Tom Kristensen
The most successful driver in Le Mans history with nine victories.
Tom Kristensen (born 7 July 1967) is a Danish former racing driver. He holds the record for the most wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with nine, six of which were consecutive (from 2000 to 2005). In 1997, he won the race with the Joest Racing team, driving a Tom Walkinshaw Racing-designed Porsche WSC-95, after being a late inclusion in the team following Davy Jones' accident that eventually ruled him out of the race. All of his subsequent wins came driving an Audi prototype, except in 2003, when he drove a Bentley prototype. In both 1999 and 2007 Kristensen's teammates crashed out of comfortable leads in the closing hours of the race. He is considered by many to be the greatest driver ever to have raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
- Nickname
- Mr. Le Mans
- Nationality
- Danish
- Total Wins
- 9
- Primary Teams
- Porsche, Audi
- Status
- Retired Legend
- Total Entries
- 34
Lore & Background
Kristensen holds the record for most wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring with a total of five. In August 2014, Kristensen was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog by the Queen of Denmark. In January 2018, he was inducted into the Danish Sports Hall of Fame.
In Their Own Story
Night falls over Mulsanne Corner as rain slicks the asphalt. Inside the cockpit, Tom Kristensen adjusts his grip on the wheel, eyes scanning the dashboard for any fluctuation in engine temperature. There is no panic, only a rhythmic breathing matching the lap times. In the pit lane, mechanics work silently under floodlights, knowing that when he returns, the car will be ready to continue its journey toward history.
Reader's Guide
Kristensen's career began in 1984, winning several karting titles including the 1985 Nordic Formula A series. He made his German Formula Three debut in 1989, then won the championship in 1991. He relocated to Japan from 1992 to 1995, winning Japanese Formula 3 in 1993. He returned to Europe for International F3000 in 1996–1997. His Le Mans debut came in 1997. He raced in the Super Tourenwagen Cup (1998–1999), British Touring Car Championship (2000), and Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (2004–2006), winning one DTM race. His endurance racing highlights include multiple wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
Did You Know?
- Kristensen holds the record for most wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with nine.
- Six of his Le Mans wins were consecutive, from 2000 to 2005.
- He also holds the record for most wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring with five.
- In 1997, he was a late inclusion in the Joest Racing team after Davy Jones' accident.
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