Michel Leclère

Michel Leclère was born on March 18th, 1946 in Mantes La Jolie (Yvelines, France). It was pilot of automobile race of 1968 to 1980. It in particular disputed eight Grands Prix of Formula 1 (and gained five races in the Championship of Europe of Formula 2: Rouen Essarts 75, Silverstone 75, Hockenheim 75, Salzburg 76, Hockenheim 76) beginning on October 5th, 1975, with the G.P. of the United States, Watkins Glen on Tyrrell-Cosworth 007 thanks to the French tanker Elf. It was 6th Championship of Europe of Formula 2 in 1974, vice-Champion of Europe (always Formulates 2 of them) in 1975; 4th in 1976 (F2, idem), at the conclusion of a duel more than memorable at the time of the last race - disputed in two handles - vis-a-vis Rene Arnoux, on the circuit of Hockenheim in Germany. That allowed ultimately lorque one made the calculation of times of the race, with J. - P. Jabouille (the team-member of Michel Leclère, in the Team Renault Elf Switzerland), to on the whole become Champion of Europe of Formula 2 1976 of the points, right in front of Rene Arnoux.

Biography

It begins out of Cut Renault 8 Gordini in 1968. In 69, it finishes 2nd. It begins into 70 in Formula France (which will name thereafter Formule Renault) on Alpine-Renault Leclère (the engine is prepared by his/her brother, Jean-Louis) - at the sides of Alain Serpaggi - and takes down the championship of France the following year. After having gained the French Championship of Formula 3 - on Alpine-Renault Elf Dudot (Bernard Dudot are the father of the Renault engine 1,5 L turbo F1 which began in Silverstone in July 1977, under the caricatural name of " yellow tea") - to his first participation in 1972, Michel Leclère passes in Formula 2 (four seasons, 1974-1977; 1 GP in 1979 in Pau) where he will be vice-champion of Europe in 1975 on March-BMW Rosche 752 of factory in front of Patrick Tambay - its team-member - and behind Jacques Laffite. In 1974 also, it is in contract with Guy Ligier (who builds beside Vichy with Abrest, in Combining it - 03 - his own cars with engine V6 Maserati, the JS2, and assembles in addition for Citroen part of the production of the Citroen SM also to engine V6 Maserati), and will run on a JS2 known as " prototype" with engine V6 Maserati, Mans and the 1000 km of the Paul Ricard in particular. It begins in Formula 1 with the Grand Prix from the United States 1975 with the Elf-Tyrrell team, at the sides of Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler, it thanks to his sponsor of the beginning (or almost), the French tanker Elf. The latter had already allowed a French pilot - J. - P. Jabouille - to run on one 3rd Tyrrell, it was with the GP of France 1975. The following year, in 1976, it is engaged by the team Co-directed by Frank Williams and Walter Wolf (owner at the time of " Automobili Lamborghini") who does not allow him to show his qualities of piloting for lack of competitive single-seaters. Those indeed knowing serious problems of shock absorbers (these single-seaters are in fact the ex Hesketh-Cosworth 308C of 1975 of the very fortunate Lord Alexander Hesketh the British James Hunt had, who will be crowned World champion of F1 1976 out of Mc Laren-Cosworth M23 in 1976). He is the fellow-member of Jacky Ickx which controls Wolf Williams-Cosworth FW05 number 20, while Michel Leclère controls number 21. He will be replaced in July by Arturo Merzario which gives the substantial support of Marlboro Italy, company directed by the father of the Italian pilot. Michel Leclère, does not have sufficiently the support to him of Elf, for to some extent cofinanced his bacquet at Walter Wolf Racing Formula One-Williams G.P. Engineering Limited.

He is in parallel the same year Formulates 2 of them, he gains the Grand Prix of Salzburg (Elf 2J-Renault Switzerland) then also has very bad results with the Kauhsen-Renault team in 1977. 1977, then 1978 with the 24:00 of Mans: Mirage-Renault Gipsies 2 L turbo V6. Mirage represents to some extent the rescue squad for Renault-Alpine " if ". Better result of this team américano-Frenchwoman, a second place for J.P. Jarier in 1977. It runs the 24 hours of Daytona and the 24 hours of Mans in 1979 on Ferrari 512 BB LM (JMS Racing/Ferrari France-Charles Pozzi/3M) to the sides of Claude Bundle-Léna. He is 3rd pilot (but only reserves some) of Martini-Porsche (semi-official) of Joest Racing led by Jacky Ickx and Reinhold Joest in 1980 to Mans. These two last will finish 2nd mancelle edition, behind the Rondo-Cosworth " Point". It withdraws almost automobile competition the following year. In 1979, also, it makes a replacement very noticed (4th at the moment its abandonment for minor engineering problems) on March-BMW 792 Rosche of factory with the GP of Pau F2. The same year it truly misses replacing Patrick Depailler (who has just had a fracture following an accident of hang glider) at the wheel of one of both Ligier Gipsies-Cosworth to " effect of sol". Its name will be quoted to two or three recoveries by Johnny Rives in the daily newspaper " Equipe". It is finally Jacky Ickx which will occupy the bacquet single-seater number 25, at the sides of the first pilot of the team Jacques Laffite, number 26. The Belgian is strongly constant by Gitanes Belgium, whereas Michel Leclère (or hardly) is supported by Elf, and his director of the competition François Guiter. This replacement will last of the GP from France to Dijon in July, until the end of the season 1979. Two causes of the stop of the competition for Mr. Leclère, ultimately and in short: the Elf tanker (and its P.D.G. of the time Albin Chalandon, like François Guiter, very powerful director of the competition in the aforementioned company) do not support it as much as others pilot French, like Laffite, Tambay, Jabouille, Pironi, Arnoux, Streiff… (source: Gerard Crombac, editor association and founder of the monthly magazine Sport Car, on January 15th, 1962). Another reason, the pilot mantais was very marked by its accident with the GP of Nürburgring F2 in 1977). Indeed, its Kaushen-Renault (ex Elf 2J-Renault Switzerland) was almost pulverized. For some time, it is pilot for " Historic and Classic Renault Team" , the department of Renault which deals with certain old cars of the mark, and in particular of certain models of competition (Formula 1 with engine doubles turbo 1,5 L and " effect of sol" , prototypes of the 24:00 of Mans of the end of the year 1970,2 L turbo…)

Results in championship of the world of F1

*Légende: Nq.= Not qualified - Abd.= Abandon

Results at the 24 hours of Mans

Sources

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