TheTriple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficialmotorsport achievement, often regarded as associated with the three most important achievements of a driver in motorsport, inspired by thetriple crown of thoroughbred racing.
The earliest version of the Triple Crown requires that the driver wins the:
However, under a more recent popular definition the World Drivers' Championship is replaced by theMonaco Grand Prix (first held in1929).[1][2][3][4]
Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown by either its World Drivers' Championship or Monaco Grand Prix definition. Among currently active driversJacques Villeneuve andJuan-Pablo Montoya have won two of three events in one version of the crown, Villeneuve having won the1995 Indianapolis 500 &1997 World Drivers Championship and Montoya the2000 Indianapolis 500 and2003 Monaco Grand Prix.Fernando Alonso however is the only active driver to have won two of three events in both versions of the crown, having won the2018 and2019 24 Hours of Le Mans, the2005 and2006 World Drivers Championships, and the2006 and2007 editions of the Monaco Grand Prix. The Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix themselves have been parts of the World Drivers Championship during various periods: the Indy 500 from1950 to1960, and the Monaco Grand Prix from 1950 to present.
McLaren is the only racing team to have completed the Crown, along with several manufacturers whose equipment won the component races. Equivalent concepts also exist within specific disciplines of motor racing.
TheTriple Crown of endurance racing features Le Mans and has added the24 Hours of Daytona and the12 Hours of Sebring. This crown has been won by several drivers, namelyPhil Hill,A. J. Foyt,Hans Herrmann,Jackie Oliver,Al Holbert,Hurley Haywood,Mauro Baldi,Andy Wallace,Marco Werner,Timo Bernhard andNick Tandy. Many drivers have come close to winning the crown with second-place finishes in the third event, such asKen Miles (1966 24 Hours of Le Mans),Mario Andretti (Le Mans 1995) andAllan McNish (Daytona 2012).
In the period of 1971–1989,Indy car racing contested their ownTriple Crown. From 1971 to 1980 it consisted of the three 500-mile events on the calendar: theIndianapolis 500,Pocono 500, andCalifornia 500.Ontario Motor Speedway was closed in 1980, and the California 500 was replaced with theMichigan 500. The triple crown continued through 1989, after which the Pocono race was discontinued. No driver won all three events during the 1980s.
The IndyCar Triple Crown was revived in 2013, with the 1971–80 format of theIndianapolis 500 (in May),Pocono 500 (in July - 400 miles the first year), and theMAVTV 500 (in October, held atFontana). A $1 million bonus prize was offered for any driver to win all three races.[5]
For 2014, Pocono returned to the 500-mile format, Fontana was moved to the season ending race in August and all three events awarded double championship points. Since the California 500's return under IndyCar sanction, it has been a night race.
In 2015, Fontana moved to July, while Pocono was the penultimate race of the season in August. Fontana was removed from the IndyCar calendar after 2015, and Pocono was removed from the IndyCar calendar after 2019
Of all variations of the IndyCar Triple Crown, only six drivers have achieved the feat over their career, namelyBobby Unser,A. J. Foyt,Al Unser,Johnny Rutherford,Danny Sullivan andRick Mears, with Al Unser the only one to achieve it in a single season,1978.
TheTriple Crown of NASCAR includes theDaytona 500, theCoca-Cola 600, and theSouthern 500. This crown has been won by several drivers, namelyJeff Gordon,Jimmie Johnson,Darrell Waltrip,David Pearson,Dale Earnhardt, andKevin Harvick. Many drivers have come close to winning the crown with second-place finishes in the third event, such asDenny Hamlin (Charlotte 2010 and2012),Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Darlington 2014),Kyle Busch (Daytona 2019),Tony Stewart (Daytona 2004 and2008),Matt Kenseth (Darlington 2006 and2015),Bobby Allison (Charlotte 1971,1972,1975, and1982),Cale Yarborough (Charlotte 1968),Mark Martin (Daytona 2007), andBill Elliott (Daytona 1990 and1992).
The term is often used during the season in theNational Hot Rod Association to refer to its three most prestigious races, theWinternationals, theU.S. Nationals, and theFinals. The Winternationals is the event that kicks off the NHRA season, held during the second weekend in February, the U.S. Nationals is often called "The oldest, richest, and most prestigious race in the NHRA," and carries the largest purse of any event on the schedule, and the Auto Club Finals at Pomona are held to mark the end of the NHRA season.
Both the Winternationals, and the Auto Club Finals are held on the same track,Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, while the U.S. Nationals has been held atLucas Oil Raceway inIndianapolis since 1961 (prior to that, the race was held on a now demolished track inDetroit). By far, the person with the most Triple Crown wins in his division is 16-time funny car championJohn Force.
A. J. Foyt andMario Andretti are the only drivers to have won both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Both drivers also won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. Foyt won four editions of the Indianapolis 500, and collected seven open-wheel titles and a 24 Hours of Le Mans win. Andretti won three editions of the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1969 Indianapolis 500, and also won four open-wheel titles, a Formula One world championship, and a class win and second overall finish at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In Australia, a driver is said to have achieved the "Triple Crown" if they win theSandown 500, theBathurst 1000 and theSupercars Championship (formerly theAustralian Touring Car Championship) in the same year.[6] Only two drivers have achieved this feat:Peter Brock in 1978 and 1980 andCraig Lowndes in 1996.
The Japanese Triple Crown is achieved by winning titles inJapanese Formula 3,Super Formula, andSuper GT. The only driver to have completed the feat is currentFormula E driverNick Cassidy.[7]
As of February 2025[update], the only active drivers who have won two legs of the traditional Triple Crown areJuan Pablo Montoya andFernando Alonso. Both have won the Monaco Grand Prix (Montoya in2003, Alonso in2006 and2007), while Montoya has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2000 and2015) and Alonso has two overall wins for the24 Hours of Le Mans (2018 and2019).
For the alternative Triple Crown, the only active drivers who have won two legs areJacques Villeneuve andFernando Alonso. Villeneuve won the Indianapolis 500 in1995 and was the F1 World Champion for1997. Alonso was the F1 World Champion for2005 and2006, as well as the winner of the24 Hours of Le Mans in2018 and2019.
Villeneuve has competed in the leading class at Le Mans twice withPeugeot in2007 and2008, his car retiring with mechanical failure in 2007 and finishing runner-up a year later. Montoya raced at Le Mans in2018,2020 and2021 but only in the privateerLMP2 class, which is not expected to challenge for an overall win. Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, competed at the Indianapolis 500 in2017,2019 and2020, his best position being 21st in 2020.
Events which make up the traditional (Indy 500 / Le Mans 24hr / Monaco GP) and the alternative (Indy 500 / Le Mans 24hr / F1 WDC) definitions are included below.
| Driver | Indianapolis 500 winner | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner | Monaco Grand Prix winner | F1 World Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Graham Hill | 1966 | 1972 | 1963,1964,1965,1968,1969 | 1962,1968 |
The drivers listed below have completed two of the three legs for either version of the Triple Crown.
| Driver | Indianapolis 500 winner | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner | Monaco Grand Prix winner | F1 World Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tazio Nuvolari | — | 1933 | 1932 | —[a] |
 Maurice Trintignant | — | 1954 | 1955,1958 | — |
| Mike Hawthorn | — | 1955 | — | 1958 |
 Phil Hill | — | 1958,1961,1962 | — | 1961 |
| A. J. Foyt | 1961,1964,1967,1977 | 1967 | — | — |
 Bruce McLaren | — | 1966 | 1962 | — |
| Jim Clark | 1965 | — | — | 1963,1965 |
 Jochen Rindt | — | 1965 | 1970 | 1970 |
| Mario Andretti | 1969 | —[b] | — | 1978 |
 Emerson Fittipaldi | 1989,1993 | — | — | 1972,1974 |
 Jacques Villeneuve | 1995 | —[8] | — | 1997 |
 Juan Pablo Montoya | 2000,2015 | —[c] | 2003 | — |
 Fernando Alonso | — | 2018,2019 | 2006,2007 | 2005,2006 |
Key: Active drivers are highlighted inbold.
Listed below are the teams and manufacturers to have completed the Triple Crown. Though the achievement is typically used to refer to an individual driver's achievements, some organisations have also been credited for their wins across multiple drivers.[9][10][11][12][13][14] As of 2024[update], only three entities have completed the Triple Crown:
Additionally, as anengine manufacturer only, Mercedes won the Indianapolis 500 in1994, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in1989 and the Monaco Grand Prix in1998,2000,2002,2005,2007,2008, and2009.
| Manufacturer | Indianapolis 500 winner | 24 Hours of Le Mans winner | Monaco Grand Prix winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren | 1972,1974,1976 | 1995 | 1984,1985,1986,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1998,2000,2002,2005,2007,2008,2025 |
 Mercedes | 1915 | 1952 | 1935,1936,1937,2013,2014,2015,2016,2019 |
| Ford | 1965–1967,1969–1971,1995–1996 | 1966–1969,1975,1980 | 1968,1969,1970,1971,1973,1974,1977,1978,1980,1982,1983,1993,1994 |
Apink background indicates aprivately-run entry of a winning chassis manufacturer.A highlighting inbold indicates the Triple Crown completion.
As well as the customer teams, Lanzante Motorsport was tasked with running a 'works' car
McLaren managed to clinch the Triple Crown of Motorsport as a team.
From a racing team standpoint, McLaren is the only one to have accomplished the triple crown.
McLaren set itself up to support the customers at Le Mans but the programme took an unlikely twist when a Japanese clinic, Ueno, wanted to back a car at Le Mans and none of the teams were able or willing to take it as their title sponsor. There was, says McLaren, no other option but to run its own car. This was a controversial move; for McLaren to compete against its own customers was not agreed and the customers were furious.