Henri Pescarolo

Henri Jacques William Pescarolo (; born 25 September 1942) is a French former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . 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.

Born and raised in Paris, Pescarolo began his career in a Lotus Seven aged 22. Pescarolo participated in 64 Formula One Grands Prix, achieving one fastest lap, one podium finish, and 12 championship points. He also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans a record 33 times between and , with four overall and six class wins; he won several other major sportscar racing events, including the: 24 Hours of Daytona, 1000 km of Monza, 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps, 6 Hours of Nürburgring and 1000 km Buenos Aires. Pescarolo also drove in the Dakar Rally in the 1990s, before retiring from racing aged 57.

Upon his retirement from motor racing in 1999, Pescarolo founded the eponymous racing team, Pescarolo Sport, which competed at Le Mans until . He was widely known for his distinctive green helmet, and full-face beard that partially covers burns suffered in a crash.

Early career and Formula One

Born in Montfermeil near Paris, Pescarolo began his career in 1965 with a Lotus Seven. He was successful enough to be offered a third car in the Matra Formula 3 team for 1966, but the car was not ready until mid-season.

Pescarolo did not compete in Formula One in 1975 but returned to the championship in 1976 with a Surtees privately entered by BS Fabrications. Although neither car nor driver was considered to be competitive, failing to qualify for two of nine Grands Prix entered, Pescarolo did begin to show speed in the final five races, scoring a season's best finish of ninth at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix.

His team, Pescarolo Sport, was notably sponsored by Sony's PlayStation 2 and by Gran Turismo 4. During the five years that Pescarolo has campaigned Courage C60 prototypes, so many modifications have been made to the model that Courage allowed the team to name the car after themselves, such was the differences between their model and the standard C60. In 2005, it was developed further still to meet the "hybrid" regulations, before the change to LMP1/2 format.

In 1977, 1978 and 1979 Pescarolo drove in Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000 for touring cars held at the Mount Panorama Circuit, driving on all three occasions with 1974 race winner John Goss. Unfortunately all races resulted in a DNF for the Goss built Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtops, completing only 113 laps (of 163) in 1977, 68 in 1978 and 118 in 1979. The 1977 race saw Pescarolo's Le Mans rival Jacky Ickx win the race in a semi-works Falcon driving with Allan Moffat.

Franck Montagny driving the Pescarolo C60 during practice for the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pescarolo holds the record for Le Mans starts with 33 and has won the race on four occasions as a driver. He has yet to win the race as a team owner, coming very close in 2005 with the Pescarolo C60H. His team did manage to win the LMES championship in the same year. His team was also second at Le Mans in 2006, followed by a third in 2007 behind a pair of diesel-powered prototypes.

Pescarolo drove the Dakar Rally in the 1990s, and is also a keen helicopter pilot.

Complete European Formula Two Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts Matra Sports Matra MS7 Ford SNE SIL NÜR HOC TUL JAR ZAN PER BRH VAL NC 0 Matra Sports Matra MS7 Ford HOC THR JAR PAL TUL ZAN PER HOC VAL 2nd 30 Matra Sports Matra MS7 Ford THR HOC NÜR JAR TUL PER VAL 4th 13 Bob Gerard Racing Brabham BT30 Ford THR HOC BAR ROU PER TUL IMO HOC 10th 6 Frank Williams Racing Cars March 712M Ford HOC THR NÜR JAR PAL ROU MAN TUL ALB VAL VAL NC 0 Motul-Rondel Racing Brabham BT38 Ford MAL THR HOC PAU PAL HOC ROU ÖST IMO MAN PER SAL ALB HOC NC 0 Motul-Rondel Racing Motul M1 Ford MAL HOC THR NÜR PAU KIN NIV HOC ROU MNZ MAN KAR PER SAL NOR ALB VAL NC 0 Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Non-championship Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1967 Matra Sports Matra MS5 (F2) Ford Cosworth FVA 1.6 L4 ROC SPC INT SYR OUL Matra MS7 (F2) ESP 1971 Frank Williams Racing Cars March 701 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG ROC March 711 QUE SPR INT RIN OUL VIC 1972 Team Williams Motul March 721 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC BRA INT OUL VIC March 711 REP 1974 Team BRM BRM P160E BRM P142 3.0 V12 PRE ROC INT

Major race results 24 hours of Daytona : 1st, 1991 1000 km Buenos Aires : 1st, 1970 6 Hours of Nürburgring : 1st, 1986 Brands Hatch 1000 km : 1st, 1971 1000 km Zeltweg : 1st, 1972, 1974, 1975 Dijon 1000 km : 1st, 1972, 1978, 1979 6 Hours of Imola : 1st, 1974 Spa 1000 km : 1st, 1975 Suzuka 10 Hours : 1st, 1981 1000 km Monza : 1st, 1982 6 Hours of Vallelunga : 1st, 1972, 1978 6 Hours of Kyalami : 1st, 1974 6 Hours of Watkins Glen : 1st, 1972, 1974, 1975 Interserie Siegerland : 1st, 1984 1000 km of Paris : 1st, 1969, 1994