Henri Pescarolo

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Henri Pescarolo bigraphy, stories - French racing driver

Henri Pescarolo : biography

25 September 1942 –

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Henri Pescarolo (born 25 September 1942) is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 64 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 22 September 1968. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 12 championship points. He wore a distinctive green helmet, and still has a full-face beard that partially covers burns suffered in a crash.

Henri Pescarolo to this day drives in the yearly Dakar Rally.

After Pescarolo’s retirement from Formula 1, he went on to start his own team, which now competes in the Le Mans Endurance Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which he won as a driver in 1972 in a Matra, co-driven by Graham Hill. His team, Pescarolo Sport, is 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. It is unknown whether Pescarolo will use the newer Courage C70 in the future. 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.

Henri Pescarolo is also a keen helicopter pilot.

Racing record

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos.|Overall Position}} ClassPos.|Class Position}}
1966 Matra Sports Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Matra M620-BRM P2.0 35 DNF DNF
1967 Equipe Matra Sports Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Matra MS630-BRM P2.0 55 DNF DNF
1968 Equipe Matra Sports Johnny Servoz-Gavin Matra MS630 P3.0 283 DNF DNF
1970 Equipe Matra-Simca Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra-Simca MS660 P3.0 79 DNF DNF
1971 Scuderia Filipinetti Mike Parkes Ferrari 512F S5.0 ? DNF DNF
1972 Equipe Matra-Simca Shell Graham Hill Matra-Simca MS670 S3.0 344 1st 1st
1973 Equipe Matra-Simca Shell Gérard Larrousse Matra-Simca MS670B S3.0 355 1st 1st
1974 Equipe Gitanes Gérard Larrousse Matra-Simca MS670C S3.0 337 1st 1st
1975 Gitanes Automobiles Ligier François Migault Ligier JS2-Ford Cosworth S3.0 146 DNF DNF
1976 Inaltera Jean-Pierre Beltoise Inaltera LM-Ford Cosworth GTP 305 8th 1st
1977 Martini Racing Porsche System Jacky Ickx Porsche 936/77 S+2.0 45 DNF DNF
1978 Martini Racing Porsche System Jacky Ickx Jochen Mass Porsche 936/78 S+2.0 255 DNF DNF
1979 ITT Oceanic Jean Rondeau Jean-Pierre Beltoise Rondeau M379-Ford Cosworth S+2.0 279 10th 2nd
1980 ITT Jean Rondeau Jean Ragnotti Rondeau M379-Ford Cosworth S+2.0 124 DNF DNF
1981 Oceanic Jean Rondeau Patrick Tambay Rondeau M379-Ford Cosworth 2+2.0 41 DNF DNF
1982 Otis Automobiles Jean Rondeau Jean Ragnotti Jean Rondeau Rondeau M382-Ford Cosworth C 146 DNF DNF
1983 Ford France Thierry Boutsen Rondeau M482-Ford Cosworth C 174 DNF DNF
1984 New-Man Joest Racing Klaus Ludwig Porsche 956B C1 360 1st 1st
1985 Martini Lancia Mauro Baldi Lancia LC2-Ferrari C1 358 7th 7th
1986 Kouros Racing Team Christian Danner Dieter Quester Sauber C8-Mercedes C1 86 DNF DNF
1987 Kouros Racing Mike Thackwell Hideki Okada Sauber C9-Mercedes C1 123 DNF DNF
1988 Silk Cut Jaguar Tom Walkinshaw Racing John Watson Raul Boesel Jaguar XJR-9LM C1 129 DNF DNF
1989 Joest Racing Claude Ballot-Léna Jean-Louis Ricci Porsche 962C C1 371 6th 6th
1990 Joest Porsche Racing Jean-Louis Ricci Jacques Laffite Porsche 962C C1 328 14th 14th
1991 Konrad Motorsport Joest Porsche Racing Louis Krages Bernd Schneider Porsche 962C C2 197 DNF DNF
1992 Courage Compétition Bob Wollek Jean-Louis Ricci Cougar C28LM-Porsche C3 335 6th 1st
1993 Joest Porsche Racing Bob Wollek Ronny Meixner Porsche 962C C2 351 9th 4th
1994 Courage Compétition Alain Ferté Franck Lagorce Courage C32LM-Porsche LMP1C90 142 DNF DNF
1995 Courage Compétition Franck Lagorce Éric Bernard Courage C41-Chevrolet WSC 26 DNF DNF
1996 La Filière Elf Franck Lagorce Emmanuel Collard Courage C36-Porsche LMP1 327 7th 2nd
1997 La Filière Elf Jean-Philippe Belloc Emmanuel Clérico Courage C36-Porsche LMP 319 7th 4th
1998 Courage Compétition Olivier Grouillard Franck Montagny Courage C36-Porsche LMP1 304 15th 4th
1999 Pescarolo Promotion Racing Team Michel Ferté Patrice Gay Courage C50-Porsche LMP 327 9th 8th