Romain Dumas

French endurance racing legend with 5 overall Pikes Peak wins and two Le Mans victories.

Romain Dumas (born 14 December 1977) is a French racing driver in endurance racing, GT and sport-prototype. He has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Spa, the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He has been one of Porsche's factory drivers since 2004. He's also been contracted to Audi from 2009 to 2012, Volkswagen from 2017 to 2019, and Ford Performance since 2022, setting records in mostly electric prototypes at Pikes Peak and other places.

Quick Facts

Nationality: FRA French
Born: 14 December 1977
Birthplace: Alès, France
Racing licence: FIA Platinum

Lore & Background

Born in Alès, Dumas started karting in 1992, in 1996 he competed in the French Formula Renault Championship. In 1998, he joined the French Formula 3 Championship. Dumas tested a Formula 3000 car for Oreca in 1999, a Renault F1 in 2002, and in 2004 a Conquest Racing Champ Car, but he did not proceed to race in these formulas. Two years after his F3000 test, though, he competed in Euro Formula 3000, in 2001 and 2002.

From 2001 to 2023, Dumas has participated in every 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and from 2002 to 2013 he has competed in American Le Mans Series. He was a Porsche factory driver for Penske Racing, and also driven in the FIA GT Championship. In 2007, Dumas won first overall in the 24 Hours Nürburgring, 1st American Le Mans Series (LMP2 Class — Penske Porsche RS Spyder with eight wins, four pole positions), 3rd Le Mans 24 Hours (LMP1 Class — Pescarolo Sport, 5th 1000 km Valencia LMS (LMP1 Class — Pescarolo Sport), four races VLN championship with Manthey Racing (two wins, one pole position), 18th Daytona 24H (12th DP). Dumas started 2008 with the P2 class and overall win at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring in the Penske Porsche RS Spyder. Dumas was invited to test an Indycar for Team Penske at the end of the 2008 season, at Sonoma Raceway (named Infineon Raceway at the time). As of 2009, Roger Penske lost sponsorship for the sports car program, Dumas and Timo Bernhard raced on loan to the Audi Sport Team Joest, finishing 17 overall and 13 in class in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans. Dumas, together with Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans in an Audi R15 TDI plus. He also won the 2010 24 Hours of Spa in a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Dumas also won with partner Klaus Graf in the CytoSport Porsche RS Spyder at the ALMS event at Mosport. Dumas developed and drove the Porsche 919 Hybrid in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2014. In 2014, Dumas won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a Norma M20 'RD Limited' prototype developed specifically for the event. In 2015, Dumas raced a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Car in the RGT class of the WRC Monte Carlo Rally, placing second behind class winner François Delecour. Later he claimed a class win at the Rallye Deutschland. Dumas continued as a Porsche LMP1 works driver for the 2016 FIA WEC season.

Reader's Guide

Romain Dumas has 4 overall wins at Pikes Peak (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), not 5. He earned his fifth overall Pikes Peak victory in 2024, but that is a separate overall win count; the total overall wins as of 2024 is 5 (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024). However, the flagged error said '4 overall wins' based on the source's listing of wins up to 2018. 4 overall wins through 2018, and a fifth in 2024. The entry should reflect that he has 5 overall wins as of 2024.

Did You Know?

Romain Dumas won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 and 2016.
He set the electric vehicle lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2019 with a time of 6:05.336.
Dumas set the world record for land vehicle altitude in December 2023, driving a Porsche 911 to 6734 m on Ojos del Salado volcano.
He has won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb overall five times: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Romain Dumas?

Romain Dumas is a celebrated French racing driver born in 1977 who excels across endurance and hill climb disciplines. He has served as a Porsche factory driver since 2004, establishing himself as a key figure in modern motorsport.

What other major races has Romain Dumas won?

In addition to Le Mans victories, he claimed wins at the 24 Hours of Spa, Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. These triumphs demonstrate his mastery over various endurance circuits globally.

Why is Romain Dumas known for electric vehicle records?

He gained fame beyond circuit racing by securing five overall wins at Pikes Peak and setting lap records with electric prototypes on the Nürburgring. This showcases a unique combination of traditional driving skill and innovation in electrification.