STORY OF THE DAY: A First-Lap Crash Ends Ferrari’s Le Mans Challenge

Chris Amon and Peter Schetty retired Ferrari 312 P coupé number 19 from the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans after a first-lap accident. The works car was caught in the aftermath of John Woolfe’s fatal crash, bringing its race to an immediate and sombre conclusion.

Amon struck debris and a detached fuel tank while approaching the accident scene, leaving the Ferrari too damaged to continue. The retirement had nothing to do with the car’s underlying endurance pace; it arose from a chaotic opening lap that permanently overshadowed the competition.

For Le Mans, the 312 P received streamlined closed bodywork around its three-litre, Formula One-derived V12 and mid-engined chassis. The coupé reduced drag for the Mulsanne Straight while retaining the compact dimensions and responsive balance displayed by the spyder at Sebring.

Amon was a New Zealand Grand Prix star and established Ferrari sports-car winner. Schetty, a Swiss driver and gifted hill-climb specialist, had become an important factory competitor and would later manage Ferrari’s sports-car team. Their promising partnership was denied a meaningful race by circumstances beyond ordinary strategy.