Jean Rondeau (racing driver)
Jean Rondeau | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 13, 1946 Le Mans, France |
| Died | December 27, 1985 (aged 39) Champagné, France |
| Occupation(s) | Racing driver, car manufacturer |
| Known for | Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1980 driving a car bearing his own name |
Jean Jacques Ferdinand Rondeau (born 13 May 1946 in Le Mans, France – died 27 December 1985 in Champagné, France) was a distinguished French racing driver and car manufacturer, renowned for his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1980 behind the wheel of a vehicle bearing his own name—a feat unmatched in the event’s history.
Driving career
Rondeau’s motorsport journey started in Formula Renault, after which he transitioned to touring cars and appeared as a guest competitor at Le Mans. In 1976, he led the Inaltera squad and, following the end of their sponsorship, he continued racing Ford-powered GTP vehicles under his personal marque beginning in 1978. Notably, he enlisted Henri Pescarolo to drive for his team in 1979.
The pinnacle of Rondeau’s driving career came in 1980 when he, alongside Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, besting the Porsche 908/80 piloted by Jacky Ickx and Reinhold Joest. This victory remains singular as Rondeau is the only driver to have won Le Mans in a car that he both designed and constructed. After teammates Pescarolo and Jean Ragnotti retired due to engine failures, Rondeau and Jaussaud secured the win by a margin of two laps.
In 1984, Rondeau achieved a runner-up finish at Le Mans driving a Porsche 956B for American team owner Preston Henn, sharing duties with John Paul Jr., finishing two laps behind the winning entry from Joest Racing.
Constructor
Following the withdrawal of French factory teams from Group Six racing in 1975, Rondeau embarked on developing his own race cars. Although initially intending to use a 2.7 L Peugeot V8 engine, he ultimately selected the more potent Ford-Cosworth DFV V8, which had demonstrated success with its 1975 Le Mans victory. With sponsorship secured from wallpaper manufacturer Inaltera, Rondeau constructed Group Six GT prototype vehicles near Le Mans. The inaugural model, the Inaltera GTP, debuted in 1976, capturing class victories against competitors powered by Peugeot, Aston Martin, and Ferrari engines in 1977 and achieving fourth place overall.
After Inaltera ceased support, elevator company Otis became the principal backer for Rondeau’s self-branded cars: the M378 in 1978 and the M379 in 1979. Despite limited results and ongoing concerns regarding the DFV engine’s durability within Group Six competition, the team stunned observers by finishing first and third at Le Mans in 1980 with the M379B. This accomplishment made Rondeau one of only two independent constructors to claim victory at Le Mans since 1949. In 1981, five entries secured second and third places; however, these successes were overshadowed by the tragic death of driver Jean-Louis Lafosse.
In 1982, Rondeau contended for the World Endurance Championship manufacturers’ title, registering a win at Monza along with two additional podium finishes before narrowly placing second to Porsche. Nonetheless, reliability problems with newly introduced Cosworth DFL engines caused all three M382s to retire during Le Mans. Subsequently, an FIA decision awarding points to Porsche sparked controversy and led to Otis withdrawing its sponsorship.
Ford assumed primary sponsorship in 1983; yet persistent engine reliability challenges combined with difficulties developing ground effects aerodynamics hampered competitiveness. The introduction of the M482 model failed to revive fortunes, culminating in the dissolution of the team by year-end.
The final appearance of a Rondeau chassis at Le Mans occurred in 1988 under private ownership. Since then, Henri Pescarolo has campaigned an M379B at historic racing events. Overall, nineteen chassis were produced by Rondeau’s outfit, with seventeen still extant today.
Death
Rondeau lost his life when his vehicle collided with a train near Champagné. The accident occurred after he followed a police vehicle across the railway tracks while the barriers were lowered, leading to the fatal impact.