Two Racers Made History at Le Mans This Year, But Not in the Way You Think
Two out of three drivers in one Le Mans team are paraplegic. Could their success help make motorsports more inclusive?
Written by Andrew Koole
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Everyone who enters Le Mans goes in with a particular goal: take home first prize, reach a team-best time, perform or place better than you did the previous year. This year, the Sausset Racing Team 41’s (SRT41) goal was to finish the race.
From the outside, this might seem a little too small a milestone for professional racecar drivers, but for SRT41, it was enough to make Le Mans history. SRT41 was the first team to be primarily made up of physically disabled drivers since the tournament began in 1923.
Two of the team’s three drivers are paraplegics who lost the use of their legs after motorsports accidents. And while other disabled drivers have paved the way for them to race (including their team’s founder), their joint participation could challenge other motorsports to become more inclusive.
Who is SRT41 and how did they race in 24 Hours of Le Mans 2021?
Nigel Bailly of Belgium and Japan’s Takumi Aoki might come from opposite sides of the world, but their stories are similar. Bailly was injured in a motocross accident in his early teens, and Aoki crashed during a Grand Prix motorcycle race when he was 24.
After participating separately in other races, they connected with Frédéric Sausset, the first quadruple amputee to finish at Le Mans. He invited them to join his academy for disabled drivers and teamed them up with Mathieu Lahaye, an able-bodied driver from France.
The
New York Times
says the team raced a modified LMP2 under the race’s Garage 56 program which allows the entry of one vehicle every year that doesn’t comply with Le Mans regulations. Despite not officially competing, the team finished and came in 32nd of 61 teams.Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
How hard is it to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Finishing isn’t usually considered a feat in racing, but completing Le Mans is a different story. Every year, a good portion of the teams who enter the race "crash out" before the full day cycle ends.
Of the 61 teams who competed in 2021, only 44 completed laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe for the full 24 hours. Aston Martin’s team lasted only three hours.
One of WRT’s teams lasted over 23 hours, but with only one lap to go,
Motorsports Week
says a throttle sensor issue forced them to stop.Anybody who can finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans is amongst the best of their sport. For SRT41 to do it with four less functioning legs than the other teams is an amazing accomplishment.
The dangers of car racing
Watching races like Le Mans can get anyone’s adrenaline pumping, but it’s definitely something that should be left to the professionals. Even they can’t avoid injury or worse while behind the wheel. Most years see multiple pro drivers die while racing.
Besides the obvious dangers of the activity, participating in street racing is illegal and any accidents that happen while doing it will not be covered by
car insurance
.If you have any questions about your coverage,
Jerry
’s friendly agents are here to answer your questions and provide advice on the best coverage options. As your life changes, your insurance changes, and Jerry is ready to make those adjustments for you.
4.7
