Tom Kristensen earned the nickname Mr. Le Mans for setting a record for the most wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kristensen was born in 1967 in Hobro, Denmark, and began his career in 1984 at the age of 17. During the early years of his career, he won several karting titles and was also the Japanese Formula 3 champion in 1993.
Kristensen's career hit a stumbling block in 2007 when he was involved in an accident on the Hockenheimring racetrack in Germany. But he was back on track shortly after that and went ahead to win the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans. If you are a fan of motorsports, here are 10 facts about Tom Kristensen that may surprise you.
10 Six-Time 12 Hours Of Sebring Winner
Tom Kristensen is one of the greatest drivers in the world of Super Sebring, with a total of six victories in a space of 13 years. He has the highest number of wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, but he's closely followed by the Italian driver Rinaldo Capello, who has five wins.
The annual 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race usually takes place at the Sebring International Raceway, in Florida. After a three-year hiatus – thanks to the pandemic – the 70th edition of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was scheduled for March this year.
9 Most Successful 24 Hours Of Le Mans Driver
Tom Kristensen is not called Mr. LeMans for nothing. He has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 9 times, making him the most victorious driver in the history of the Triple Crown 24-hour automobile endurance race. The second most successful driver is Jacky Ickx, but Tom edges him with three wins.
Kristensen along with Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela became the first three drivers to achieve three consecutive wins – in 2000, 20001, and 2002 – since Jacky Ickx did it in 1977. Kristensen sealed his legendary status with his final 24 Hours of Le Mans win in 2013, just before his retirement.
8 Knight Of The Order Of The Dannebrog
With nine Le Mans 24 Hours wins, six 12 Hours of Sebring victories, and other achievements in motorsports, it's obvious Tom Kristensen is deserving of every honor he receives. In 2014, the Audi driver was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog by the Queen of Denmark, Margarethe II in Copenhagen.
The Danish driver, who was 47-year-old at the time, expressed his delight and gratitude to the royal family for following his career and recognizing his contributions to sports in Denmark and around the world.
7 Inducted Into The Danish Sports Hall Of Fame
As one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, it's very likely that Tom Kristensen will keep getting recognitions even after he's dead. About four years after his appointment as a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, Tom received another monumental honor, as he was inducted into the Danish Sports Hall Of Fame.
The honor is the height of your achievement as a Danish sportsman, so you can imagine Tom's excitement on hearing the news. As a part of formalities for the event, a bust of Kristensen was displayed along with those of other inductees.
6 2013 World Endurance Champion
Ever since the demise of the World Sportscar Championship as far back as '92, the FIA World Endurance Championship has been what endurance auto racing series fans look forward to. The racing event is put together by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).
The 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship season was won by Allan McNish, Loïc Duval, and Tom Kristensen with the German Audi Sport Team Joest.
5 Grand Marshal For The Super Sebring
In 2020, the FIA WEC and the IMSA named Tom Kristensen as the Grand Marshal at the Super Sebring. With his impressive track record, Tom is the right person to wave the green flag at the 1000 Miles of Sebring and 12 Hours of Sebring sessions of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Tom expressed his delight at the announcement, saying he "can’t wait to be back at Sebring." Speaking on the decision to select Tom as the Grand Marshal at the Super Sebring, the WEC CEO, Gérard Neveu says even though there are many successful endurance drivers at the Sebring, there's only one Mr. LeMans, so the decision was quite easy.
4 Tom Kristensen: The Book
It seems Tom Kristensen lives by the principle of Benjamin Franklin who said, "if you want to be remembered, write a book worth reading or live a life worth writing about.” In the autobiography, Tom Kristensen: The Book, Mr. LeMans goes into detail about his Le Mans 24 Hours wins and going global with his Audi T18.
However, the book isn't just a chronicle of Kristensen's successes at the LeMans: he takes readers through his early years in Denmark, and his darkest moments: the 2007 horrific crash at Hockenheim.
3 FIA Hall Of Fame
In 2019, the FIA honored world championship sports car racing drivers by inducting 29 endurance racing champions into the FIA Hall of Fame. The event was held at the Automobile Club de France in Paris and even the late Stefan Bellof, who won the WEC title with Porsche in 1984, was posthumously inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.
Tom Kristensen, alongside the 2013 FIA World Endurance champions and Audi drivers Loïc Duval and Allan McNish was also Inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.
2 Retired In 2014
Tom Kristensen finally retired in 2014, after being in the motorsport racing scene for more than three decades. Mr. Le Mans is one of the most decorated sports car drivers of all time, with several championship titles and special recognitions. The Audi driver was 47 years old at the time of his retirement.
Speaking at the press conference in Copenhagen to officially announce his retirement, Kristensen says he has "reached the finish line" and looks forward to doing other things. His last race in the WEC was on the 30th of November 2014.
1 KidsAid Denmark Ambassador
For Tom Kristensen, life isn't all about the track. He channels some of his resources into good causes like KidsAid, a non-profit organization that supports sick and vulnerable kids. Tom Kristensen is a brand ambassador of KidsAid Denmark.
He promotes the non-profit organization on his social media accounts and even has an entire section of his Instagram Highlights dedicated to KidsAid activities.