37èmes Grand Prix d'Endurance les 24 Heures du Mans 1969

The races traditionally begin with what became known as the Le Mans start, in which cars were lined up alongside the pit wall in the order in which they qualified. The starting drivers would stand on the opposite side of the front stretch. When the French flag dropped to signify the start, the drivers would run across the track to their cars, which they would have to enter and start without assistance, before driving away. This became a safety issue in the late 1960s when drivers would ignore their safety harnesses, a recent invention.

This led to drivers running the first few laps either improperly harnessed due to attempting to do it while driving or sometimes not even harnessed at all, leading to several deaths when cars were involved in accidents due to the bunched field at the start. This starting method inspired Porsche to locate the ignition key switch to the left of the steering wheel. This allowed the driver to use his left hand to start the engine, and his right hand to put the transmission into gear. This location of the ignition key switch is still found today on all Porsche 911 based models.

Feeling this type of start was unsafe, the 1969 event saw Le Mans rookie Jacky Ickx oppose the method by walking across the track while his competitors ran. Although nearly hit by a faster competitor's car while walking, Ickx took the time to fasten his safety belts before pulling away. Sadly, the first lap of that race saw privateer racer John Woolfe killed in an accident, while Ickx would go on to win the race.