After the Ferrari 499P made its debut this year at Sebring bringing an end to Scuderia’s half-century hiatus from WEC’s top class, racing legend Arturo Merzario talks thrillingly about driving his 312 PB at the 24 Hours of Le Mans some 50 years ago
While the long-anticipated 499P hypercar made its bow at the Sebring circuit last month and will next be seen at Portimao, Portugal, with cars n. 50 and 51 led by Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen and Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi, we recall the last Ferrari elite-category outing at Le Mans, in 1973, with the 312 PB of Merzario-Pace.
It could have notched up an historic win, but instead it ended up being, in the caustic words of Enzo Ferrari, “first of the losers.” In other words, second: six laps off the winning car, the Matra of Larrousse-Pescarolo.
The Ferrari 312 PB of Arturo Merzario and his Brazilian teammate Carlos Pace on its way to second place in the Scuderia's last top category appearance at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1973
Arturo Merzario, hailing from Como in northern Italy, had been enjoying a commanding lead at Le Mans in the 312 PB along with Brazilian teammate Carlos Pace, and they would have dominated the race if, with night just beginning to fall, the cockpit hadn’t suddenly flooded. And it wasn’t five centimetres of water that was coming into the cockpit, but petrol.
Panic, understandably, ensued: “My race suit was dripping wet, and I was terrified that a fire could break out,” remembers Merzario today. “I drove at walking pace from the Mulsanne Straight to the pits, without braking, in case any sparks flew up. The right-hand tank had broken. The mechanics performed their usual miracles, making a long repair seem like a short one. We set off again, around 15 laps behind, which by the end of the race we more than halved. We would have easily won…”, he sighs, disappointment still evident.
Merzario has the physique of a jockey and wears a cowboy hat. He recalls every detail clearly and with great passion, but also with regret – that was his best result in four editions of the French 24 Hours race. Yet he doesn’t even have a trophy to remember it by: “As soon as I crossed the line, I got changed and a waiting car took me straight to Orly airport …”
Despite the passing of fifty years since he was behind the wheel at Le Mans, Merzario has lost none of his passion for racing, still wishing he could participate even at 80
A jinx seemed to hang over him regarding that race, a challenge Merzario had already tackled three years earlier in another Ferrari, the 512 S: “It was really powerful, but driving it on the La Sarthe circuit was a walk in the park as it was brilliant on the fast bends. Its weak point was on the tight corners, which it just couldn’t handle.
“In contrast, the 312 PB had an incredible chassis and was great in whatever conditions. It was an extraordinary car, far better than anything our competitors had – including its engine and gearbox. It did have one minor problem: due to where they were positioned, its shock absorbers tended to heat up and ‘soften’ the suspension, but that could easily be balanced out.”
Merzario waits for his turn to drive at Belgium's 'Spa 1,000km' in 1972, a race which he won alongside Brian Redman
According to an inevitably approximate calculation, Arturo Merzario has contested more than 1,300 races. And he continues to compete today with classic cars in various locations around the world, defying his 80 years.
Nevertheless, the 1973 Le Mans remains a thorn in his side: “I’d got into pole position, which had become key also in Sports races by then because you were always driving at the limit, without much in the way of tactics. So I easily took the lead.
"Carlos Pace didn’t particularly like long-distance racing, so that race I drove for 18 hours and 36 minutes, but I didn’t complain. I’ve always adored my job. If it were down to me, I’d always be behind the wheel.”
Merzario and 'The Dragon' Sandro Munari finished fourth at the Osterreichring in their 312 PB at the 'Austria 1,000km' in 1972
Today there is a scientific approach to preparing a 24 Hours race, with a team of specialists responsible for diet, sleeping patterns, and the psychological aspect. But it wasn’t always like this: “Back then it was left to us drivers to agree driving shifts. There was no physical preparation for such a long race. I raced nearly every Sunday and the training just happened automatically. In our rest breaks we’d often sleep in the car parked behind the pit, with the noise of the competing cars in our ears. The mechanics would grab a cat nap, leaning against the tyres.”
As time passed, Merzario gradually stopped racing with Prototypes, as Ferrari had done back in 1973: “It was no longer possible to compete in all categories. Enzo told me straight: he considered F1 Grands Prix a game for Sundays. He preferred closed-wheel racing but he was forced to concentrate on single seaters. Times had changed.”