Those yellow stripes on the Ferrari 499P explained

Did you notice the yellow stripes on the Ferrari 499P that won the Le Mans 24 Hours last weekend? These are a reference to the Ferrari 312PB that raced at Le Mans in 1973. Jacky Ickx tells the story of these stripes.

The centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours was one for the history books. All the big manufacturers found their cars at the front of the race at some point. Rain rendered all strategic plans useless at different points in the race, making it clear that everyone could be a winner, as long as they stayed in the race. Remember that the #51 was dangling in the air on the hook of a crane at one point in the night, seldom a good sign if victory is your aim.

First-time winner

By winning Le Mans on their first time back in the prototype category in thirty years, Ferrari and AF Corse wrote history. In an official capacity, that is to say. The Ferrari 333SP was never entered by a works-sanctioned team. The Ferrari 499P, for the occasion, wore yellow stripes that were a direct reference to the #15 Ferrari 312PB Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman raced at Le Mans in 1973. The other two PBs had green and blue stripes.

The Ferraris were fast and challenging Matra for the lead, but Ickx’ 312PB would see all chances of victory slip away when at 90 minuted from the end, the engine failed. Arturo Merzario and Carlos Pace’s ‘Sefac Ferrari’ – with green stripes – would finish second, almost six laps down on the winning Matra of Pescarolo – Larrousse.

Belgian colours

After this year’s race, Jacky Ickx explained on his Instagram page the origin of the yellow stripes. “Enzo Ferrari offered me to have yellow stripes on the car. Mixed with the red body and the black seat and roll cage, it allowed me to display the Belgian colours on the track.” The yellow of course also references to the famous yellow – Belgium’s national racing colours – as seen on the Ecurie Francorchamps and Ecurie Nationale Belge Ferraris that were entered in the fifties, sixties and seventies through Belgian importer Jacques Swaters.

That’s a lot of history in some simple yellow stripes.