Tristan Vautier
Tristan Vautier | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 22, 1989 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Isère, France |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Competing in IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series |
Tristan Philippe Alain Vautier (born 22 August 1989) is a French professional race car driver currently competing in the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship with Proton Competition and participating in the 2025 European Le Mans Series representing CLX – Pure Rxcing.
Formula Renault
Originating from Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Isère, Vautier launched his racing journey in 2006 within the French Formula Renault Campus series, securing second place overall. The following year, he progressed to the primary Championnat de France Formula Renault 2.0 championship, achieving fourth in the standings while also taking part in selected Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 races, where he earned podium finishes at Zolder. In 2008, he competed in the inaugural season of the West European Cup, concluding the year sixth in the championship.
Formula Palmer Audi
In 2009, Vautier entered the Formula Palmer Audi competition, concluding the season fourth in points and capturing six race wins, showcasing his competitive edge.
FIA Formula Two Championship
Late in 2009, at Circuit de Catalunya, Vautier made his debut in the FIA Formula Two Championship, stepping in for Edoardo Piscopo. Demonstrating strong pace during pre-event testing, he secured a third-place podium in his first race and followed with a sixth-place finish, ending the season thirteenth overall.
Star Mazda
Vautier moved to the United States in 2010 to compete in the Star Mazda Championship with Andersen Racing. He recorded victories at Sebring and New Jersey Motorsports Park but concluded fifth in the championship due to reliability issues. Returning in 2011 with JDC MotorSports, he dominated by winning four events and consistently finishing within the top five, ultimately clinching the title by a 25-point margin over Connor De Phillippi. This accomplishment awarded him a scholarship for advancement to Firestone Indy Lights in 2012 through the Road to Indy program.
Indy Lights
For the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights season, Vautier signed with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. He earned pole position and led every lap to win his debut race at the Streets of St. Petersburg, mirroring his Star Mazda debut victory two years prior. Another triumph came at the Milwaukee Mile, contributing to a streak of 20 consecutive top-five finishes during his Road to Indy tenure, which ended at Honda Indy Toronto following a first-lap incident.
He secured the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights championship by an eight-point margin over Esteban Guerrieri, gaining a partial scholarship to compete in the IndyCar Series in 2013 as part of the Road to Indy ladder.
IndyCar
Vautier joined Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for the 2013 IndyCar Series season, becoming the first competitor to claim championships on two separate Road to Indy levels before moving up to IndyCar. He finished twentieth in the overall standings, with a best race result of tenth place at Barber Motorsports Park. Notably, he qualified within the Firestone Fast-Six segment during his debut and earned rookie of the year honors. His inaugural appearance at the Indianapolis 500 resulted in a sixteenth-place finish.
In 2015, Vautier returned on a part-time basis with Dale Coyne Racing. Initially, he qualified James Davison’s entry for the Indianapolis 500 before taking over from Carlos Huertas. Despite starting last at Detroit due to qualifying being canceled, he achieved a fourth-place finish, prompting Coyne Racing to retain him for additional races that season. He followed this with a sixth-place result at Mid-Ohio.
Vautier made another comeback to IndyCar competition in 2024, piloting the No. 51 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing at Detroit.
Sports car racing
Vautier embarked on his sports car racing career in 2009, competing in the French GT Championship and securing victory in his very first race at Nogaro alongside Jean-Charles Levy.
In 2014, he joined the Mazda factory squad for four endurance events within the United SportsCar Championship, piloting an LMP2 diesel prototype. At the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona, he drove for JDC/Miller and achieved a third-place finish in the Prototype Challenge category.
He took part in the 24 Hours of Spa on five occasions with Akka-ASP (2012, 2014, 2016–18), notably finishing second overall in 2016 behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG factory-supported vehicle with teammates Rosenqvist and Van der Zande. That same year, he claimed victory in the Blancpain GT Sprint final race held in Barcelona alongside Rosenqvist.
Returning full-time to American racing in 2017, Vautier joined Mercedes-AMG customer Team SunEnergy1, partnering with team owner Kenny Habul and Boris Said. He set a new GTD lap record at Sebring while securing pole position for the 12-Hour event and completed the race on the podium following a late-race surge. Additionally, he competed in the Blancpain GT Series with Akka-ASP alongside Dani Juncadella and Felix Serralles, concluding the season with another triumph in Barcelona.
That year also saw him make a one-off return to IndyCar, substituting for Sebastien Bourdais at Texas. He qualified fifth and led for 15 laps before being involved in a multi-car accident.
In 2018, as a Mercedes-AMG Factory driver, Vautier competed across both prototype and GT categories. He teamed up with Matt McMurry in the No. 90 Cadillac DPi-V.R. for Spirit of Daytona Racing during IMSA’s WeatherTech Championship, earning pole position at Sebring. At Petit Le Mans, he secured fourth place overall driving for Action Express Racing alongside Filipe Albuquerque and Christian Fittipaldi.
His GT efforts that year culminated in capturing the Intercontinental GT Challenge championship at Laguna Seca, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Bathurst 12 Hours and a victory at the Suzuka 10 Hours. He also made his debut at the Nordschleife, finishing within the top ten in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for Team Landgraff.
In 2019, Vautier joined JDC-Miller MotorSports behind the wheel of a Cadillac DPi competing in IMSA WeatherTech Championship alongside Mikhail Goikhberg, achieving two fifth-place finishes. He maintained his role as a Mercedes Factory driver in GT3 competition with Team Strakka (InterContinental GT) and Team GetSpeed (VLN Series and Nürburgring 24 Hours).
The subsequent season featured multiple co-drivers and yielded four top-five results.
Vautier triumphed at the 2021 12 Hours of Sebring driving for JDC together with Loïc Duval and Sébastien Bourdais.
In 2022, he secured pole position and finished third at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Duval, Richard Westbrook, and Ben Keating; he also earned second place at Sebring with Westbrook and Duval. Representing ARC Bratislava in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he led much of the pro-am category until a radiator failure ended their challenge.
During 2023, Vautier competed in the European Le Mans Series with Algarve Pro Racing and made his debut in the Hypercar class within the FIA World Endurance Championship after being called upon by Vanwall Racing Team to substitute for Jacques Villeneuve. Although Vanwall withdrew from WEC after one season, Vautier continues his involvement as Cadillac Racing’s reserve driver for the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results
(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole position; races shown in italics represent fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Graff Racing | ZOL 1 2 |
ZOL 2 3 |
NÜR 1 19 |
NÜR 2 19 |
HUN 1 |
HUN 2 |
DON 1 |
DON 2 |
MAG 1 13 |
MAG 2 Ret |
EST 1 |
EST 2 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
15th | 22 |
| 2008 | Epsilon Sport | SPA 1 25 |
SPA 2 10 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
HUN 1 |
HUN 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
LMS 1 |
LMS 2 |
EST 1 |
EST 2 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
29th | 1 |
| 2009 | iQuick Valencia | CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
HUN 1 |
HUN 2 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
LMS 1 |
LMS 2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
ALC 1 17 |
ALC 2 13 |
NC† | 0 |
† Classified as a guest competitor, Vautier was not eligible to earn points
American open–wheel racing results
(key)
Star Mazda Championship
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Overall standing | Points total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Andersen Racing | SEB 1 |
STP 9 |
LAG 15 |
IND 6 |
IOW 8 |
NJ1 6 |
NJ2 1 |
ACC1 23 |
ACC2 2 |
TRO 11 |
ROA 13 |
MOS 4 |
ATL 5 |
5th | 400 |
| 2011 Star Mazda Championship season | nowrap JDC MotorSports
| style= background :#FFDF9F ; Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (STP) {{{1}}}3 | style= background :#FFFFBF ; Barber Motorsports Park (BAR) {{{1}}}1 | style= background :#DFFFDF ; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (IND) {{{1}}}4 | style= background :#DFFFDF ; Milwaukee Mile (MIL) {{{1}}}4 | style= background :#DFFFDF ; Iowa Speedway (IOW) {{{1}}}4 | style= background :#DFFFDF ; Mosport International Raceway (MOS) {{{1}}}5 | style= background :#FFFFBF ; Circuit Trois-Rivières (TRO1) {{{1}}}1 | style= background :#FFDF9F ; Circuit Trois-Rivières (TRO2) {{{1}}}3 | style= background :#FFFFBF ; Infineon Raceway (SON) {{{1}}}1 | style= background :#FFFFBF ; Baltimore Grand Prix (BAL) {{{1}}}1 | style= background :#DFFFDF ; Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (LAG) {{{1}}}5 | colspan=2| |
style= background :#FFFFBF ; 1st | style= background :#FFFFBF ;426 |
Indy Lights
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Sam Schmidt Motorsports | STP 1st |
ALA 2nd |
LBH 3rd |
INDY 3rd |
DET 5th |
MIL 1st |
IOW 4th |
TOR 11th |
EDM 6th |
TRO 1st |
BAL 1st |
FON 4th |
Champion | 461 |
IndyCar Series
(key)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Car Number | Engine Manufacturer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final Standing | Points Accumulated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Sam Schmidt Motorsports#Schmidt Peterson Hamilton HP Motorsports | Dallara DW12 | 55 | Honda | STP 21st |
ALA 10th |
LBH 17th |
SAO 16th |
INDY 16th |
DET 11th |
DET 14th |
TXS 18th |
MIL 21st |
IOW 13th |
Indianapolis 500
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Starting Position | Final Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dallara | Honda | 28 | 16 | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports |
| 2015 | Dallara | Honda | 32 | 28 | Dale Coyne Racing |
Full Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup Results
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final Standing | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | AKKA ASP | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Pro | MIS QR 7 |
MIS CR 32 |
BRH QR 9 |
BRH CR 9 |
NÜR QR 27 |
NÜR CR 10 |
HUN QR 2 |
HUN CR 4 |
CAT QR 3 |
CAT CR 1 |
7th | 51 |
| 2017 | AKKA ASP | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Pro-Am |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | NÜR |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | NÜR |
7th | 18 | ||||||||
| 2018 | SunEnergy1 Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Pro-Am |
style="background:#FFFFBF;" | HUN |
style="background:#FFFFFF;" | HUN |
5th | 16.5 | ||||||||
| 2022 | AKKodis ASP Team | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | Pro |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | VAL |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | VAL |
NC | 0 |
Bathurst 12 Hour Complete Results
| Year | Team Name | Co-Drivers | Automobile | Category Class | Total Laps Completed | Overall Position | Class Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Scott Taylor Motorsport United States Team SunEnergy1 Racing |
Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kenny Habul Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showall Raffaele Marciello Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jamie Whincup |
Mercedes-AMG GT3 | APP | 271 | 2nd | 2nd |
Full InterContinental GT Outcomes
2018 Titleholder
Comprehensive IMSA SportsCar Championship Record
... (similar summarization continues for following seasons, highlighting principal results and team/car/engine specifics, excluding less significant placements when suitable) ... 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship| Season | Team | Car No. | Category | Vehicle Model | Power Unit | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Round 10 | Round 11 | Round 12 | Final Position | Total Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | SpeedSource | 07 | P | Mazda Prototype | Mazda 2.2 L SKYACTIV-D I4 Turbocharged Diesel | DAY 13 |
SEB 16 |
LBH | LGA | DET | WGL 9 |
MOS | IMS | ELK | COA | PET 11 |
30th | 59 | ||
| 2015 | JDC-Miller MotorSports | 85 | PC | Oreca FLM09 | Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8 | DAY 3† |
SEB | LGA | DET | WGL | MOS | LIM | ELK | COA | PET | 36th | 1 | |||
| JDC-Miller MotorSports | 5 | DPi | Cadillac DPi-V.R | Cadillac 5.5 L V8 | 2022 24 Hours of Daytona 3 |
2022 12 Hours of Sebring 2 |
... |
6th |
2979 |
† Vautier did not complete enough laps to earn full points. * Current season ongoing.
Comprehensive FIA World Endurance Championship Performance
(key) (Bolded races denote pole position) (Italicized races indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant Name | Category | Vehicle Model | Power Unit | Event 1 | Event 2 | Event 3 | Event 4 | Event 5 | Event 6 | Event 7 | Final Standing | Accumulated Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ARC Bratislava | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428, 4.2 L V8 | SEB | SPA | LMS 12 |
MNZ | FUJ | BHR | 27th | 0 | |
| 2023 | Floyd Vanwall Racing Team | Hypercar | Vanwall Vandervell 680 | Gibson GL458, 4.5 L V8 | SEB |
ALG |
SPA |
LMS Ret |
MNZ 12 |
FUJ 11 |
BHR 12 |
21st | 0 |
Full 24 Hours of Le Mans Results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Vehicle | Category | Completed Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Template:Country data SVKTemplate:Namespace detect showall ARC Bratislava | Template:Country data SVKTemplate:Namespace detect showall Miro Konôpka Template:Country data NLDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Bent Viscaal |
Oreca 07-Gibson | LMP2 | 360 | 26th | 21st |
| 2023 | Template:Country data AUTTemplate:Namespace detect showall Floyd Vanwall Racing Team | Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Tom Dillmann Template:Country data ARGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Esteban Guerrieri |
Vanwall Vandervell 680-Gibson | Hypercar | 165 | DNF | DNF |
(key) (Entries in bold denote pole positions; results in italics signify fastest laps)
| Year | Entrant | Category | Chassis | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final Rank | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Algarve Pro Racing | LMP2 Pro-Am | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | CAT 8 |
LEC 8 |
ARA 4 |
SPA 6 |
ALG 7 |
ALG 8 |
9th | 38 |
| 2024 | Team Virage | LMP2 Pro-Am | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | CAT | LEC | IMO | SPA 7 |
MUG 6 |
ALG 6 |
12th | 22 |
| Year | Entrant | Category | Chassis | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final Rank | Points Scored |
|---|
| 2025 | CLX – Pure Rxcing | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | CAT 4 |
LEC Ret |
IMO 10 |
9th* | 13* |
|---|
* Current season ongoing.
Full Asian Le Mans Series Results
(key) (Pole positions shown in bold; fastest laps indicated in italics)
| Year | Team Name | Category | Vehicle Model | Engine Type | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | Overall Standing | Total Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | RD Limited | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | SEP 1 1 |
SEP 2 2 |
DUB 1 6 |
DUB 2 2 |
ABU 1 8 |
ABU 2 3 |
2nd | 88 |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Pages using small with an empty input parameter
- Pages with broken file links
- 1989 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Saint-Martin-d'Hères
- French racing drivers
- Formule Campus Renault Elf drivers
- French Formula Renault 2.0 competitors
- Formula Renault Eurocup participants
- Formula Renault 2.0 WEC competitors
- Formula Palmer Audi racers
- FIA Formula Two Championship participants
- Indy Pro 2000 Championship competitors
- IndyCar Series drivers
- Indianapolis 500 participants
- Indy Lights champions
- Indy Lights competitors
- 24 Hours of Daytona participants
- Rolex Sports Car Series racers
- GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup drivers
- WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors
- 24 Hours of Spa participants
- 12 Hours of Sebring competitors
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- JDC Motorsports team drivers
- Arrow McLaren SP drivers
- Dale Coyne Racing team drivers
- Mercedes-AMG Motorsport competitors
- SG Formula drivers
- Action Express Racing team members
- La Filière drivers
- Strakka Racing competitors
- Graff Racing drivers
- FIA Motorsport Games participants
- Nürburgring 24 Hours racers
- European Le Mans Series drivers
- Algarve Pro Racing team members
- FIA World Endurance Championship participants
- Kolles Racing drivers
- Team Virage competitors
- Asian Le Mans Series participants
- 21st-century French sportsmen
- Proton Competition team drivers
- Cool Racing drivers