1988 24 Hours of Le Mans


The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 11 and 12 June 1988. It was also the fifth round of the World Sports-Prototype Championship season.

Race

The Porsches were able to turn up to turbo boost in qualifying, thus were able to qualify in the top spots. Early in the race Jaguar proved to be faster and overtook all the Porsches by the 2nd lap.
After four years of trying with previous evolutions, Jaguar took the XJR-9 to victory against Porsche's works 962C in 1988. Apart from a lone Jaguar in fourth, Porsches filled the rest of the top ten. The Sauber-Mercedes team withdrew prior to the event following concerns over blowouts from their Michelin tires. The race covered a distance of 5,332.97 km, the most distance covered in any of the Le Mans 24 hours races, except 1971 when the Martini Racing Team Porsche 917K covered 5,335.313 km in 397 laps. Those records would however be broken over 20 years later in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, when the #9 Audi R15 TDI plus of Joest Racing tied the record for the number of laps around the Le Mans circuit and, due to its changing course configurations, set an outright distance record of —roughly the distance between Miami and Seattle—over the 13.629-km course configuration.
This was the second-to-last 24-hour race without chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight, and Team WM Peugeot had prioritised breaking the speed record that year. The WM-P88 Peugeot driven by Frenchman Roger Dorchy managed to reach a top speed of at the end of the six kilometre long Mulsanne Straight having struggled with reliability for the entire event. Following the record setting run, the issues that had plagued the car all weekend finally ended their race.
The Jaguar team suffered from gearbox problems, Lammers holding the car in 4th gear to prevent the gearbox from damaging itself. The Bell, Stuck, Ludwig Porsche 962C came very close to winning, with Ludwig making a rare error by running out of fuel on the track and losing valuable time getting back to the pits. The win ended Porsche's 7-year reign at Le Mans.

Official results

Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance marked as Not Classified.
PosClassNoTeamDriversChassisTyreLaps
PosClassNoTeamDriversEngineTyreLaps
1C12 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Jan Lammers
Johnny Dumfries
Andy Wallace
Jaguar XJR-9LM394
1C12 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Jan Lammers
Johnny Dumfries
Andy Wallace
Jaguar 7.0L V12394
2C117 Porsche AG Hans-Joachim Stuck
Klaus Ludwig
Derek Bell
Porsche 962C394
2C117 Porsche AG Hans-Joachim Stuck
Klaus Ludwig
Derek Bell
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6394
3C18 Blaupunkt Joest Racing Frank Jelinski
Louis Krages
Stanley Dickens
Porsche 962C385
3C18 Blaupunkt Joest Racing Frank Jelinski
Louis Krages
Stanley Dickens
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-6385
4C122 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Derek Daly
Kevin Cogan
Larry Perkins
Jaguar XJR-9LM383
4C122 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Derek Daly
Kevin Cogan
Larry Perkins
Jaguar 7.0L V12383
5C17 Blaupunkt Joest Racing David Hobbs
Didier Theys
Franz Konrad
Porsche 962C380
5C17 Blaupunkt Joest Racing David Hobbs
Didier Theys
Franz Konrad
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-6380
6C119 Porsche AG Mario Andretti
Michael Andretti
John Andretti
Porsche 962C375
6C119 Porsche AG Mario Andretti
Michael Andretti
John Andretti
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6375
7C15 Repsol Brun Motorsport Jesús Pareja
Massimo Sigala
Uwe Schäfer
Porsche 962C372
7C15 Repsol Brun Motorsport Jesús Pareja
Massimo Sigala
Uwe Schäfer
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6372
8C111 Leyton House Kremer Racing Kris Nissen
Harald Grohs
George Fouché
Porsche 962C371
8C111 Leyton House Kremer Racing Kris Nissen
Harald Grohs
George Fouché
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6371
9C110 Kenwood Kremer Racing Kunimitsu Takahashi
Hideki Okada
Bruno Giacomelli
Porsche 962CK6370
9C110 Kenwood Kremer Racing Kunimitsu Takahashi
Hideki Okada
Bruno Giacomelli
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-6370
10C133 Takefuji Schuppan Racing Team Brian Redman
Eje Elgh
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Porsche 962C359
10C133 Takefuji Schuppan Racing Team Brian Redman
Eje Elgh
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6359
11C172 Primagaz Competition Jürgen Lässig
Pierre Yver
Dudley Wood
Porsche 962C356
11C172 Primagaz Competition Jürgen Lässig
Pierre Yver
Dudley Wood
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-6356
12C136 Toyota Team Tom's Geoff Lees
Masanori Sekiya
Kaoru Hoshino
Toyota 88C351
12C136 Toyota Team Tom's Geoff Lees
Masanori Sekiya
Kaoru Hoshino
Toyota 3S-GT 2.1L Turbo I4351
13C2111 Spice Engineering Ray Bellm
Gordon Spice
Pierre de Thoisy
Spice SE88C351
13C2111 Spice Engineering Ray Bellm
Gordon Spice
Pierre de Thoisy
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8351
14C132 Nissan Motorsports Allan Grice
Mike Wilds
Win Percy
Nissan R88C344
14C132 Nissan Motorsports Allan Grice
Mike Wilds
Win Percy
Nissan VRH30 3.0L Turbo V8344
15GTP203 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Yojiro Terada
David Kennedy
Pierre Dieudonné
Mazda 757337
15GTP203 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Yojiro Terada
David Kennedy
Pierre Dieudonné
Mazda 13G 2.0L 3-Rotor337
16C121 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Danny Sullivan
Davy Jones
Price Cobb
Jaguar XJR-9LM331
16C121 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Danny Sullivan
Davy Jones
Price Cobb
Jaguar 7.0L V12331
17GTP201 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Yoshimi Katayama
David Leslie
Marc Duez
Mazda 767330
17GTP201 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Yoshimi Katayama
David Leslie
Marc Duez
Mazda 13J 2.6L 4-Rotor330
18C2115 ADA Engineering Ian Harrower
Jiro Yoneyama
Hideo Fukuyama
ADA 03318
18C2115 ADA Engineering Ian Harrower
Jiro Yoneyama
Hideo Fukuyama
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8318
19GTP202 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Takashi Yorino
Hervé Regout
Will Hoy
Mazda 767305
19GTP202 Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Takashi Yorino
Hervé Regout
Will Hoy
Mazda 13J 2.6L 4-Rotor305
20C2123 Charles Ivey Racing
Team Istel
Tim Harvey
Chris Hodgetts
John Sheldon
Tiga GC287301
20C2123 Charles Ivey Racing
Team Istel
Tim Harvey
Chris Hodgetts
John Sheldon
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-6301
21C2124 MT Sport Racing Jean Messaoudi
Pierre-François Rousselot
Jean-Luc Roy
Argo JM19C300
21C2124 MT Sport Racing Jean Messaoudi
Pierre-François Rousselot
Jean-Luc Roy
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8300
22C2177 Automobiles Louis Descartes Jacques Heuclin
Louis Descartes
Dominique Lacaud
ALD 04294
22C2177 Automobiles Louis Descartes Jacques Heuclin
Louis Descartes
Dominique Lacaud
BMW M80 3.5L I6294
23C2198 Roy Baker Racing Mike Allison
David Andrews
Steve Hynes
Tiga GC286294
23C2198 Roy Baker Racing Mike Allison
David Andrews
Steve Hynes
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8294
24C137 Toyota Team Tom's Paolo Barilla
Hitoshi Ogawa
Tiff Needell
Toyota 88C283
24C137 Toyota Team Tom's Paolo Barilla
Hitoshi Ogawa
Tiff Needell
Toyota 3S-GT 2.1L Turbo I4283
25C1117 Team Lucky Strike Schanche Martin Schanche
Robin Smith
Robin Donovan
Argo JM19C278
25C1117 Team Lucky Strike Schanche Martin Schanche
Robin Smith
Robin Donovan
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8278
26
NC
C2113 Primagaz Competition Max Cohen-Olivar
Patrick de Radiguès
Cougar C12273
26
NC
C2113 Primagaz Competition Max Cohen-Olivar
Patrick de Radiguès
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8273
27
NC
C2151 Pierre-Alain Lombardi Pierre-Alain Lombardi
Bruno Sotty
Rondeau M379271
27
NC
C2151 Pierre-Alain Lombardi Pierre-Alain Lombardi
Bruno Sotty
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.0L V8271
28
DNF
C11 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Martin Brundle
John Nielsen
Jaguar XJR-9LM306
28
DNF
C11 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Martin Brundle
John Nielsen
Jaguar 7.0L V12306
29
DNF
C123 Nissan Motorsports Kazuyoshi Hoshino
Takao Wada
Aguri Suzuki
Nissan R88C286
29
DNF
C123 Nissan Motorsports Kazuyoshi Hoshino
Takao Wada
Aguri Suzuki
Nissan VRH30 3.0L Turbo V8286
30
DNF
C2103 Spice Engineering Almo Coppelli
Thorkild Thyrring
Eliseo Salazar
Spice SE88C281
30
DNF
C2103 Spice Engineering Almo Coppelli
Thorkild Thyrring
Eliseo Salazar
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8281
31
DNF
C2131 Graff Racing Jean-Philippe Grand
Jacques Terrien
Maurice Guenoun
Spice SE86C263
31
DNF
C2131 Graff Racing Jean-Philippe Grand
Jacques Terrien
Maurice Guenoun
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8263
32
DNF
C124 Dollop Racing Nicola Marozzo
Jean-Pierre Frey
Ranieri Randaccio
Lancia LC2255
32
DNF
C124 Dollop Racing Nicola Marozzo
Jean-Pierre Frey
Ranieri Randaccio
Ferrari 308C 3.0L Turbo V8255
33
DNF
C2127 Chamberlain Engineering Nick Adams
Martin Birrane
Richard Jones
Spice SE86C223
33
DNF
C2127 Chamberlain Engineering Nick Adams
Martin Birrane
Richard Jones
Hart 418T 1.8L Turbo I4223
34
DNF
C118 Porsche AG Bob Wollek
Sarel van der Merwe
Vern Schuppan
Porsche 962C192
34
DNF
C118 Porsche AG Bob Wollek
Sarel van der Merwe
Vern Schuppan
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6192
35
DNF
C142 Noël del Bello Racing Bernard Santal
Noël del Bello
Bernard de Dryver
Sauber C8157
35
DNF
C142 Noël del Bello Racing Bernard Santal
Noël del Bello
Bernard de Dryver
Mercedes-Benz M117 5.0L Turbo V8157
36
DNF
C2121 Cosmik GP Motorsport Costas Los
Wayne Taylor
Evan Clements
Spice SE87C145
36
DNF
C2121 Cosmik GP Motorsport Costas Los
Wayne Taylor
Evan Clements
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8145
37
DNF
C2191 PC Automotive Olindo Iacobelli
Alain Ianette
John Graham
Argo JM19C130
37
DNF
C2191 PC Automotive Olindo Iacobelli
Alain Ianette
John Graham
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8130
38
DNF
C13 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
John Watson
Raul Boesel
Henri Pescarolo
Jaguar XJR-9LM129
38
DNF
C13 Silk Cut Jaguar
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
John Watson
Raul Boesel
Henri Pescarolo
Jaguar 7.0L V12129
39
DNF
C113 Primagaz Competition Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Michel Ferté
Cougar C20B120
39
DNF
C113 Primagaz Competition Pierre-Henri Raphanel
Michel Ferté
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6120
40
DNF
C2178 Automobiles Louis Descartes Sylvain Boulay
Gérard Tremblay
Michel Lateste
ALD 04103
40
DNF
C2178 Automobiles Louis Descartes Sylvain Boulay
Gérard Tremblay
Michel Lateste
BMW M80 3.5L I6103
41
DNF
C14 Camel Brun Motorsport Manuel Reuter
Walter Lechner
Franz Hunkeler
Porsche 962C91
41
DNF
C14 Camel Brun Motorsport Manuel Reuter
Walter Lechner
Franz Hunkeler
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-691
42
DNF
C185 Italiya Sport
Team Le Mans Co.
Michel Trollé
Toshio Suzuki
Danny Ongais
March 88S74
42
DNF
C185 Italiya Sport
Team Le Mans Co.
Michel Trollé
Toshio Suzuki
Danny Ongais
Nissan VG30ET 3.2L Turbo V674
43
DNF
C186 Italiya Sport
Team Le Mans Co.
Lamberto Leoni
Akio Morimoto
Anders Olofsson
March 88S69
43
DNF
C186 Italiya Sport
Team Le Mans Co.
Lamberto Leoni
Akio Morimoto
Anders Olofsson
Nissan VG30ET 3.2L Turbo V669
44
DNF
C130 Courage Compétition Paul Belmondo
François Migault
Ukyo Katayama
Courage C2266
44
DNF
C130 Courage Compétition Paul Belmondo
François Migault
Ukyo Katayama
Porsche Type-935 2.8L Turbo Flat-666
45
DNF
C151 WM Secateva Roger Dorchy
Claude Haldi
Jean-Daniel Raulet
WM P8759
45
DNF
C151 WM Secateva Roger Dorchy
Claude Haldi
Jean-Daniel Raulet
Peugeot ZNS4 2.8L Turbo V659
46
DNF
C2132 Roland Bassaler Jean-François Yvon
Roland Bassaler
Remy Pochauvin
Sauber SHS C653
46
DNF
C2132 Roland Bassaler Jean-François Yvon
Roland Bassaler
Remy Pochauvin
BMW M80 3.5L I653
47
DNF
C152 WM Secateva Pascal Pessiot
Jean-Daniel Raulet
WM P8822
47
DNF
C152 WM Secateva Pascal Pessiot
Jean-Daniel Raulet
Peugeot ZNS4 3.0L Turbo V622
48
DNF
C2107 Chamberlain Engineering Claude Ballot-Léna
Jean-Louis Ricci
Jean-Claude Andruet
Spice SE88C17
48
DNF
C2107 Chamberlain Engineering Claude Ballot-Léna
Jean-Louis Ricci
Jean-Claude Andruet
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V817
49
DNF
C120 Team Davey Tim Lee-Davey
Tom Dodd-Noble
Tiga GC885
49
DNF
C120 Team Davey Tim Lee-Davey
Tom Dodd-Noble
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L Turbo V85
DNSC2181 Luigi Taverna Technoracing Luigi Taverna
Fabio Magnani
Roberto Ragazzi
Olmas GLT-200-
DNSC2181 Luigi Taverna Technoracing Luigi Taverna
Fabio Magnani
Roberto Ragazzi
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3L V8-
DNSC161 Team Sauber Mercedes Mauro Baldi
James Weaver
Jochen Mass
Sauber C9-
DNSC161 Team Sauber Mercedes Mauro Baldi
James Weaver
Jochen Mass
Mercedes-Benz M117 5.0L Turbo V8-
DNSC162 Team Sauber Mercedes Klaus Niedzwiedz
Kenny Acheson
Sauber C9-
DNSC162 Team Sauber Mercedes Klaus Niedzwiedz
Kenny Acheson
Mercedes-Benz M117 5.0L Turbo V8-

Statistics