Jacques Laffite and the Nürburgring 15 years later. ‘Jacquot’ scored his last win at the mythical German circuit in a DTM race in 1991. He has competed and won in almost every categories at the famous 'Nordschleife’ but had never before disputed a 24 Hour. Now, his roll of honour is complete.

Jacques Laffite and Maserati: a partnership that comes together after 32 years, again in a 24 Hour. We have to go back to 1974 and the blue and white Ligier-Maserati in which Lafitte came 8th overall in the 24 Hour of Le Mans. He was repeating the experience of a year earlier when he drove a green and yellow Ligier-Maserati, the colour of the then sponsors (a British oil company). These are races and memories of the French driver, one of the greats from the 1970s and 80s who is still driving today. He scored six Formula 1 victories and is a ‘real’ driver: charismatic, down to earth and the product of a world not defined by plastic and microchips.

These are also races and memories for the ‘new’ Maserati that continues its tradition in classic Endurance events for which it was famous in the fifties and sixties. Then the red liveried Trident cars roared around the Nürburgring and the Sebring. This is where the red hue comes from: right here in Germany, fifty years after Moss-Behra-Taruffi-Schell’s success in the 300S

Maserati’s return to endurance racing came at Daytona in 2004. The Trofeo Light was the contender on that occasion and the high placings continued with the MC12’s fine finish in last year’s 24 Hours of Sebring. The triumph in the 24 Hours of Spa the same year (where the MC12 came home 1st and 2nd) and Gianni Giudici’s sparkling form in the Trofeo Light deserve to be celebrated. The MC12 also took the win in the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. Now it is the turn of the Nürburgring. The red GranSport Trofeo, with Jacques Laffite, Gianni Giudici and journalists Patrick Hong and Richard Meaden on board, finished fifth in its class and 36th overall, a remarkable show of reliability.

D: “Jacques, why did you accept the offer to drive here at Nürburgring with Maserati?”
R: “I have raced and won in many categories at Nürburgring but I had never competed in a 24 Hour. This type of race was missing and so I accepted Maserati’s invite."
 

D: “What were your first impressions after testing?”
R: “I was a little surprised because I thought I remembered the track better and, with 230 other cars competing, traffic is a real problem. You have to continually look in the mirrors and see what the cars ahead and alongside you are doing. This means that you cannot choose the ideal racing line. The surface is uneven and the car leaps around a lot. We also ran the opening laps in fog and on a wet track. Let’s say that I thought it would be easier coming back to Nürburgring after fifteen years. Don’t forget though, that I only had a day’s testing at Adria prior to this race, and in very different conditions.”
D: “Luckily the bad weather was only on Friday…”
R: “Yes, the weather improved and I became more familiar with the circuit, the crew members and the team.”
D: “A return to the Nordschleife and a return to Maserati…”
R: “Yes. In fact, not many people remember that I disputed the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ligier-Maserati in 1973 and ’74, coming second and eighth. The Maserati marque is a prestigious one and I am happy to have been asked to drive for the Modenese company. I also bumped into the CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell who I have known for many years”.
D: “What is your opinion of the GranSport Trofeo?”
R: “It is a fine car, though, should I come back to Nürburgring, I would suggest adopting suspension designed for the track. The Trofeo GranSport is very powerful and enjoyable to drive. I am convinced that, with a few slight modifications, it could challenge for victory in its class”.
D: “How did you feel at the end of the weekend?”
R: “It was an incredible experience. After many years I came back to the old Nürburgring and in a Maserati. It was emotional. Further, things went well. We had no problems and everything was perfect. The GranSport was easy to handle, reacted well and, above all, was reliable – a crucial factor on this track."