Created for the FIA’s new endurance prototype guidelines, the Porsche 917 suffered dealing with points in its first World Sportscar Championship season (1969) however was refined to perfection for 1970. 

After a one-two at Daytona, it misplaced to the Ferrari 512 at Sebring attributable to a Mario Andretti masterclass. One other win got here at Manufacturers Hatch, and we decide up the story at Monza – newly shorn of its terrifying banking.

Ferrari fielded 5 vehicles in opposition to Porsche’s seven. A blended group of 5 led away from a messy begin, their jockeying inflicting a number of to wish repairs.

Porsche’s Jo Siffert was lapping 2.0-litre vehicles inside 10 laps however crashed when avoiding one. A 20-minute pit cease for repairs then put him out of rivalry, along with his colleagues Vic Elford and Pedro Rodríguez inheriting first and second.

After they had been relieved by Kurt Ahrens and Leo Kinnunen, Ignazio Giunti went all out to chop their lead, and the gang was additional enthused when Ahrens had a tyre blowout.

Giunti was on Kinnunen’s tail by the point he wanted to refuel, so Porsche reinstated Rodríguez. His expertise plus pit cease issues for the Ferrari (now again pushed by Chris Amon) earned a win by a lap.

The 917 would go on to win the entire remaining six races that 12 months, together with Porsche’s first Le Mans.