Happy birthday, Henri Pescarolo!

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Henri Pescarolo is not only a great driver, he is a legend. Built over the course of its 33 participations in 24 Hours of Le Mans, between exploits, dramas and victories. And if he carries with him the physical suffering that the race inflicted on him, he hides a deeper one. That of not having succeeded, as he hoped, in F1. The son of a doctor, he was destined for the same route before being attracted to racing.

After a few rallies on Dauphine, Operation Ford Jeunesse gave him a leg up in 1964. His five victories earned him a place in the nascent Matra team. It was in 1966 that he scored his first successes in F3 before becoming French F3 champion in 1967, with ten victories, including Monaco. It begins in F2 at the end of the season, finishing 8th in the Gold Cup at Oulton Park, then 7th in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama, these two races being open to F1 and F2.

1970 on the Matra MS120: between performances
and disappointments © DPPI

In 1968, he finished 2nd in the European F2 Trophy behind his teammate Jean-Pierre Beltoise. He won at Albi, even though he had just made his F1 debut at Mont-Tremblant (Canada). In the second Matra MS11, he qualified on the last row and moved up to 8th before being betrayed by his V12. This is also the reason for his withdrawal from Watkins Glen (New York), even though he was qualified. In Mexico, he finally saw the finish, finishing 9th and last. But we talk more about Pescarolo because of his exploit at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: braving the night rain, he managed, despite an inoperative windshield wiper, to save 2nd place in the Matra MS630 shared with Servoz-Gavin. A puncture causing a short circuit ended the demonstration, but the legend continues. It was strengthened when Henri was seriously burned in April 1969, while testing the Matra MS640 in the Hunaudières. He made his comeback at the German GP, ​​where he won the F2 classification while unofficially finishing 5th overall.

Frank's March 711 Williams will give him a lap record at Monza © DPPI

In 1970, Pescarolo found Beltoise in F1 on the MS120 with a V12 engine. Dominated in qualifying by his teammate, he finished 7th in Kyalami (South Africa), before being betrayed by his engine in Jarama, while he was in 3rd place. In Monaco, he performed flawlessly which took him to 3rd place and his first points, but this performance went somewhat unnoticed in the face of the victory snatched by Rindt in the last corner. At Spa, the great Henri once again showed his advantage, competing for 3rd place with Beltoise before a fuel problem pushed him back to 6th place.

Then he struggles to confirm this promising start to the season. Eighth at Zandvoort, disappointing 5th at Charade when Beltoise led the race for a long time, he went off the track at Brands Hatch. It was only at Hockenheim that he found color again, qualifying 5th. In the race, he was 4th when gearbox problems dropped him to 6th place. This will be his last point for Matra since he will not do better than 7th at Mont-Tremblant, 8th at Watkins Glen and 9th in Mexico. A negative spiral which costs him his place, to the benefit of Chris Amon.

Having obtained the support of Norev via Charles James (boss of Inaltera), Henri returned to F1 in 1976, in Surtees TS19 © DPPI

Bruised, “Pesca” finds refuge with Frank Williams, who hires March with limited means. On the old 701, he opened his season with a 2nd place in Buenos Aires, in an Argentine Grand Prix contested outside the championship. Eleventh at Kyalami on the 701, he finished 8th at Monaco on the 711, before signing his best performance at Silverstone by placing 4th. His ease on fast circuits allowed him to finish 6th at Zeltweg and set the fastest lap at Monza.

But this feat is his swan song. In 1972, the March 721 entered by Williams did not allow him to enter the points, an 8th place in Buenos Aires being his best result. As for the Politoys which debuts at Brands Hatch, it is a walking disaster which sends its driver into the scenery from the first laps. So much so that we will not see her again, Henri finishing the season at the wheel of the March. It was with her that he placed 3rd in the Rothmans 50 held at Brands Hatch. Despite his first victory at Le Mans in a Matra, his image was tarnished by his lack of success in F000 and he was only offered replacements in 1. This is how he finished 1973th at Montjuic in a March 8.

Williams offered him the wheel of an Iso at Paul-Ricard, where he retired, then at the Nürburgring, where he finished 10th. In 1974, Motul's support allowed him to join Beltoise at BRM. Ninth in Buenos Aires on a P160, he could not do better, ranking 14th in Interlagos and 12th in Jarama. Henri only touched the P201 at Anderstorp (Sweden), finishing 10th at the Nürburgring before a premature end to the season. He did not return to F1 until 1976.

Thanks to the support of Norev, he had a Surtees TS19 from Monaco, where he failed to qualify. After two retirements and another non-qualification at the Nürburgring, he finally arrived at Zeltweg (Austria), where he finished 9th. He did not do better thereafter, seeing his F1 career end at Watkins Glen, where he finished unclassified. Henri Pescarolo would pursue a more prolific career in Endurance, winning countless victories as a driver (four overall successes in Sarthe), then boss of his own team. But that’s another story that we’ll tell you soon…

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