Sébastien Bourdais facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sébastien Bourdais
Bourdais at the 2021 Indianapolis 500
Nationality	French
Born	Sébastien Olivier Bourdais (1979-02-28) 28 February 1979 (age 46) Le Mans, France
Racing licence	FIA Platinum
Achievements	2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Champ Car World Series Champion 2002 International Formula 3000 Champion 1999 French Formula Three Champion 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona overall winner 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona GTLM Class winner 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGTE Pro Class winner 2015, 2021 12 Hours of Sebring winner 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona LMP2 Class winner
Awards	2003 CART FedEx Championship Series Rookie of the Year
IndyCar Series career
151 races run over 12 years
Team(s)	No. 14 (A. J. Foyt Enterprises)
Best finish	7th (2018)
First race	2005 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
First win	2014 Honda Indy Toronto (Exhibition Place)
Last win	2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Wins Podiums Poles 6 13 3
Champ Car career
73 races run over 5 years
Years active	2003–2007
Best finish	1st (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
First race	2003 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race	2007 Gran Premio de Mexico (Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez)
First win	2003 London Champ Car Trophy (Brands Hatch)
Last win	2007 Gran Premio de Mexico (Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez)
Wins Podiums Poles 31 44 31
Formula One World Championship career Active years 2008–2009 Teams Scuderia Toro Rosso Entries 27 (27 starts) Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Career points 6 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First entry 2008 Australian Grand Prix Last entry 2009 German Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 1999–2002, 2004, 2007, 2009–2012, 2016, 2018–2020, 2022–2024 Teams Larbre, Pescarolo, Peugeot, Ford-Ganassi, Risi, Vector, Cadillac-Ganassi Best finish 2nd (2007, 2009, 2011) Class wins 1 (2016)

Sébastien Olivier Bourdais (born February 28, 1979) is a French professional racing driver. He currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota. He is known as one of the most successful drivers in American open-wheel car racing history.

Sébastien won four championships in a row in the Champ Car World Series from 2004 to 2007. He also raced in the IndyCar Series from 2011 to 2021. Besides these, he competed in 27 Formula One races for the Toro Rosso team in 2008 and 2009. He has also had a long career in sports car racing, winning many big races.

Early Racing Days

Starting in Karts

Sébastien Bourdais grew up in Le Mans, France, in a family that loved racing. His father, Patrick, was also a racer. Sébastien started his own racing journey at just 10 years old in karts.

In the early 1990s, he raced in different karting championships. He won the Maine Bretagne League in 1991 and the Cadet France championship in 1993. In 1996, his team won the 24-hour Le Mans kart race.

Moving to Single-Seater Cars

In 1995, Bourdais moved up to single-seater racing. He finished 9th in the Formula Campus by Renault and Elf Championship. For the next two years, he raced in the French Formula Renault Championship. In 1997, he finished second overall, winning four races.

In 1998, he became the Rookie of the Year in French F3. He won five races that year. The next year, 1999, he won the series championship with eight wins.

Formula 3000 Success

After his success in junior racing, Bourdais joined the Prost Junior Team in the International F3000 Championship. He finished ninth in his first year. In 2001, he moved to the DAMS team and got his first win in the series at Silverstone.

In 2002, he switched teams again to Super Nova Racing. He won three races and earned seven pole positions. He won the championship that year, even though another driver had more points but was penalized.

Brief Stint in DTM

After Formula 3000, Bourdais almost raced in the DTM series with Opel in 2003. However, his contract allowed him to leave if he found a spot in a major open-wheel series. He soon got a chance to race in CART, so he did not compete in DTM.

Champ Car Career

Bourdais won his second Champ Car title in 2005.

Sébastien Bourdais moved to Champ Car racing in the United States in 2003. He joined the Newman/Haas Racing team. In his very first race in St. Petersburg, Florida, he became the first rookie since Nigel Mansell to start from pole position.

He won his first Champ Car race at Brands Hatch in England. He then won again at the Lausitzring in Germany. By the end of 2003, he had three wins and was named Rookie of the Year. He finished 4th in the overall standings.

In 2004, Bourdais stayed with Newman-Haas and completely dominated the Champ Car series. He won seven races and earned eight pole positions. He finished on the podium in 10 out of 14 races and won the championship.

Bourdais winning the 2007 Grand Prix of Houston.

He successfully defended his Champ Car title in 2005, winning five races late in the season. He also raced in his first Indianapolis 500 that May, finishing 12th.

Bourdais won his third Champ Car title in a row in 2006. He started the season with four straight wins. He became the first Champ Car driver to win three championships in a row since Ted Horn in 1948.

In 2007, Bourdais won his fourth straight Champ Car title. This made him one of the most successful drivers in the series' history.

Formula One Career

Before Champ Car

In 2002, Bourdais had his first chance to test a Formula One car with the Arrows team. He was supposed to drive for them, but the team faced financial problems. He also tested for Renault but did not get a spot.

Racing for Toro Rosso

Bourdais driving for Toro Rosso at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix.

Bourdais returned to Formula One in 2007, testing for Scuderia Toro Rosso. On August 10, 2007, it was announced that he would race for Toro Rosso in 2008. His teammate was Sebastian Vettel.

His first F1 race was the 2008 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. He started 17th but moved up to fourth place. An engine problem forced him to stop near the end, but he was still classified 8th. He later moved up to seventh place after another driver was disqualified.

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Bourdais started ninth and raced well, even reaching third place. He finished 7th, earning more championship points. He also qualified fourth for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, but a car problem made him start from the pit lane.

Bourdais driving for Toro Rosso at the 2009 German Grand Prix.

In 2009, Bourdais continued with Toro Rosso, partnering with rookie Sébastien Buemi. He scored points in Australia and Monaco. However, he struggled to match his teammate's pace. He was involved in a few accidents during the season.

On July 16, 2009, Toro Rosso announced that Bourdais would no longer drive for the team. The team felt the partnership had not met their expectations.

24 Hours of Le Mans

The Dome S102.5 that Bourdais drove at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Bourdais has often raced in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in his hometown. He first competed in 1999 at just 20 years old.

In 2000, he finished fourth with the Pescarolo team. He finished second three times with the Peugeot factory team in 2007, 2009, and 2011. In 2016, he won the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans while driving for Ford Performance. He has continued to race at Le Mans, including in 2023 and 2024 with Cadillac Racing. In 2025, he is set to race for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota.

Other Racing Adventures

Superleague Formula

After leaving Formula One, Bourdais raced in the Superleague Formula series. He drove for the Sevilla FC car. He won on his very first weekend in the series in 2009. He also won a race in 2010 for Olympique Lyonnais.

Sports and Touring Car Racing

Bourdais driving at Monza during the 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship.

Bourdais has raced in many other championships throughout his career. He won the Spa 24 Hours in 2002. He also won his class at the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring in 2006. In 2005, he won his first stock car race in the International Race of Champions.

In 2011 and 2012, he won the Dan Wheldon Memorial Trophy in the V8 Supercar series. This trophy is given to the international driver who scores the most points at the Gold Coast weekend. He is the only driver to have won a race at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in both Champ Car/IndyCar and V8 Supercar.

Bourdais leading both Penske Porsche cars during the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona.

In 2014, he won the Rolex 24 at Daytona race. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2015. Since 2022, Bourdais has mainly focused on racing for Cadillac.

IndyCar Career

Bourdais driving at the 2012 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Bourdais first raced in the IndyCar Series at the 2005 Indianapolis 500. He joined full-time in 2011 with Dale Coyne Racing.

In 2014, Bourdais earned two pole positions and one victory. On July 20, 2014, he became one of only three drivers to win open-wheel Championship Racing victories under three different racing organizations in North America.

On May 31, 2015, he won an impressive race in Detroit, starting far back on the grid and moving through the field in heavy rain. This was his 33rd victory in American Championship car racing. He won again at the Milwaukee Mile in 2015, dominating the race.

In 2016, he won another race in Detroit. In October 2016, he announced he would return to Dale Coyne Racing for the 2017 season.

In his first race back with Dale Coyne Racing, Bourdais won the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 12, 2017. He started from last place after a qualifying crash. He followed this with a second-place finish at Long Beach.

Bourdais' No. 11 car after the running of the 2015 Indianapolis 500 where he placed 11th

On May 20, 2017, Bourdais had a serious accident while qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. He broke his pelvis and hip. He had surgery and had to miss most of the season to recover. He returned for the last three races of the season.

In 2018, Bourdais returned to Dale Coyne Racing. He won the Firestone St. Petersburg Grand Prix again, his first win since his injury. He also earned pole position at Phoenix, his first on an oval track since 2006.

Bourdais competing at Road America during the 2018 IndyCar Series.

On November 22, 2019, Dale Coyne Racing announced that Bourdais would not return to the team in 2020.

On February 4, 2020, Bourdais joined A. J. Foyt Racing to race part-time. He finished fourth in the St. Petersburg finale. In 2021, he became a full-time driver for Foyt. At the end of the 2021 season, Bourdais announced that he would focus on sports car racing but might still race in some IndyCar events, including the Indianapolis 500.

Career Highlights

Career Summary

Champ Car Summary

IndyCar Series Summary

Indianapolis 500 Results

Formula One Results Summary

^† Did not finish the race but was classified as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.

Le Mans 24 Hours Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1999	Larbre Compétition	Jean-Pierre Jarier Pierre de Thoisy	Porsche 911 GT2	GTS	134	DNF	DNF
2000	Pescarolo Sport	Olivier Grouillard Emmanuel Clérico	Courage C52-Peugeot	LMP900	344	4th	4th
2001	Pescarolo Sport	Jean-Christophe Boullion Laurent Rédon	Courage C60-Peugeot	LMP900	271	13th	4th
2002	Pescarolo Sport	Jean-Christophe Boullion Franck Lagorce	Courage C60-Peugeot	LMP900	343	10th	9th
2004	Pescarolo Sport	Emmanuel Collard Nicolas Minassian	Courage C60-Judd	LMP1	282	DNF	DNF
2007	Team Peugeot Total	Stéphane Sarrazin Pedro Lamy	Peugeot 908 HDi FAP	LMP1	359	2nd	2nd
2009	Team Peugeot Total	Stéphane Sarrazin Franck Montagny	Peugeot 908 HDi FAP	LMP1	381	2nd	2nd
2010	Team Peugeot Total	Simon Pagenaud Pedro Lamy	Peugeot 908 HDi FAP	LMP1	38	DNF	DNF
2011	Team Peugeot Total	Simon Pagenaud Pedro Lamy	Peugeot 908	LMP1	355	2nd	2nd
2012	Pescarolo Team	Nicolas Minassian Seiji Ara	Dome S102.5-Judd	LMP1	203	NC	NC
2016	Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTE Pro	340	18th	1st
2018	Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTE Pro	343	17th	3rd
2019	Ford Chip Ganassi Team USA	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTE Pro	342	DSQ	DSQ
2020	Risi Competizione	Jules Gounon Olivier Pla	Ferrari 488 GTE Evo	GTE Pro	339	23rd	4th
2022	Vector Sport	Ryan Cullen Nico Müller	Oreca 07-Gibson	LMP2	357	27th	22nd
2023	Cadillac Racing	Scott Dixon Renger van der Zande	Cadillac V-Series.R	Hypercar	340	4th	4th
2024	Cadillac Racing	Scott Dixon Renger van der Zande	Cadillac V-Series.R	Hypercar	223	DNF	DNF
2025	Cadillac Hertz Team Jota	Earl Bamber Jenson Button	Cadillac V-Series.R	Hypercar	386	7th	7th

24 Hours of Daytona Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
2005	Newman Racing/Silverstone Racing	Paul Newman Michael Brockman Cristiano da Matta	Crawford DP03-Ford	DP	290	DNF	DNF
2006	Doran Racing	B. J. Zacharias Raul Boesel	Doran JE4-Ford	DP	156	DNF	DNF
2010	Crown Royal/NPN Racing	Christophe Bouchut Emmanuel Collard Sascha Maassen Scott Tucker	Riley Mk. XI-BMW	DP	619	DNF	DNF
2013	Starworks Motorsport	Ryan Dalziel Allan McNish Alex Popow	Riley Mk. XXVI-Ford	DP	696	6th	6th
2014	Action Express Racing	Christian Fittipaldi João Barbosa	Coyote Corvette Daytona Prototype	P	695	1st	1st
2015	Action Express Racing	Christian Fittipaldi João Barbosa	Coyote Corvette Daytona Prototype	P	740	2nd	2nd
2016	Ford Chip Ganassi Racing	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTLM	690	31st	7th
2017	Ford Chip Ganassi Racing	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTLM	652	5th	1st
2018	Ford Chip Ganassi Racing	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTLM	783	12th	2nd
2019	Ford Chip Ganassi Racing	Joey Hand Dirk Müller	Ford GT	GTLM	559	28th	7th
2020	JDC-Mustang Sampling Racing	João Barbosa Loïc Duval	Cadillac DPi-V.R	DPi	833	3rd	3rd
2021	JDC-Mustang Sampling Racing	Loïc Duval Tristan Vautier	Cadillac DPi-V.R	DPi	723	DNF	DNF
2022	Cadillac Racing	Scott Dixon Álex Palou Renger van der Zande	Cadillac DPi-V.R	DPi	722	14th	7th
2023	Cadillac Racing	Scott Dixon Renger van der Zande	Cadillac V-Series.R	GTP	783	3rd	3rd
2024	Cadillac Racing	Scott Dixon Álex Palou Renger van der Zande	Cadillac V-Series.R	GTP	423	DNF	DNF
2025	Tower Motorsports	Sebastián Álvarez John Farano Job van Uitert	Oreca 07-Gibson	LMP2	765	8th	1st

24 Hours of Spa Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2001	Larbre Compétition Chéreau	Patrice Goueslard Sébastien Dumez	Chrysler Viper GTS-R	GT	523	2nd	2nd
2002	Larbre Compétition Chéreau	Christophe Bouchut David Terrien Vincent Vosse	Chrysler Viper GTS-R	GT	526	1st	1st

See also

In Spanish: Sébastien Bourdais para niños