André Lotterer

André Lotterer (19 November 1981 - Present): German-Belgian racing driver from Duisburg, Germany who participated in one Formula One Grand Prix at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix for Caterham, retiring after just one lap, but whose remarkable career includes three Le Mans victories, multiple championship titles in Japanese racing, and success in Formula E. Born to a German father, Henri Lotterer, and a Belgian mother, Lotterer succeeded in both German and British Formula 3 Championships, demonstrating early promise. In 2002 he was named Jaguar Racing's Formula One test driver, but when Eddie Irvine retired and Pedro de la Rosa left in 2003, the team chose Mark Webber and Antônio Pizzonia instead, denying Lotterer a race seat.

Unable to secure a full-time Formula One drive, Lotterer moved to Japan in 2003 where he built an extraordinarily successful career. He won the Formula Nippon Championship in 2011 and became a two-time Super GT champion with TOM'S, winning titles in 2006 and 2009, establishing himself as one of Japan's premier racing drivers. His greatest success came in endurance racing with Audi Sport Team Joest. Lotterer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times—in 2011, 2012, and 2014—alongside teammates Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer, forming one of endurance racing's most successful driver lineups.

The 2011 Le Mans victory was particularly dramatic, as after the Audi works team lost two of three cars to accidents, Lotterer and his co-drivers held off three factory Peugeot 908s to claim overall victory by a mere 13 seconds. During his tenure with Audi in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), Lotterer won the drivers' championship in the series' inaugural 2012 season with his regular co-drivers. His Formula One opportunity finally came in 2014 when Caterham signed him to replace Kamui Kobayashi for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, giving the 32-year-old his long-awaited F1 debut. Lotterer qualified 21st, ahead of teammate Marcus Ericsson, but his race lasted just one lap before a Renault engine failure ended his debut.

The bizarre 1.5-lap Formula One career of one of endurance racing's greatest drivers became a curious footnote in F1 history. Following Audi's withdrawal from prototype racing, Lotterer competed for Porsche in WEC from 2017 to 2019, continuing his endurance racing success. In 2017 Lotterer joined Formula E with Techeetah, competing in the all-electric championship alongside his other racing commitments.

He achieved race victories in Formula E and remained competitive in the series through 2023, demonstrating his adaptability across different racing technologies. For 2023, Lotterer joined Porsche Penske Motorsport's IMSA SportsCar Championship program, racing the Porsche 963 in the premier GTP class, continuing his endurance racing career at the highest level. Lotterer also made occasional appearances in other racing series, including a brief stint in Japan's Super Formula and multiple Nürburgring 24 Hours entries. Known for his smooth driving style, technical expertise, consistency over long distances, and ability to adapt to different cars and racing series, Lotterer represents the modern professional racing driver who achieves tremendous success outside Formula One.

His three Le Mans victories and multiple championships across different series establish him as one of the most successful racing drivers of his generation, even if his one-lap Formula One career doesn't reflect his true abilities. Lotterer's story demonstrates that Formula One is not the only measure of a driver's greatness—his achievements in endurance and Japanese racing speak volumes about his talent and professionalism.