Benoît Tréluyer

Benoît Tréluyer (French pronunciation: [bənwa tʁelyje]; born 7 December 1976) is a French professional racing driver.

Benoît Tréluyer
Tréluyer in 2013
Nationality French
Born (1976-12-07) 7 December 1976
Alençon, Orne, France
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years2002, 2004, 2007 
TeamsEquipe de France FFSA
Pescarolo Sport
Audi Sport Team Joest
Best finish1st (2011, 2012, 2014)
Class wins3 (2011, 2012, 2014 )

Early career

Beginning his motorsport career in motocross and karting, Alençon-born Tréluyer switched to single-seaters in Formula Renault Campus for 1995. He was a race winner in the French Formula Renault championship in 1996, finishing sixth overall in 1997 before moving up to domestic F3 for ‘98. He would go on to finish ninth overall in his rookie season and third the following year, and also claimed the European Formula Three Cup at the Pau Circuit in 1999.

Formula Nippon and Super GT

Tréluyer relocated to Asia to contest the Japanese F3 category in 2000, a title he would win in 2001 title with 15 wins and 13 pole positions from 19 races. He also finished second in the blue riband Macau GP and third in the F3 World Cup in Korea.

In 2002 he graduated from F3 to Formula Nippon, only racing in 5 rounds. He finished second overall the following season and finally claiming the title in 2006 with 4 wins from 9 races. He would take two more runner-up finishes in the championship (2007 and 2009) before calling time on his single-seater career to focus on sportscar competition.

Tréluyer driving the Nissan GT-R GT500 for Nismo at the 2010 Super GT Fuji 400km race.

Throughout his time in Nippon Tréluyer also competed in Japan's GT category having debuted in the series during the 2001 season aboard a Dome Project Honda NSX. From next year, he drove for Nissan-backed teams for ten years. He would win the title in 2008 alongside co-driver Satoshi Motoyama and also finished as runner-up in 2011, his final year in Japan before making the factory Audi squad his sole racing priority.

Endurance racing and Le Mans

Tréluyer made his Le Mans 24 Hours debut in 2002, claiming a GT class podium in the Chrysler Viper he shared with fellow countrymen Jonathan Cochet and Jean-Philippe Belloc. He would return to the race in 2004 to contest the premier LMP1 class with legendary French outfit Pescarolo Sport, taking a best finish of fourth overall. During the 2009 race Tréluyer was involved in a frightening accident that saw him transported to the infield care centre at the Circuit de la Sarthe. He was treated and released without serious injury.

Tréluyer with André Lotterer and Marcel Fässler at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers' parade

In 2010 he joined the factory Audi squad alongside André Lotterer and Marcel Fässler. The trio took second position in their maiden 24 Hours together before triumphing in the 2011 race, holding off the charging Peugeot cars as their fellow Audis both exited in terrifying accidents. They would retain their crown in 2012 piloting the first hybrid-powered car to claim victory at La Sarthe. Tréluyer fell ill on the morning of the race, forcing him to swap shifts with Fässler, but recovered to play his part in the triumph.

Further wins in Great Britain and Bahrain, as well as podiums in Brazil, Japan and China, saw the trio go on to claim the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship drivers' title, becoming the first recipients of an officially sanctioned world sportscar title in two decades. Afterwards Tréluyer revealed that he was "very proud to finish ahead of Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish who are fantastic drivers."

In March 2013 Tréluyer, along with Audi team-mates Fässler and Oliver Jarvis, took victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Frenchman will defend his world title in the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship alongside regular partners Lotterer and Fässler.

Career highlights

  • 3-times winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours (2011, 2012, 2014)
  • FIA World Endurance Champion (2012)
  • Winner of 8 other FIA World Endurance races from 2012 to 2015.
  • 12 Hours of Sebring winner (2013)
  • Japanese Super GT Champion (2008)
  • Formula Nippon Champion (2006)
  • Japanese Formula Three Champion (2001)
  • Pau Grand Prix winner (1999)

Racing record

Complete JGTC/Super GT results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Pts
2001 Dome x Mugen Project Honda NSX GT500 TAI FUJ SUG FUJ MOT
14
SUZ
12
MIN
3
18th 12
2002 Impul Nissan Skyline GT-R GT500 TAI FUJ SUG SEP FUJ MOT
11
MIN
13
SUZ
17
28th 1
2003 Impul Nissan Skyline GT-R GT500 TAI
12
FUJ
2
SUG
Ret
FUJ
1
FUJ
16
MOT
6
AUT
11
SUZ
1
4th 64
2004 Impul Nissan Z GT500 TAI
8
SUG
10
SEP
Ret
TOK
11
MOT
Ret
AUT
5
SUZ
1
11th 35
2005 Impul Nissan Z GT500 OKA
Ret
FUJ
15
SEP
8
SUG
5
MOT
3
FUJ
13
AUT
4
SUZ
9
11th 35
2006 Impul Nissan Z GT500 SUZ
13
OKA
6
FUJ
5
SEP
3
SUG
6
SUZ
1
MOT
13
AUT
4
FUJ
12
8th 67
2007 Impul Nissan Z GT500 SUZ
11
OKA
8
FUJ
10
SEP
3
SUG SUZ
Ret
MOT
Ret
AUT
Ret
FUJ
2
13th 30
2008 NISMO Nissan GT-R GT500 SUZ
1
OKA
1
FUJ
14
SEP
13
SUG
14
SUZ
8
MOT
12
AUT
1
FUJ
9
1st 76
2009 NISMO Nissan GT-R GT500 OKA
13
SUZ
11
FUJ
1
SEP
8
SUG
1
SUZ FUJ
2
AUT
2
MOT
14
4th 73
2010 NISMO Nissan GT-R GT500 SUZ
8
OKA
Ret
FUJ
Ret
SEP
2
SUG
6
SUZ
2
FUJ
C
MOT
8
7th 48
2011 NISMO Nissan GT-R GT500 OKA
5
FUJ
1
SEP
14
SUG
12
SUZ
4
FUJ
6
AUT
1
MOT
1
2nd 79

Complete Formula Nippon results

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points
2002 COSMO OIL CERUMO SUZ
11
FUJ
Ret
MIN
6
SUZ
7
MOT
7
SUG FUJ MIN MOT SUZ 14th 1
2003 IMPUL SUZ
Ret
FUJ
2
MIN
Ret
MOT
Ret
SUZ
2
SUG
4
FUJ
1
MIN
1
MOT
9
SUZ
Ret
2nd 35
2004 mobilecast IMPUL SUZ
Ret
SUG
6
MOT
4
SUZ
2
SUG
10
MIN
1
SEP
7
MOT
Ret
SUZ
1
4th 30
2005 mobilecast IMPUL MOT
6
SUZ
9
SUG
Ret
FUJ
1
SUZ
Ret
MIN
DSQ
FUJ
12
MOT
11
SUZ
4
6th 14
2006 mobilecast IMPUL FUJ
1
SUZ
3
MOT
2
SUZ
1
AUT
7
FUJ
1
SUG
2
MOT
1
SUZ
Ret
1st 51
2007 mobilecast IMPUL FUJ
1
SUZ
Ret
MOT
4
OKA
2
SUZ
Ret
FUJ
2
SUG
2
MOT
3
SUZ
Ret
2nd 45
2008 LAWSON IMPUL FUJ
4
SUZ
7
MOT
Ret
OKA
8
SUZ
Ret
SUZ
13
MOT
15
MOT
Ret
FUJ
7
FUJ
2
SUG
4
8th 27
2009 LAWSON IMPUL FUJ
1
SUZ
2
MOT
2
FUJ
Ret
SUZ
3
MOT
3
AUT
8
SUG
9
2nd 40

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2002 Equipe de France FFSA
Oreca
Jonathan Cochet
Jean-Philippe Belloc
Chrysler Viper GTS-R GTS 326 14th 3rd
2004 Pescarolo Sport Soheil Ayari
Érik Comas
Pescarolo C60-Judd LMP1 361 4th 4th
2007 Pescarolo Sport Harold Primat
Christophe Tinseau
Pescarolo 01-Judd LMP1 325 13th 6th
2008 Pescarolo Sport Christophe Tinseau
Harold Primat
Pescarolo 01-Judd LMP1 362 7th 7th
2009 Pescarolo Sport Simon Pagenaud
Jean-Christophe Boullion
Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 210 DNF DNF
2010 Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer
Marcel Fässler
Audi R15 TDI plus LMP1 396 2nd 2nd
2011 Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer
Marcel Fässler
Audi R18 TDI LMP1 355 1st 1st
2012 Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer
Marcel Fässler
Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 378 1st 1st
2013 Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer
Marcel Fässler
Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 338 5th 5th
2014 Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer
Marcel Fässler
Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1-H 379 1st 1st
2015 Audi Sport Team Joest André Lotterer
Marcel Fässler
Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 393 3rd 3rd
2016 Audi Sport Team Joest Marcel Fässler
André Lotterer
Audi R18 LMP1 367 4th 4th

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rank Points
2012 Audi Sport Team Joest LMP1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi TDI 3.7L Turbo V6
(Hybrid Diesel)
SEB
11
SPA
2
LMS
1
SIL
1
SÃO
2
BHR
1
FUJ
2
SHA
3
1st 172.5
2013 Audi Sport Team Joest LMP1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi TDI 3.7L Turbo V6
(Hybrid Diesel)
SIL
2
SPA
1
LMS
5
SÃO
1
COA
3
FUJ
14
SHA
1
BHR
2
2nd 149.25
2014 Audi Sport Team Joest LMP1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi TDI 4.0 L Turbo V6
(Hybrid Diesel)
SIL
Ret
SPA
5
LMS
1
COA
1
FUJ
6
SHA
4
BHR
4
SÃO
5
2nd 127
2015 Audi Sport Team Joest LMP1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Audi TDI 4.0 L Turbo V6
(Hybrid Diesel)
SIL
1
SPA
1
LMS
3
NÜR
3
COA
2
FUJ
3
SHA
3
BHR
2
2nd 161
2016 Audi Sport Team Joest LMP1 Audi R18 Audi TDI 4.0 L Turbo Diesel V6
(Hybrid)
SIL
EX
SPA
5
LMS
4
NÜR MEX
WD
COA
6
FUJ
Ret
SHA
6
BHR
2
6th 70
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Alessandro Zanardi
(1990 European Cup)
Juan Pablo Montoya
(1998 Pau)
FIA European Formula Three Cup
Pau Grand Prix
Winner

1999
Succeeded by
Jonathan Cochet
Preceded by
Sebastien Philippe
Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Champion

2001
Succeeded by
Takashi Kogure
Preceded by
Satoshi Motoyama
Formula Nippon
Champion

2006
Succeeded by
Tsugio Matsuda
Preceded by
Daisuke Itō
Ralph Firman
Super GT
GT500 Champion

2008
With: Satoshi Motoyama
Succeeded by
Juichi Wakisaka
André Lotterer
Preceded by
Timo Bernhard
Romain Dumas
Mike Rockenfeller
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
20112012
With: André Lotterer & Marcel Fässler
Succeeded by
Allan McNish
Tom Kristensen
Loïc Duval
Preceded by
Inaugural
FIA World Endurance Champion
2012
With: André Lotterer & Marcel Fässler
Succeeded by
Allan McNish
Tom Kristensen
Loïc Duval
Preceded by
Allan McNish
Tom Kristensen
Loïc Duval
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
2014
With: André Lotterer & Marcel Fässler
Succeeded by
Earl Bamber
Nico Hülkenberg
Nick Tandy
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