Laurent Aïello (born 23 May 1969) is a French formerrace car driver, most notable for winning the24 Hours of Le Mans in1998, theBritish Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in1999, and theDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series in2002.
Aïello's racing career lasted from 1988 until 2005, and, in addition to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the BTCC and DTM, saw him enter theInternational Formula 3000, theFrench Supertouring Championship (CFS), theItalian Super Touring Championship (ISTC), and theSuper Tourenwagen Cup (STW), in addition to several other series. He took the CFS title in1994, and the STW title in1997.
Aïello won theFrench Karting Championship for three years in a row, in 1983, 1984, and 1985.[1] He made his car racing debut in 1988 in theVolant Avia,[2] and his professional racing debut in 1989, entering 11 rounds of theFrench Formula 3, driving forDaniel Gache Racing, with his best result being a solitary podium.[3] In 1990 Aïello won theMonaco Grand Prix Formula Three support race,[4] in addition to finishing fourth in theMacau GP forBowman Racing, and fifth in the French F3 forGraff Racing, with four wins from 11 races.[3] He moved to theInternational Formula 3000 for 1991 and 1992 (forDAMS andPacific Racing, respectively) but he was not successful, finishing 15th overall in both seasons.[5] He did, however, take the1992 French Formula 3 title.[6]
In 1993, Aïello switched to touring car racing in theFrench Supertouring Championship (CFS), finishing runner up, whilst driving for the non-works teamOreca.[2] Also during this year, he also entered theItalian Super Touring Championship, finishing 17th overall, with 11 points. His first title was the1994 French Supertouring Championship, where he won five races driving for the worksPeugeot team in their405 MI-16 model.[3] Due to Peugeot's links withJordan Grand Prix, he tested aJordan 194Formula 1 car in anEstoril test session, and set the tenth fastest time.[7] After a less-successful 1995 season, where he finished third overall, and won just one race, he made the switch to theSuper Tourenwagen Cup (STW) in Germany for 1996, still driving for Peugeot, but in their new406 model, following their withdrawal from the CFS.[2] He finished third overall in this first season, with three wins.[8] He also entered a round of thePorsche Carrera Cup France, winning the race.[2]
Aïello took the STW title for the first time in 1997, with 11 wins, finishing 52 points ahead ofBMW'sJoachim Winkelhock.[9] 1998 would be his third and final season in the STW, with six wins only being enough for a second place, with the Venezuelan driverJohnny Cecotto beating him by just three points.[10] During the 1998 season, he won the24 Hours of Le Mans race in aPorsche 911 GT1, his first attempt at the endurance race.[11]
For 1999, Aïello switched to theBritish Touring Car Championship (BTCC), driving for the worksNissan team in theirPrimera model, replacing the outgoingAnthony Reid, who had moved toFord.[12] He had initially been offered the drive atRenault, but rejected the offer asWilliamsF1, who ran the team, refused to allow him to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans.[13] The season would prove to be highly successful, as he took the title in his one and only season in the series,[14] with ten wins helping him finish 16 points ahead of teammateDavid Leslie, and Nissan taking a comfortable Manufacturer's and Team's championship victory.[15][16] His performances in the BTCC saw him win the National Racing Driver of the Year award in the Autosport Awards.[17] He also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans in1999, this time forAudi in theirAudi R8R, and he finished third in class.[18]
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Following Nissan's withdrawal from the BTCC at the end of the 1999 season, a potential drive forHonda fell through (that spot being taken byTom Kristensen),[19] Aïello made the switch to the newDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters series, driving for theAbt Sportsline team in theirAudi TT-R, a move that surprised some.[20] The first season was unsuccessful, with no victories, as the Audi TT proved to be uncompetitive against the fasterMercedes-Benz CLK andOpel Astra rivals, its best finish being Aïello's fifth place at the secondOschersleben sprint race.[21] He entered his third24 Hours of Le Mans, driving for Audi, and finished second.[22]
Following heavy development on the car, 2001 would prove to be more successful: Aïello was the first member of the Abt team to win in the series, at theNürburgring sprint race.[23] He would take 3 more victories that season, all three at the Nürburgring.[24] He once more returned to the24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi, and finished second once more.[25]
2002 would be an even more successful year — Aïello defeated reigning championBernd Schneider to take the title by six points,[26] winning 12 races in the process.[27] Although initially signed to drive once more for Audi in the2002 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,[28] he would not appear, withChristian Pescatori being entered instead.[29]
Abt Sportsline, and Aïello, would be much less successful in 2003, winning just one race,[30] and after switching toOpel[31] for the 2004 and 2005 seasons,[32] without any further victories (the firm's newVectra GTS proved to be unsuccessful), Aïello announced his retirement from racing at the end of the season, aged 36,[33] finishing ninth in his final race atHockenheim.[34] During his final season, he tested a "breathable overall" at the Nürburgring round.[35]
In a 2005 poll run by Motorsport Magazine, Aïello was voted the 13th best touring car driver of all time.[36]
Aïello is married to Géraldine and has two children: a daughter named Marie, and a son named Tom. He has a passion forjetskis,[37] and enjoys DJing.[38]
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap.)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | DAMS | Lola T91/50 | Mugen | VAL Ret | PAU DNS | JER 7 | MUG Ret | PER Ret | HOC 7 | BRH 9 | SPA 3 | BUG Ret | NOG Ret | 15th | 4 |
| 1992 | Pacific Racing | Reynard 92D | Mugen | SIL Ret | PAU Ret | CAT 15 | PER 11 | HOC 10 | NÜR 5 | SPA 6 | ALB 15 | NOG 7 | MAG Ret | 15th | 3 |
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 |  Porsche AG |  Allan McNish Stephane Ortelli | Porsche 911 GT1-98 | GT1 | 351 | 1st | 1st |
| 1999 | Audi Sport Team Joest |  Michele AlboretoRinaldo Capello | Audi R8R | LMP | 346 | 4th | 3rd |
| 2000 | Audi Sport Team Joest | Allan McNishStephane Ortelli | Audi R8 | LMP900 | 367 | 2nd | 2nd |
| 2001 | Audi Sport North America | Rinaldo CapelloChristian Pescatori | Audi R8 | LMP900 | 320 | 2nd | 2nd |
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Peugeot Esso | Peugeot 406 | ZOL 1 20 | ZOL 2 Ret | ASS 1 2 | ASS 2 1 | HOC 1 Ret | HOC 2 DNS | SAC 1 9 | SAC 2 6 | WUN 1 9 | WUN 2 2 | ZWE 1 1 | ZWE 2 1 | SAL 1 7 | SAL 2 4 | AVU 1 14 | AVU 2 12 | NÜR 1 2 | NÜR 2 2 | 3rd | 422 | ||
| 1997 | Peugeot Esso | Peugeot 406 | HOC 1 1 | HOC 2 1 | ZOL 1 3 | ZOL 2 3 | NÜR 1 1 | NÜR 2 1 | SAC 1 2 | SAC 2 2 | NOR 1 2 | NOR 2 Ret | WUN 1 1 | WUN 2 1 | ZWE 1 1 | ZWE 2 4 | SAL 1 1 | SAL 2 1 | REG 1 2 | REG 2 20 | NÜR 1 1 | NÜR 2 1 | 1st | 696 |
| 1998 | Peugeot Esso | Peugeot 406 | HOC 1 4 | HOC 2 2 | NÜR 1 4 | NÜR 2 3 | SAC 1 3 | SAC 2 5 | NOR 1 6 | NOR 2 1 | REG 1 12 | REG 2 10 | WUN 1 1 | WUN 2 Ret | ZWE 1 3 | ZWE 2 5 | SAL 1 1 | SAL 2 1 | OSC 1 1 | OSC 2 1 | NÜR 1 3 | NÜR 2 6 | 2nd | 592 |
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded all races) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap) (* signifies that driver lead feature race for at least one lap – 1 point awarded)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Vodafone Nissan Racing | Nissan Primera GT | DON 1 11 | DON 2 Ret | SIL 1 1 | SIL 2 6 | THR 1 1 | THR 2 1* | BRH 1 3 | BRH 2 1* | OUL 1 1 | OUL 2 1* | DON 1 Ret | DON 2 2* | CRO 1 5 | CRO 2 3 | SNE 1 Ret | SNE 2 7 | THR 1 1 | THR 2 5* | KNO 1 1 | KNO 2 DSQ | BRH 1 2 | BRH 2 1* | OUL 1 1 | OUL 2 2 | SIL 1 9 | SIL 2 Ret | 1st | 244 |
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Abt Sportsline | Abt-Audi TT-R | HOC 1 15 | HOC 2 DNS | OSC 1 | OSC 2 | NOR 1 Ret | NOR 2 DNS | SAC 1 12 | SAC 2 14 | NÜR 1 11 | NÜR 2 14 | OSC 1 5 | OSC 2 11 | NÜR 1 9 | NÜR 2 7 | HOC 1 Ret | HOC 2 DNS | 16th | 14 | ||||
| 2001 | Abt Sportsline | Abt-Audi TT-R | HOC QR 8 | HOC CR 7 | NÜR QR 1 | NÜR CR 1 | OSC QR 2 | OSC CR 5 | SAC QR | SAC CR | NOR QR 10 | NOR CR 12 | LAU QR 6 | LAU CR 12 | NÜR QR 1 | NÜR CR 1 | A1R QR 4 | A1R CR 2 | ZAN QR 5 | ZAN CR Ret | HOC QR Ret | HOC CR DNS | 5th | 75 |
| 2002 | Abt Sportsline | Abt-Audi TT-R | HOC QR 2 | HOC CR 1 | ZOL QR 1 | ZOL CR 1 | DON QR 18 | DON CR DSQ | SAC QR 1 | SAC CR 1 | NOR QR 4 | NOR CR 1 | LAU QR 1 | LAU CR 4 | NÜR QR 2 | NÜR CR 2 | A1R QR 3 | A1R CR 5 | ZAN QR DSQ | ZAN CR 6 | HOC QR 1 | HOC CR 6 | 1st | 70 |
| 2003 | Abt Sportsline | Abt-Audi TT-R | HOC 3 | ADR 3 | NÜR 3 | LAU 8 | NOR 6 | DON Ret | NÜR 1 | A1R 4 | ZAN 9 | HOC 5 | 6th | 41 | ||||||||||
| 2004 | OPCTeam Phoenix | Opel Vectra GTS V8 2004 | HOC 9 | EST 8 | ADR 6 | LAU 4 | NOR Ret | SHA1 | NÜR 9 | OSC 6 | ZAN Ret | BRN 15 | HOC Ret | 10th | 12 | |||||||||
| 2005 | OPCTeam Phoenix | Opel Vectra GTS V8 2005 | HOC Ret | LAU 10 | SPA 7 | BRN 16 | OSC 7 | NOR 12† | NÜR 9 | ZAN 14 | LAU 4 | IST 6 | HOC 9 | 11th | 12 | |||||||||
1 – A non-championship one-off race was held in 2004, in Shanghai, China.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Autosport National Racing Driver of the Year 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Monaco Formula Three Race Winner 1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | French Touring Car Champion 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Super Tourenwagen Cup Champion 1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1998with: Allan McNish Stéphane Ortelli | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British Touring Car Champion 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | DTM Champion 2002 | Succeeded by |
