Remember when… Nico Hulkenberg ended F1’s Le Mans win drought

In the run-up to the start of pre-season testing Motorsport Week brings you left-field reflections and stories of teams, drivers and reserves that will be part of the Formula 1 paddock in 2019.

For several decades there was a widespread crossover between Le Mans and Formula 1 but after Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot’s 1991 triumph no active Formula 1 driver won the 24-hour race for another 24 years. There were infrequent attempts too, with Formula 1 teams none too keen on their contracted drivers committing to the classic at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Calendar clashes also intervened, and such scheduling was not accidental.

In 2015 Fernando Alonso was keen to compete for Porsche in a third car but McLaren thought otherwise and tentative plans were abandoned. Instead it fell to another Formula 1 driver to climb into Porsche’s 919 Hybrid, with Nico Hulkenberg getting the green light from his Force India team.

Porsche fielded the #19 effort for Hulkenberg, Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber at the preceding round at Spa-Francorchamps but its prospects from the front-row were hampered early on when Tandy made contact with a slower division car.

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But for Le Mans the #19 struck back. Hulkenberg and Tandy put in supreme stints in the night phase to emerge as a contender, facilitated by a penalty for the sister #17 and driver errors from the #18. Audi’s challenge was blunted by mechanical setbacks while Toyota lacked the pace to compete with its German rivals.

Hulkenberg led the #19 home to record Porsche’s first victory since 1988 while the #17 made it a 1-2 finish.

It remains the only win, or even podium, Hulkenberg has claimed in motorsport this decade.