TOP 5 LMP1 DRIVERS
NICOLAS MINASSIAN 4
The British-based Frenchman was the fastest driver on Peugeot’s books for much of its five-year LMP1 adventure. That’s not, however, counting a single qualifying lap at Le Mans when three-time polesitter Stephane Sarrazin was king. Minassian won races in the Le Mans Series and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, but what he didn’t get was a win or two in any of the big enduros: Le Mans, Sebring or Petit. He also deserves credit for his plucky performances with the little Creation Autosportif squad. A giant-killing run to pole at Petit in 2006 was Minassian at his best.
ALLAN MCNISH 2
There can be no apologies for putting a second member of the winning Audi crew from Le Mans 2008 in the top two spots. Mcnish, like Kristensen, was at or near the top for the majority of the LMP1 era, even if he did race against LMP cars aboard GT1/GTP machinery in his early years. Other performances to put up there with Le Mans 2008 are his from-behind triumph at Sebring just eight months later and then the from-evenfurther-behind victory in between at Petit Le Mans after he’d hit the wall on the way to the grid.
LUCAS LUHR 5
Luhr is a driver who somehow missed out on overall victories in the sportscar blue ribands. He was, however, a multiple race winner over a prolonged period of P1’s history aboard a variety of machinery. That explains his place here. The straight-talking German was at his best in the ALMS with Audi and then the Muscle Milk/pickett Racing squad with first a Lola-aston Martin and then an HPD. He ended up as a three-time champion – once with the Audi factory and twice with Muscle Milk – and took no fewer than 24 overall victories.
TIMO BERNHARD 3
Two Le Mans victories, a pair of world titles and 12 wins in three WEC seasons: Bernhard did it all over a long career with Porsche that included a loan spell at Audi. His nine outright American Le Mans Series victories should arguably be taken into account given that the LMP2 RS Spyder was conceived to take on the P1 cars. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the history of LMP1 was the key role he played in the Porsche 919 Hybrid programme. He was a kingpin in the development of the car, helped nurture both Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley as sportscar drivers, and was the most consistent performer across its four seasons.
TOM KRISTENSEN 1
The bulging Kristensen CV means there’s no contest when it comes to naming the best driver of the LMP1 era, even if one of his nine Le Mans successes did come aboard the Gtp-class Bentley. The long-time Audi driver also won the Sebring 12 Hours a record six times and belatedly became a world champion. But it’s not just what Kristensen won, it’s how he won. Le Mans 2008 was his greatest victory, but the triumphs at the French enduro in 1997 and 2004 run it close. And that’s not to forget some stunning Sebring performances, 1999, 2001 and 2005 included.