Henri Pescarolo

Four-time Le Mans winner and record holder for most starts.

Henri Jacques William Pescarolo (born 25 September 1942) is a French former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1968 to 1976. In endurance racing, Pescarolo is a four-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1991 with Joest.

Quick Facts

Key record: Four-time Le Mans winner and 33 starts

Lore & Background

Born in Montfermeil near Paris, Pescarolo began his career in 1965 with a Lotus Seven. He won the European Formula Three Championship with Matra in 1967 and was promoted to Formula Two. In April 1969 at Le Mans testing, his Matra sports car got airborne on the Mulsanne Straight, causing severe burns. He returned mid-season and drove a Formula 2 Matra to fifth place in the 1969 German Grand Prix. Pescarolo drove for Matra's Formula One team in 1970, scoring a third place at Monaco, then for Frank Williams' team from 1971 to 1973, and for BRM in 1974. He returned to F1 in 1976 with a Surtees entered by BS Fabrications. After Formula One, he founded Pescarolo Sport, which competed at Le Mans until 2012. He holds the record for Le Mans starts with 33, with four overall wins (1972, 1973, 1974, 1984) and one separate class win (1971 in P 3.0). He also drove in the Dakar Rally in the 1990s.

Reader's Guide

Pescarolo's Le Mans class wins: overall wins in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1984 count as overall victories, not separate class wins. The only distinct class win is 1971 in P 3.0. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1991. Other major wins include the 1000 km of Monza, 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps, 6 Hours of Nürburgring, and 1000 km Buenos Aires. He also competed in the Bathurst 1000 in 1977, 1978, and 1979 with John Goss, all resulting in DNFs.