24 Hours of Le Mans Guide - 1972, the moment of truth for Matra

Marked by Henri Pescarolo's first victory and Graham Hill's triple crown, the double of the 24 1972 Hours of Le Mans was above all the major event of Matra's “glorious ten” (1965-1974) in motorsport.

Published on 21/05/2022 à 17:00

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24 Hours of Le Mans Guide – 1972, the moment of truth for Matra

On the starting grid, the Matras preceded the Alfa Romeos © DPPI

Twenty-two years: this is the time that separated the victory of Talbot in 1950 from that of Matra in 1972. A long crossing of the desert for the French manufacturers, only brightened by the index victories won by Monopole, Panhard, DB, CD, René Bonnet or Alpine. The arrival of Matra would change everything, because as early as 1965, Jean-Luc Lagardère (director of Matra Sports) had predicted the successes to come. By removing the Sport 5 liters, sporting power allowed Matra to access the premier category in 1972, along with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lola and Mirage. Backed by the wall, the French brand made Le Mans its main objective by opting for a new method: abandoning the other rounds of the world championship in favor of 24-hour simulations at the Paul-Ricard circuit. Under the direction of Bernard Boyer for the chassis and Georges Martin for the engine, the engineers led by Jean-Louis Caussin (chassis) and Jean-Jac