Only one driver has ever completed motorsport’s triple crown: Graham Hill. But which leg is the most difficult to win individually?
This weekend marks the concluding leg of the 2024 motorsport season’s trident of renowned races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans form the unofficial triple crown of motorsport, taking the so-called crown jewels of F1, IndyCar, and endurance racing, respectively.
19 drivers have competed in all three, but only one has won each: Graham Hill. The two-time F1 drivers’ champion won Monte Carlo five times while also winning the Indy 500 and Le Mans in 1966 and 1972, respectively.
Only two active racing drivers, Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya, have won both legs of the remarkable achievement, with the latter not competing this season.
The former won the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 and 2007, followed by victories at Le Mans in 2018 and 2019. The 42-year-old has twice competed in the Indianapolis 500, finishing 21st in 2020.
Montoya triumphed in Monte Carlo in 2003 and has won the Indy 500 twice: in 2000 and in 2015. The 48-year-old has won the 24 Hours of Daytona three times, in 2007, 2008, and 2013, but has failed to win at Le Mans despite three efforts.
Jenson Button and Scott Dixon, both driving hypercars, have won a leg of the triple crown at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Button won the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix, whereas Dixon won the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
However, which portion of the triple crown is the most hardest to achieve?
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