1991 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 59th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 22 and 23 June 1991. It was also the fourth round of the 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship season.
Pre-race
An entirely new complex along the front stretch was built, housing modern pit stalls, garages, and the new observation suites built above the garages.As for the race, the grid line-up was an unusual affair. 1991 was supposed to be the first year the World Sportscar Championship ran to the new '3.5L' rules, which meant a new breed of sports-prototypes. Although TWR-Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot all built cars to the new regulations for the 1991 championship series, the amount of privateer teams was low and there was simply not enough of these new cars to fill the grid. The FIA allowed the first 10 spaces on the grid to be reserved for the fastest qualifying 3.5L cars from the World Sportscar Championship, while the rest of the field was made up of older formula Group C cars. In another twist, some teams which had 3.5L cars, but entered previous year's championships with Group C cars, were allowed to enter their "obsolete" but more reliable Group C racers. In the case of TWR Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, their 3.5L cars failed to qualify and instead they raced using their XJR-12 and C11 models. Peugeot Sport on the other hand only had their 905 model to race, with 1991 being their first full season in sportscar racing. Being the only factory team running the 3.5L formula, the French marque had the honour of starting 1st and 2nd, even though they had only set the 3rd and 8th fastest qualifying times.
Race
, powered with a rotary model 26B Wankel engine, won in 1991, overcoming reliability issues in the older manufacturer cars. It was the first Japanese manufacturer to win Le Mans, as well as the only non-piston engine car to ever win. It won against considerable opposition from factory-entered Mercedes, Jaguar and the new 3.5L Peugeot cars; and from privately entered Porsche 962s, still competitive after 6 years.Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance marked as Not Classified.| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Tyre | Laps |
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Engine | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | C2 | 55 |  Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. |  Volker Weidler Johnny Herbert Bertrand Gachot | Mazda 787B | 362 | |
| 1 | C2 | 55 | Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. | Volker Weidler Johnny Herbert Bertrand Gachot | Mazda R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor | 362 | |
| 2 | C2 | 35 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing |  Davy Jones Raul Boesel Michel Ferté | Jaguar XJR-12 | 360 | |
| 2 | C2 | 35 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Davy Jones Raul Boesel Michel Ferté | Jaguar 7.4L V12 | 360 | |
| 3 | C2 | 34 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Bob Wollek Teo Fabi Kenny Acheson | Jaguar XJR-12 | 358 | |
| 3 | C2 | 34 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Bob Wollek Teo Fabi Kenny Acheson | Jaguar 7.4L V12 | 358 | |
| 4 | C2 | 33 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Derek Warwick John Nielsen Andy Wallace | Jaguar XJR-12 | 356 | |
| 4 | C2 | 33 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Derek Warwick John Nielsen Andy Wallace | Jaguar 7.4L V12 | 356 | |
| 5 | C2 | 31 | Team Sauber Mercedes |  Karl Wendlinger Michael Schumacher Fritz Kreutzpointner | Mercedes-Benz C11 | 355 | |
| 5 | C2 | 31 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Karl Wendlinger Michael Schumacher Fritz Kreutzpointner | Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0L Turbo V8 | 355 | |
| 6 | C2 | 18 | Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Oreca |  David Kennedy Stefan Johansson Maurizio Sandro Sala | Mazda 787B | 355 | |
| 6 | C2 | 18 | Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Oreca | David Kennedy Stefan Johansson Maurizio Sandro Sala | Mazda R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor | 355 | |
| 7 | C2 | 58 | Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing | Hans-Joachim Stuck Derek Bell Frank Jelinski | Porsche 962C | 347 | |
| 7 | C2 | 58 | Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing | Hans-Joachim Stuck Derek Bell Frank Jelinski | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 347 | |
| 8 | C2 | 56 | Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Oreca | Pierre Dieudonné Takashi Yorino Yojiro Terada | Mazda 787 | 346 | |
| 8 | C2 | 56 | Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Oreca | Pierre Dieudonné Takashi Yorino Yojiro Terada | Mazda R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor | 346 | |
| 9 | C2 | 11 | Porsche Kremer Racing | Manuel Reuter Harri Toivonen JJ Lehto | Porsche 962CK6 | 343 | |
| 9 | C2 | 11 | Porsche Kremer Racing | Manuel Reuter Harri Toivonen JJ Lehto | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 343 | |
| 10 | C2 | 17 |  Repsol Brun Motorsport |  Oscar Larrauri Jesús Pareja Walter Brun | Porsche 962C | 338 | |
| 10 | C2 | 17 | Repsol Brun Motorsport | Oscar Larrauri Jesús Pareja Walter Brun | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 338 | |
| 11 | C2 | 12 | Courage Compétition | François Migault Lionel Robert Jean-Daniel Raulet | Cougar C26S | 331 | |
| 11 | C2 | 12 | Courage Compétition | François Migault Lionel Robert Jean-Daniel Raulet | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | 331 | |
| 12 | C1 | 41 |  Euro Racing Team Fedco | Kiyoshi Misaki Hisashi Yokoshima Naoki Nagasaka | Spice SE90C | 326 | |
| 12 | C1 | 41 | Euro Racing Team Fedco | Kiyoshi Misaki Hisashi Yokoshima Naoki Nagasaka | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 326 | |
| 13 NC | C2 | 53 | Team Salamin Primagaz Team Schuppan | Hurley Haywood James Weaver Wayne Taylor | Porsche 962C | 316 | |
| 13 NC | C2 | 53 | Team Salamin Primagaz Team Schuppan | Hurley Haywood James Weaver Wayne Taylor | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | 316 | |
| 14 NC | C1 | 43 | Euro Racing PC Automotive | Richard Piper Olindo Iacobelli Jean-Louis Ricci | Spice SE89C | 280 | |
| 14 NC | C1 | 43 | Euro Racing PC Automotive | Richard Piper Olindo Iacobelli Jean-Louis Ricci | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 280 | |
| 15 NC | C2 | 15 | Veneto Equipe | Luigi Giorgio Almo Copelli | Lancia LC2 | 111 | |
| 15 NC | C2 | 15 | Veneto Equipe | Luigi Giorgio Almo Copelli | Ferrari 308C 3.0L Turbo V8 | 111 | |
| 16 DNF | C2 | 1 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Jean-Louis Schlesser Jochen Mass Alain Ferté | Mercedes-Benz C11 | 319 | |
| 16 DNF | C2 | 1 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Jean-Louis Schlesser Jochen Mass Alain Ferté | Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0L Turbo V8 | 319 | |
| 17 DNF | C2 | 49 | Courage Compétition Trust Racing | Steven Andskär George Fouché | Porsche 962C | 316 | |
| 17 DNF | C2 | 49 | Courage Compétition Trust Racing | Steven Andskär George Fouché | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 316 | |
| 18 NC | C2 | 47 | Courage Compétition | Michel Trollé Claude Bourbonnais Marco Brand | Cougar C26S | 293 | |
| 18 NC | C2 | 47 | Courage Compétition | Michel Trollé Claude Bourbonnais Marco Brand | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | 293 | |
| 19 DNF | C2 | 51 | Team Salamin Primagaz Obermaier Racing | Jürgen Lässig Pierre Yver Otto Altenbach | Porsche 962C | 232 | |
| 19 DNF | C2 | 51 | Team Salamin Primagaz Obermaier Racing | Jürgen Lässig Pierre Yver Otto Altenbach | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 232 | |
| 20 DNF | C2 | 32 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Jonathan Palmer Stanley Dickens Kurt Thiim | Mercedes-Benz C11 | 223 | |
| 20 DNF | C2 | 32 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Jonathan Palmer Stanley Dickens Kurt Thiim | Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0L Turbo V8 | 223 | |
| 21 DNF | C2 | 52 | Team Salamin Primagaz Team Schuppan | Eje Elgh Roland Ratzenberger Will Hoy | Porsche 962C | 202 | |
| 21 DNF | C2 | 52 | Team Salamin Primagaz Team Schuppan | Eje Elgh Roland Ratzenberger Will Hoy | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | 202 | |
| 22 DNF | C2 | 57 | Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing | Louis Krages Bernd Schneider Henri Pescarolo | Porsche 962C | 197 | |
| 22 DNF | C2 | 57 | Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing | Louis Krages Bernd Schneider Henri Pescarolo | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 197 | |
| 23 DNF | C2 | 36 | TWR Suntec Jaguar | David Leslie Mauro Martini Jeff Krosnoff | Jaguar XJR-12 | 183 | |
| 23 DNF | C2 | 36 | TWR Suntec Jaguar | David Leslie Mauro Martini Jeff Krosnoff | Jaguar 7.4L V12 | 183 | |
| 24 DNF | C1 | 39 | Graff Racing Automobiles Louis Descartes | Jean-Philippe Grand Michel Maisonneuve Xavier Lapeyre | Spice SE89C | 163 | |
| 24 DNF | C1 | 39 | Graff Racing Automobiles Louis Descartes | Jean-Philippe Grand Michel Maisonneuve Xavier Lapeyre | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 163 | |
| 25 DNF | C2 | 16 | Repsol Brun Motorsport |  Harald Huysman Robbie Stirling Bernard Santal | Porsche 962C | 138 | |
| 25 DNF | C2 | 16 | Repsol Brun Motorsport | Harald Huysman Robbie Stirling Bernard Santal | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 138 | |
| 26 DNF | C2 | 45 | Euro Racing Chamberlain Engineering | Nick Adams Robin Donovan Richard Jones | Spice SE89C | 128 | |
| 26 DNF | C2 | 45 | Euro Racing Chamberlain Engineering | Nick Adams Robin Donovan Richard Jones | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 128 | |
| 27 DNF | C2 | 14 | Team Salamin Primagaz | Antoine Salamin Max Cohen-Olivar Marcel Tarrès | Porsche 962C | 101 | |
| 27 DNF | C2 | 14 | Team Salamin Primagaz | Antoine Salamin Max Cohen-Olivar Marcel Tarrès | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 101 | |
| 28 DNF | C2 | 21 | Konrad Motorsport | Franz Konrad Anthony Reid Pierre-Alain Lombardi | Porsche 962C | 98 | |
| 28 DNF | C2 | 21 | Konrad Motorsport | Franz Konrad Anthony Reid Pierre-Alain Lombardi | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 98 | |
| 29 DNF | C2 | 50 | Courage Compétition Alméras Freres | Jacques Alméras Jean-Marie Alméras Pierre de Thoisy | Porsche 962C | 86 | |
| 29 DNF | C2 | 50 | Courage Compétition Alméras Freres | Jacques Alméras Jean-Marie Alméras Pierre de Thoisy | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | 86 | |
| 30 DNF | C1 | 44 | Euro Racing Chamberlain Engineering | John Sheldon Ferdinand de Lesseps Charles Rickett | Spice SE89C | 85 | |
| 30 DNF | C1 | 44 | Euro Racing Chamberlain Engineering | John Sheldon Ferdinand de Lesseps Charles Rickett | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 85 | |
| 31 DNF | C1 | 8 | Euro Racing | Cor Euser Charles Zwolsman Tim Harvey | Spice SE90C | 72 | |
| 31 DNF | C1 | 8 | Euro Racing | Cor Euser Charles Zwolsman Tim Harvey | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 72 | |
| 32 DNF | C1 | 6 | Peugeot Talbot Sport | Keke Rosberg Yannick Dalmas Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Peugeot 905 | 68 | |
| 32 DNF | C1 | 6 | Peugeot Talbot Sport | Keke Rosberg Yannick Dalmas Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Peugeot SA35 3.5L V10 | 68 | |
| 33 DNF | C1 | 40 | Euro Racing A.O. Racing | Lyn St. James Desiré Wilson Cathy Muller | Spice SE90C | 47 | |
| 33 DNF | C1 | 40 | Euro Racing A.O. Racing | Lyn St. James Desiré Wilson Cathy Muller | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5L V8 | 47 | |
| 34 DNF | C2 | 13 | Courage Compétition | Johnny Dumfries Anders Olofsson Thomas Danielsson | Cougar C26S | 45 | |
| 34 DNF | C2 | 13 | Courage Compétition | Johnny Dumfries Anders Olofsson Thomas Danielsson | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | 45 | |
| 35 DNF | C1 | 37 | Automobiles Louis Descartes Racing Organization Course | Bernard Thuner Pascal Fabre | ROC 002 | 38 | |
| 35 DNF | C1 | 37 | Automobiles Louis Descartes Racing Organization Course | Bernard Thuner Pascal Fabre | Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5L V8 | 38 | |
| 36 DNF | C1 | 5 | Peugeot Talbot Sport | Mauro Baldi Philippe Alliot Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Peugeot 905 | 22 | |
| 36 DNF | C1 | 5 | Peugeot Talbot Sport | Mauro Baldi Philippe Alliot Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Peugeot SA35 3.5L V10 | 22 | |
| 37 DNF | C2 | 46 | Porsche Kremer Racing |  Tomás López Rocha Gregor Foitek Tiff Needell | Porsche 962CK6 | 18 | |
| 37 DNF | C2 | 46 | Porsche Kremer Racing | Tomás López Rocha Gregor Foitek Tiff Needell | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | 18 | |
| 38 DNF | C1 | 7 | Automobiles Louis Descartes | Philippe de Henning Luigi Taverna Patrick Gonin | ALD C91 | 16 | |
| 38 DNF | C1 | 7 | Automobiles Louis Descartes | Philippe de Henning Luigi Taverna Patrick Gonin | Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5L V8 | 16 | |
| DNS | C2 | 59 | Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing | Franz Konrad Jürgen Barth | Porsche 962C | - | |
| DNS | C2 | 59 | Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing | Franz Konrad Jürgen Barth | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | - | |
| DNS | C1 | 4 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Teo Fabi Kenny Acheson Andy Wallace | Jaguar XJR-14 | - | |
| DNS | C1 | 4 | Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing | Teo Fabi Kenny Acheson Andy Wallace | Jaguar Cosworth HB 3.5L V8 | - | |
| DNQ | C2 | 48 | Courage Compétition | Chris Hodgetts Andrew Hepworth Thierry Lacerf | Cougar C24S | - | |
| DNQ | C2 | 48 | Courage Compétition | Chris Hodgetts Andrew Hepworth Thierry Lacerf | Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | - | |
| DNQ | C1 | 2 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Karl Wendlinger Michael Schumacher Fritz Kreutzpointner | Mercedes-Benz C291 | - | |
| DNQ | C1 | 2 | Team Sauber Mercedes | Karl Wendlinger Michael Schumacher Fritz Kreutzpointner | Mercedes-Benz M291 3.5L Flat-12 | - | |
| DNQ | C2 | 42 | Euro Racing | Justin Bell Shunji Kasuya | Spice SE88P | - | |
| DNQ | C2 | 42 | Euro Racing | Justin Bell Shunji Kasuya | Ferrari 308C 3.5L Turbo V8 | - | |
| DNQ | C2 | 54 | Team Salamin Primagaz Team Davey | Katsunori Iketani Mercedes Stermitz Val Musetti | Porsche 962C | - | |
| DNQ | C2 | 54 | Team Salamin Primagaz Team Davey | Katsunori Iketani Mercedes Stermitz Val Musetti | Porsche Type-935 3.2L Turbo Flat-6 | - |
Statistics
- Pole Position - Jean-Louis Schlesser, #1 Team Sauber Mercedes - 3:31.270
- * #3 Silk Cut Jaguar was originally on pole but was withdrawn prior to the race.
- Fastest Lap - Michael Schumacher, #31 Team Sauber Mercedes - 3:35.564
- Distance - 4922.810 km
- Average Speed - 205.333 km/h
- Highest Trap Speed — Sauber Mercedes C11 - 342 km/h, Sauber Mercedes C11 - 363 km/h