Loïc Duval: Breakthrough with Audi

Loïc Duval proved that he ranks among the fastest drivers early in his career. After joining Audi in 2012, he received the requisite hardware that made it possible for him to convert his abilities into victories as well.

Friendly, direct, succinct: Loïc Duval’s style in interviews is as straightforward as his efficient driving style. For four years, he was holding the lap record in the Le Mans 24 Hours. And it was his Audi teammate André Lotterer of all drivers to break it in summer of 2015. Duval has experienced his most successful season to date alongside Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen. In 2013, the trio won the Le Mans 24 Hours and at the end of the year celebrated the world championship title together. “That was a tremendous season,” the Frenchman recalls. “After that, media interest back home suddenly increased.”

The professional driver, who turned 34 years old during the Le Mans week, hails from Chartres – the city of light and perfume, 130 kilometers north-east of Le Mans. Together with his wife, Gaëlle, and their sons, Hugo and Martin, he now lives in nearby Switzerland, in Nyon near Geneva.

Tokyo, of all places, is one of the European’s favorite cities. Nine years of his career he spent in Japan. In 2009, he won Formula Nippon, the highest-caliber local single-seater racing series. Real driver circuits such as Macau or Suzuka have been among his favorite tracks to this day. Besides racing, soccer is one of the Frenchman’s passions. Be it at official PR commitments, celebrity team matches, or simply in his personal surroundings – Duval is an avid kicker. As a historic personage that fascinates him he mentions the navigator Christopher Columbus and as a novel Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days.”

His very own journey around the world not only takes him to nine nations with the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In addition, Loïc Duval, like his teammate Lucas di Grassi, contested the FIA Formula E electric racing series in the 2015/16 season as well. 

Profile

Date of birth: June 12, 1982

Place of birth: Chartres (F)

Residence: Geneva (CH)

Marital status: married, two sons

Height/weight: 1.78 m/70 kg

Le Mans races: 7 (1 victory)

Sporting career

1992–2001 Kart

2000 1st Trophée Laborde, 3rd Karting World Championship Formula A

2002 1st Formula Campus France

2003 1st Formula Renault France

2004 11th Formula 3 Euro Series, member of Renault Driver Development

2005 6th Formula 3 Euro Series, member of Renault Driver Development

2006 4th Formula Nippon, 11th Super GT Japan, rookie driver A1 Team France

2007 2nd Super GT Japan, 4th A1 GP with A1 Team France, 6th Formula Nippon

2008 2nd Formula Nippon, 4th A1 GP with A1 Team France, 8th Le Mans 24 Hours, 1st Rookie Classification Le Mans (Prix Jean Rondeau)

2009 1st Formula Nippon, 3rd Team Classification Asian Le Mans Series, 5th A1 GP with A1 Team France

2010 1st Super GT Japan, 3rd Formula Nippon, Le Mans 24 Hours

2011 1st Sebring 12 Hours, 3rd Super GT Japan, 5th Le Mans 24 Hours

2012 1st WEC Spa (Audi R18 ultra), 2nd Sebring 12 Hours (Audi R18 TDI), 5th place Le Mans 24 Hours (Audi R18 ultra), 6th Formula Nippon

2013 1st Le Mans 24 Hours, 1st FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 1st WEC Silverstone, 1st WEC Austin (in Audi R18 e-tron quattro at each event), 3rd Superformula

2014 7th FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) (Audi R18 e-tron quattro), Superformula

2015 4th FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 3rd WEC Austin (in Audi R18 e-tron quattro at each event), FIA Formula E

2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), 1st WEC Spa, 3rd Le Mans 24 Hours (in Audi R18 at each event), FIA Formula E

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