Carlos Castillo (Historacing)
This podcasts who, thanks to THE TEAM, sometimes acts as a limited letter-jointer, has enjoyed the La Sarthe circuit in a very special edition, that of the centenary, of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And with Ferrari victory, nothing less. One of the things that we have been able to see enjoying was the parade before starting the race that, both on Friday and Saturday, cars that made history in the test. Many of them absolute winners, such as the Matra, the Porsche 917, Aston Martin, Jaguar... and, of course, the Mazda 787B.
At THE SQUARE we have spoken before the Mazda 787B, but we are going to focus on the 91 test. And, if we think about it, it was the first victory for a Japanese car and a rotary engine, something difficult to imagine. Or not, because it is well known that Le Mans chooses its winner. And without a doubt, in 1991 it should have been Mazda, despite the fact that those 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 were a race that the Japanese brand should not have won.
A ROTARY IN LA SARTHE
The Japanese manufacturer competed with a rotary motor, a type of engine that had never been successful at Le Mans. These mechanics were considered unreliable and difficult to maintain. In fact, Mazda had been trying for some time, without success, to win Le Mans with this engine, which always broke.
A rotary is a type of internal combustion engine that uses a rotating triangular rotor to convert pressure into rotary motion -hence the denomination-. The rotor is housed in an oval-shaped chamber, and as it rotates, it creates three separate combustion chambers. This design allows the rotary engine to be very compact and lightweight, making it ideal for racing cars.
Rotary engines also have other advantages over traditional piston engines. Are more efficient in fuel consumption, produce fewer emissions and are less prone to vibrations. However, they also have some disadvantages, as they can be noisy and more difficult to maintain than piston engines.
ADVISED BY JACKY ICKX
The Belgian pilot, Jacky Ickx, six-time Le Mans winnerHe is considered one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. He was considered "Mr. Le Mans" until the emergence of Tom Kristensen. He is also a strong supporter of rotary engines and was advisor to Mazda during the development of the 787B. Ickx helped Mazda improve the reliability of the rotary engine and optimize the car's aerodynamics. He also advised Mazda to use a very conservative fuel strategy, which helped the 787B stay on the track longer than its competitors.
In addition, they took advantage of a regulatory change. In 1991, the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest), organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, banned engines over 3.500 cm3, which also had to be of conventional spin. Many manufacturers said they were not on time and the standard was postponed to 1992. This would mean that engines over 3.500 cm3 carry a ballast for 1991. And since the Mazda only had 2.600 cm3 of displacement, it was avoided having to add any extra weight.
Mazda he had been working on rotary engines for decades and had developed a very reliable design for eight hours of racing. Beyond that point, the engine was no longer as reliable. Ickx started looking at Mazda's entire process for model progress and saw a number of things that weren't being done quite right. The tests of the car were inexplicably done in three eight-hour batches. Not like Peugeot or Porsche did, for example, who subjected their cars to reliability tests of more than 24 continuous hours.
During the implementation of this process, Mazda found that the pistons broke in the middle of the stroke, so they made new rotary pistons that, In addition to enduring, they managed to save 15% of fuel.
FIERCE COMPETITION
The Mazda 787B was a fast car, but was not the fastest at Le Mans in 1991. The Mercedes-Benz Sauber C8 was 5 seconds quicker per lap and the Jaguar XJR-14 was also a strong contender. The Peugeot 905s were also faster, but the Mazda was the most reliable car in the race, and that was what finally gave him the victory.
The 787B rolled for 24 hours without major problems, but I wasn't fast enough to get past fourth place. The pilots Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler and Bertrand Gachot, they took turns behind the wheel and everyone was going perfectly. Little by little the competitors were having problems, starting with the Peugeot 905, artificial pole, which fell apart quite soon, fulfilling all the predictions.
at the beginning of the night one of the three Mercedes that led the test had a track exit, which made them lose a lot of time in the pits to repair and lose position in favor of the Mazda. In the early hours of the morning, the second-placed Sauber Mercedes was experiencing gearbox problems… an hour wasted. And the Mazda advanced to the second position, yes, almost 4 laps behind the leader.
LE MANS CHOOSES: MAZDA 787B
But at about 13:XNUMX p.m., the leading Sauber Mercedes, driven by a certain Michael Schumacher, It began to emit a very disturbing white smoke. Broken engine. The Mazda took the lead. It was the right time for a faded Jaguar, which had had consumption problems. The English team began to push and endanger the Mazda, looking for it to break.
The Japanese saw that if they changed the driver behind the wheel, Johnny Herbert, at the stop, they could get within range of Jaguar. So They asked the Englishman if he was capable of extending his relay for two more hours and reaching the finish line. In addition, the car consumed very little fuel, which helped it stay on the track longer than its competitors.
Herbert said yes and, in the end, the Mazda 787B crossed the finish line first, with two laps ahead of the second classified, the Jaguar. It was an impressive victory for Mazda, which proved that rotary engines could be as reliable as any other type of powertrain.
ONLY TWO ON THE PODIUM
Jonny Herbert was taken out of the car because, as soon as he arrived at the box, he fainted due to dehydration. The victory of the Mazda 787B at Le Mans in 1991 It was a historic moment for the Japanese manufacturer, one of the most important in history. It was the first Japanese car to win the race and it also showed that its rotary engines deserved all the respect in the world.
The Mazda 787B continues to be considered one of the most unique and successful cars in Le Mans history, and his victory is a testament to Mazda's engineering and perseverance in getting things done. Seeing that car roll through Le Mans has been one of the most beautiful moments I have been able to enjoy in this edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with my fellow Nerdmans, the group of fans who, year after year, go to see the most important race in the world. But we'll tell about that in a bit. podcast.
Mazda Photographs.
