Formula 1 icon Jacky Ickx recently had the unique opportunity to test a contemporary Le Mans hypercar. The Belgian star, who won eight Grands Prix during his F1 days, also participated fifteen times in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Six victories earned him the nickname ‘Monsieur Le Mans’. At Circuit Paul Ricard, Genesis Magma Racing gave the now 81-year-old Ickx the chance to relive old times, albeit in a modern racing monster.
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To honor Ickx – an important sports advisor for Genesis – the GMR-001 was executed in a special livery, inspired by the blue and white racing helmet of the legendary Belgian. Upon entering, the contrasts with the past quickly became clear; when Ickx was active in motorsport between the sixties and eighties, the cars were much more Spartan. “I know where the pedals are, that’s all I need,” he joked in a video from the team. For three laps he made the French asphalt unsafe, after which he cautiously returned to the pit lane.
Contrasts
“The difference is day and night,” he compared the hypercar with the cars of yesteryear. “There is really nothing in common; today’s motorsport has nothing to do with the world I come from. The competition has remained the same, but the cars have completely changed.” Just the cockpit alone made Ickx dizzy. “Everything impressed me. There are eighteen buttons on the steering wheel, and probably another four on the back. Everywhere you look you see connections and switches to adjust the car’s behavior. ‘Please make my life a bit easier,’ I said to the mechanics.”
He revealed even more differences: “I always brake with my right foot; I have never known anything else. But here I braked with my left foot. That may sound insignificant, but it feels totally different. I had to reinvent everything and stay mentally sharp so I wouldn’t get confused. And then the cockpit is also incredibly narrow – you almost get claustrophobia. The mechanics were probably wondering: ‘How is this old guy going to get into our hypercar? He’s 81 years old, is he really going to drive that thing?’ Well, yes, indeed.”
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The magic still exists
For Ickx, the experience was not only nostalgic but also educational. “This was a unique opportunity to understand how a modern race car behaves and how difficult it actually is to drive it. Compared to what I knew, it is much more complex. You have to be able to do everything at once in a race that is still called an endurance race, but has actually become a sprint – everything goes full throttle. That leaves no room for improvisation; everything must be purposeful and perfectly executed.”
One thing, however, has not changed according to Ickx since his glory days in motorsport. “We formed a close group and enjoyed it together,” he beamed. “The principles of solidarity, being together, and sharing your passion – in that, the philosophy of motorsport has never changed.” He emphasized the importance of collaboration. “You must not think that you achieve anything alone in this world. It is always about teamwork; about the people who support and motivate you. That is where the real magic lies for me.”
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