Bellof, Bell, Ickx, Stuck, Mass….
Names to conjure up magic with when it comes to the remarkable Porsche 956 and 962 Group C cars of the 1980s, designs that took a sensational six Le Mans wins between 1982 and 1987, four of them in the legendary Rothmans colours.
A tribute to that livery will be run by Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Mueller at the London EPrix this weekend as the legendary German marque celebrates 75 years of motorsport, a history that began in 1951 when the Porsche 356 SL took a class victory at Le Mans.
As the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 car contests its final races this weekend, the brand will mark its motorsport anniversary with this historic livery. The design draws on the colour scheme and styling of various successful Porsche race cars from the 1980s. These include the Porsche 959, which won the 1986 Paris–Dakar Rally.
And of course, in track racing, the Porsche 956 and Porsche 962 C achieved the greatest successes at La Sarthe.
Although he never won at Le Mans and died tragically young in 1985 at the age of 27, Stefan Bellof (pictured below) achieved cult status with his sublime, if sometimes slightly outrageous exploits in a Rothmans liveried Porsche 956 in 1983 and 1984.
He took an incredible nine race wins from just 17 starts in 956 and 956B machinery. But perhaps his most famous feat was a sensational fastest-ever lap on the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring.
The lap time of 6.11.13s was only broken in 2018 by Timo Bernhard in a derestricted Porsche 919 Evo with an insane 5m19.55s lap of the Gods!
Tragically, Bellof died on 1 September, 1985, following an accident at Spa-Francorchamps while battling Jacky Ickx at the Spa 1000kms race.
Porsche remembered Bellof in 2022, the 40th anniversary of the Group C era ushering in the 956, with this anecdote of the great man:
‘As well as his records, Bellof is still remembered today for his carefree attitude, determination and ferocious racing abilities. One story that underpins his character comes after he crashed a 956 on the Nordschleife during the ADAC Nürburgring 1000 km in 1983. He took the formidable Pflanzgarten section flat out at over 200 km/h, causing the car to get airborne and flip. The car was destroyed. And Stefan? Completely unharmed. In fact, his first port of call was to immediately make his way towards a group of shocked fans to sign autographs. It’s a story that has gone down in racing folklore and one that helps keep his legacy alive to this day.’
Racing for Charity
On Sunday, the Porsche drivers will not only contest the final points and trophies of the season. Wehrlein and Müller will also complete their final laps for this year’s “Racing for Charity” initiative.
Through the fundraising campaign, Porsche combines sporting success in Formula E with social responsibility. For every race lap completed by its two factory run Porsche 99X Electric, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer donates 400 euros to support seriously ill children around the world.
Porsche intends to announce the final donation total after the event. The funds will benefit Kinderherzen retten e.V., Interplast Germany e.V. and the Ferry Porsche Foundation. Ahead of the final race weekend, the total stands at 390,000 euros.
Learn more on the Racing for Charity initiative HERE
