24h Le Mans
In episode 1 of Drivers of Destiny, Tom Kristensen looks back on his racing career and reveals the numerous rewards of the 24 Hours of Le Mans beyond the nine triumphs.
To Tom Kristensen, Le Mans means much more than a glittering record of nine wins in 18 race starts. Over the years, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a school of life for the Danish driver. His experience helped him grow, put things into perspective and understand the importance of teamwork. In episode 1 of Drivers of Destiny, with touching sincerity the nine-time winner tells what the 24 Hours of Le Mans has meant to him, and how the race still affects his life.
Kristensen’s relationship with the 24 Hours of Le Mans began long before he ever took part in the race. He was ten years old when he first watched Steve McQueen’s film, Le Mans. He had only just started go-karting. Le Mans was still the stuff of dreams. It wasn’t until later that it started to become reality. “One time, we stopped the final of the [karting] race [so] we could [watch] the Jaguar with John Nielsen finishing. A fellow Dane winning Le Mans. At that point, I knew wanted to do Le Mans one day.”
That dream came true sooner than expected. In 1997, just four days before that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, he got a phone call that marked a turning point. Joest Racing asked him to share the wheel of their Porsche with Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson.
You don’t forget your first encounter with the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans. It’s so big. And steeped in history. The legend is everywhere: in the grandstands, the corners, the city’s streets, even the procedures.
Tom Kristensen remembers his first race week as a succession of discoveries: seeing the circuit, meeting the team, scrutineering in town... It was all new to him.
Throughout it all, he could feel something special. Respect.
Le Mans naturally imposes its history. Yet Tom Kristensen does not say he felt intimidated by the place. With time, it has come to mean something different. What was once a place to conquer has gradually become a haven. A place to come back to. A home from home.
There lies the essence of his message. On reflection, the record-holder for the most Le Mans 24 hours victories does not evoke racing, speed and success. He talks about what he learned at Le Mans.
“I think it’s a form of education”, he says. A curriculum of experience, happy times, difficulties and encounters. Kristensen believes endurance racing is a school of life. You learn to work with others, to deal with the unexpected, stay focused on the task in hand and to trust those around you. You don’t win the 24 Hours of Le Mans on your own!
Behind every driver there are mechanics, engineers, team members – people who work for months, years, to prepare for one week a year. Camaraderie and trust are as important as performance. The team aspect is particularly important to Kristensen.
Kristensen is not likely to forget the first time he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He recorded the fastest lap in the race with the #7 Porsche TWR WSC 95 he shared with Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson… The entire experience was incredibly fast.
On the day, he was tired, proud and relieved to have lived up to expectations. Now, looking back, he sees his accomplishments in a new light.
Today, Tom Kristensen views the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the most important part of his racing career. Not the nine wins; rather what they represent: the people he met, the friends he made, the memories he built and the feelings he shared. “I wouldn’t say Le Mans changed me,” he admits. “But it definitely has given me a lot of value in life. It has given me a lot of things to reflect on. I think I’m more relaxed in a way.”
This episode of Drivers of Destiny illustrates that behind a star racer lies a profoundly universal experience.
We all have a memory of something that sparked a passion. An encounter that marked a turning point. A place where we feel at home. A moment of joy shared with others. To Tom Kristensen, it’s Le Mans. In Drivers of Destiny, he tells us why.
Take a trip down memory lane with the nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in episode 1 of our new series.
