijs van Lennep has driven most Porsche racing cars - with notable success. From the 904 Carrera GTS, 906 and 910, to the 911R and RSR, the Dutch aristo won at Le Mans in 1971 with Helmut Marko in a mighty Martini 917, setting a distance record of 5,335 kilometres, which remained unbroken until the 2010 Le Mans race. Van Lennep also managed four years in Formula One and F5000 single-seaters, competing in eight Grand Prix races between 1971 and 1975 with under-financed Ensign, Williams (Iso-Marlboro) and Surtees teams. In 1972 he won the highly competitive British F5000 Championship in a Surtees TS11. Gijs (pronounced ‘Ghys’) won Le Mans again in 1976 with Jacky Ickx in a 936, yet, as he tell us, the victory he’s most proud of is the 1973 Targa Florio. It was to be the last year of this famous Sicilian race, and so Van Lennep is the eternal winner, having conquered it in a 2.8 Carrera RSR. But first…
ESSENTIAL FACTS
• Van Lennep competed in various endurance races in 1966 with his brother, including the 1,000kms at the Nürburgring, Spa, and Monza.
• 1971 Le Mans winner: partnering with Helmut Marko in a 917, Van Lennep set a distance record that lasted almost 40 years.
• 1972 British F5000 champion: Van Lennep was one of only two teams to race with the Surtees TS11 design.
• 1973 Targa Florio winner: piloting the famous Porsche 911 2.8 RSR, van Lennep conquered the notorious Sicilian race with co-pilot Herbert Müller.
• In 1976, Van Lennep won Le Mans for a second time, this time with co-pilot Jacky Ickx, before announcing his retirement from professional racing.
• Van Lennep also competed in eight Formula One races over four years, for various teams.
Your first World Championship was with your brother in the 1966 Nürburgring 1,000km, when you drove for five out of six hours. That really highlights your prowess as an endurance driver…