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A quarter of a century ago, McLaren achieved the improbable. In 1995 at Le Mans, in what was the manufacturer’s first visit to the Circuit de la Sarthe, it swept the GT class and topped the overall standings after 24 hours in the most trying of circumstances.

It had won Le Mans in its first attempt, yet overall victory was never in sight in the lead-up. A game of attrition, survival and smarts enabled the five of the seven McLaren F1 GTRs to make the finish, four of those sealing the first four positions in class.

For the winning team, it was an achievement that required the perfect approach, as JJ Lehto, Masanori Sekiya and Yannick Dalmas produced measured drives in the unrelenting rain to beat the faster prototypes.

The car had undergone limited change from its road-going counterpart, and following extensive testing as well as last-minute alterations, the McLaren F1 GTR became a Le Mans-winning machine.

How McLaren won the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt – Read The Motor Sport Magazine Article