Winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans is one thing; repeatedly doing so for multiple times is just a different level altogether. Tom Kristensen or fondly known as “Mr. Le Mans” had won the toughest endurance race with a record of nine times, and unfortunately he was not looking forward to make it into a ten as he had recently announced his retirement from motorsports.
His first win goes all the way back in 1997, where the 47-year-old Dane raced in a Porsche-powered WSC95 prototype ran by Joest Team. He then continued his streak by winning six more races at La Sarthe from 2000 to 2005, and another two in 2008 and 2013. He has been closely associated with Audi’s success where he achieved the Four Rings’ first sports car victory at the Sebring 12-Hour back in 2000, followed by the win at Le Mans three months later.
Kristensen made the announcement ahead of the WEC Finale at Interlagos on November 30 “in order to be able to say a proper goodbye to the sport I love so much at our last race in Brazil,” said Kristensen. He will be sharing the #1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro with Loic Duval and Lucas di Grassi.
“I’ve had the privilege of driving for the best team and the world’s coolest automobile manufacturer for 15 years. I’ve had great team mates and worked together with fantastic people. With Audi, I’ve been able to win many titles and numerous races as well as experiencing some unforgettable, emotional moments. My string of victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours would not have been possible without Audi”.
