Years 1997-2013 Starts 14
Best result 1st 1998, 2008 & ’13

By his own admission, he’d considered Le Mans to be “a race for old men”. It wasn’t even slightly on his radar as he carved a winning route through junior single-seaters, but then his career stalled through little fault of his own. His first Le Mans opportunity (Roock Porsche, 1997) ended badly – more 24 minutes than 24 hours, following an accident – but it opened his eyes. He was back the following year, in a works car, and victory set the seeds for an enduring career (interrupted by a belated F1 campaign, with Toyota in 2002) and more than a decade as one of the out-and-out quickest blokes at La Sarthe. He retired at the end of 2013, with a third Le Mans victory – and a first motor racing world championship title.

Years 1966-99 Starts 33
Best result 1st 1972, ’73, ’74, & ’84; 1st in class 1976 & ’92