André Lotterer doesn‘t fit a single mold – which is exactly what makes him so interesting for fans and media. He has German roots, but has almost never lived in Germany. He has internalized the four rings even in his personal life, but still finds room to pursue other dreams. He’s an extremely loyal race driver but, at the same time, capable of cultivating a rebel’s image. Plus, he’s an approachable superstar, one of the fastest and most reliable sports car drivers.

A thing that may occasionally appear artificial with other drivers is perfectly natural with him: brand loyalty, in Lotterer’s case, goes far beyond a schedule of commitments and a current company car. André Lotterer bought one of the rarest Audi cars of all time for his personal use – an Audi Sport quattro, the former base car for the World Rally Championship. And whenever he‘s involved in historic motorsport events, it will be touring car racing in an Audi Coupé from the eighties or rallies in a Group B Audi. Still, there’s enough room for other dreams. They do not conflict with his commitment to the brand. For a car magazine, he doesn’t mind having his picture taken amidst his collection of old American muscle cars. His free time may see him restoring a classic sports car that doesn‘t have four rings in the grill. For a photo shoot with the Audi R8* he shows up wearing a Steve McQueen T-shirt and a leather jacket. The role of a brand ambassador with room to move is part of André Lotterer’s universe.

Underneath this surface, he is a racer through and through. His speed? Ten victories and a world championship title with his teammates since 2012. Ten fastest race laps in the same period of time, including the legendary 3m 17.475s last year at Le Mans – the fastest race lap ever driven at la Sarthe at an average of 248 km/h. The expression on his face when he gets out the cockpit? A boyish smile and restrained joy.

André Lotterer’s life takes place in a different speed universe. He commutes between Monaco and his second home, Tokyo, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Audi and the Japanese Superformula racing series. It’s a life that doesn’t include such a thing as ever stopping.

Profile

Date of birth: November19, 1981

Place of birth: Duisburg (D)

Residence: Tokyo (J)

Marital status: single

Height/weight: 1.84 m/74 kg

Le Mans races: 8 (3 victories)

Sporting career

1989–1997 Kart, 1st Junior Kart World Championship 1995

1998 1st Formula BMW ADAC Junior Cup

1999 1st Formula BMW ADAC, 5th Formula Renault Euro Cup

2000 4th German Formula 3 Championship

2001 7th British Formula 3 Championship, 2nd Formula 3 Masters Zandvoort

2002 Formula One test driver, 3rd Spa 24 Hours, one ChampCar race

2003 4th Formula Nippon, “Rookie of the Year” Japanese GT Championship

2004 2nd Formula Nippon, 8th Japanese GT Championship

2005 4th Formula Nippon, 9th Japanese Super GT Championship

2006 3rd Formula Nippon, 1st Japanese Super GT Championship

2007 4th Formula Nippon, 6th Japanese Super GT Championship

2008 3rd Formula Nippon, 3rd Japanese Super GT Championship

2009 3rd Formula Nippon, 1st Japanese Super GT Championship,

7th Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R10 TDI), Nürburgring 24 Hours, one race A1GP Series

2010 2nd Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R15 TDI), 2nd Japanese Super GT Championship, 2nd place Formula Nippon

2011 1st Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R18 TDI), 1st Formula Nippon

2012 1st Le Mans 24 Hours, 1st FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 1st WEC Silverstone, 1st WEC Bahrain (in Audi R18 e-tron quattro at each event), 4th Formula Nippon, 6th Spa 24 Hours (Audi R8 LMS ultra)

2013 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 1st WEC Spa, 1st WEC São Paulo, 1st WEC Shanghai, 5th Le Mans 24 Hours (in Audi R18 e-tron quattro at each event), 3rd Spa 24 Hours (Audi R8 LMS ultra), 2nd Superformula

2014 1st Le Mans 24 Hours, 1st WEC Austin, 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) (in Audi R18 e-tron quattro at each event), 3rd Superformula

2015 1st WEC Silverstone, 1st WEC Spa, 2nd FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 3rd Le Mans 24 Hours (in Audi R18 e-tron quattro at each event), 3rd Superformula

2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) (Audi R18), Superformula

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