Controversial Finish: 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans Explained
- nmathews55
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
The 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most talked-about races in motorsport history. It was a showdown not just of speed and endurance, but of strategy, engineering, and a touch of controversy. This race marked a pivotal moment in the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari, and the outcome left many fans divided.
Setting the Stage: What Ford Wanted
By 1966, Ford had poured immense resources into defeating Ferrari at Le Mans. After developing multiple GT40 Mk II cars and dominating much of the race, Ford’s leadership, particularly Leo Beebe (Ford’s racing director), wanted not just a win, but a visual spectacle as an opportunity to showcase Ford’s industrial might. This led to the idea of a staged “dead-heat” photo finish with three leading Ford GT40s crossing the line together as a PR triumph.
Ken Miles’ Lead and the Order to Slow Down
Throughout much of the race, Ken Miles with co-driver Denny Hulme in the #1 GT40 had been one of the dominant cars, at one point building a lead of nearly four laps over teammate Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon in the #2 car. Miles had driven an exceptional race breaking many track records and was set up to make history by not only winning Le Mans but completing the motorsport Triple Crown which means winning Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans in a single season.
However, as the race neared the end, Ford instructed Miles to slow down and allow the #2 car to catch up so the top three Fords could finish together for a dramatic team photo at the flag. Miles was told this finish had allegedly been OK’d by the race organizer, and he complied reluctantly despite being furious about the order and feeling it undermined his effort
Mechanical Misfortune and Team Dynamics
Complications didn’t end with team orders. During the race, an issue arose with Miles’ brakes. A wheel and brake rotor change was done that should have given him fresh, bedded-in components. Instead Miles had to use a set that wasn’t properly fitted for his car, costing him two laps. A pit crew member later suggested this happened because the McLaren crew took the properly bedded set by mistake, or potentially intentionally, causing suspicions of internal politics.
Miles’ mechanic Charlie Agapiou always felt Miles might have lost time unnecessarily due to "foul play," which diminished his lead and made the planned dead-heat more possible
“Ken was close to four laps ahead of McLaren. So there was no way he could have just slowed down for four laps. It would have looked stupid with the bloody press. I don’t know what went on, but he lost a ton of time with those two stops.” - Charlie Agapiou
The Photo Finish and the Rule Twist
On the final lap, with Miles slowing to let the #2 car catch up, the three leading Fords came together nearly neck-and-neck. Miles's was told that the three cars would tie for first place still making Miles the first triple crown winner. Most observers, including the French P.A. announcer, assumed the Miles/Hulme car had won, since it appeared to be in the lead and had been ahead most of the race.
But here is where the finish became controversial. Cars start spread out on the grid, meaning those farther back must travel more distance to complete the same number of laps. Under these rules, if two cars finish simultaneously in a “dead heat," the winner is the car that has covered the most distance and not who crossed the line first. Because McLaren/Amon’s #2 had started behind Miles’ #1 car, it had actually covered slightly more total race distance over 360 laps.
