0

Andy WALLACE

An English driver

Andy Wallace (in the background) with Derek Bell and his son at the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours © Municipal Archives City of Le Mans.

Academic traits… for driving

Andy Wallace was born in the city of Oxford in 1961. He joined the Jim Russell racing driving school at the age of 15 in 1976.

This prestigious driving school has played a key role in the emergence of talents from all over the world, like the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, the Englishman Derek Bell or the Canadian Jacques Villeneuve.

The trophy cabinet

Andy Wallace started competing in 1979. He was crowned British champion in 1986.

As an all-round driver, he tried his hand at endurance racing in 1988. His first participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours was a successful one. He won the event in the Jaguar XJR-9 which he shared with both Johnny Dumfries and Jan Lammers.

Jaguar XJR9 - I, Pyrope, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Oxford driver wrote some of the most beautiful pages in the history of the British manufacturer at Le Mans with his victory in 1988, runner-up in 1990 and a fourth place finish in 1991. Andy Wallace also accompanied the return of the Bentley model to the 24 Hours and finished in respectable third and fourth places in both 2001 and 2002.

He has been writing his name in the yearbooks of more than 25 international races. In addition to the Le Mans 24 Hours, his record includes a victory at the Petit Le Mans (1999), three at the 24 Hours of Daytona (1990, 1997, 1999) and two at the 12 Hours of Sebring (1992, 1993).

Guinness World Records

Andy Wallace is one of the drivers most loyal to the Le Mans 24 Hours having taken part 21 times. The Brit no longer races in competitions but remains a highly sought-after test driver. He is the official driver of the prestigious manufacturer Bugatti at the ripe age of 60.

The performances of the cars entrusted to him are crackers. His most recent record: 490.484 km/h! Andy Wallace reached this speed in 2019 aboard a Bugatti Chiron. A force of 7 tonnes is exerted onto each of the tyres beyond 400 km/h.

Driver seed issue

The tank of the Jaguar XJR-12 that won the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours only contained one and a half litres out of the 2,250 litres of fuel allocated at the start of the event once the race had been completed.

A question for a super champion