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Timo Bernhard
Timo Bernhard Driver of Porsche Team's Porsche 919 Hybrid.jpg
Bernhard in 2014
Nationality Germany German
Born (1981-02-24) 24 February 1981 (age 43)
Homburg, West Germany
Racing licence FIA Platinum Driver.png FIA Platinum
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years 2002–2003, 2005, 2009–2011, 2013–2018
Teams Porsche LMP Team #2 Porsche GT Team #94
The Racer's Group
Peterson Motorsports/White Lightning Racing
Audi Sport Team Joest
Best finish 1st (2010, 2017)
Class wins 3 (2002, 2010, 2017)


Timo Bernhard (born 24 February 1981) is a former driver from Germany. He was a sports car driver from Porsche, but was seconded to Audi for selected events in 2009 and 2010. He is the ninth and most recent driver to complete the informal triple crown of endurance racing. On 29 June 2018, he became the first person in 35 years to break the all-time Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record, set by Stefan Bellof in 1983 with a Porsche 956, in a derestricted Porsche 919 Evo with a time of 5:19.546.

Early career

Bernhard was born in Homburg, Saarland. He debuted in karting in 1991. He finished 5th at the CIK/FIA Junior World Championship and was crowned German junior champion. The next two years, Bernhard was 6th and 3rd at the German Karting Championship. In 1998 he moved to formula cars as he joined Formula Ford, finishing 6th in both the German series and the Eurocup in 1998. In his last year in open-wheelers, 1999, Bernhard finished 3rd in the German Formula Ford.

Sports cars

For 2000, Bernhard drove in Porsche Supercup as a UPS Porsche Junior driver, finishing 3rd in the championship. In 2001, he made his American Le Mans Series debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, where he finished 2nd in the GT class with Randy Pobst and Christian Menzel, driving for Alex Job Racing. He also made four other ALMS starts, and won the Porsche Carrera Cup championship.

2002

In 2002 he began the season with a class win in the 24 Hours of Daytona for The Racer's Group. He then finished second overall at the 24 Hours Nürburgring driving for Alzen Motorsport. The crowning achievement of the year was winning the GT class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Kevin Buckler and Lucas Luhr. He also finished 3rd in the Carrera Cup, and won his first ALMS race (with Jörg Bergmeister) and finished 4th in the championship.

2003

Bernhard began the season by winning the 24 Hours of Daytona outright in a Porsche 911 GT3-RS, driving with Buckler, Michael Schrom, and Bergmeister. Bernhard and Bergmeister won 3 ALMS races, including Petit Le Mans, and finished second in the championship. He also finished 3rd at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

2004

In 2004, Bernhard again partnered with Jörg Bergmeister in the ALMS. The duo took six wins from nine starts and won the GT class driver's championship. Their successes included class wins at Sebring and Petit Le Mans, both time joined by Sascha Maassen. Bernhard also finished 4th overall and 2nd in class in the Spa 24 Hours. He finished on the podium at the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the 3rd straight year, finishing in third in a Manthey Racing Porsche.

2005

Bernhard joined Romain Dumas in the ALMS for 2005. They scored four class wins, and Bernhard won four poles, but finished second in the championship. Dumas also finished 2nd in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving with Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long.

2006

In 2006, Bernhard moved to Penske Racing who owned and captained by legendary owner Roger Penske and the new Porsche RS Spyder in the LMP2 class of the ALMS, again partnering Dumas. After a frustrating start to the season, Bernhard and Dumas took advantage of the Audi R10's absence from the series to take the overall win at Mid-Ohio. This was the first overall win for an LMP2 class car, and the first win for an under-class car since 2003. Bernhard also won the LMP2 class at Petit Le Mans (with Sascha Maassen and Emmanuel Collard), and took four class victories in total and finished 3rd in the championship. He also won the 24 Hours Nürburgring outright, partnering Lucas Luhr, Marcel Tiemann, and Mike Rockenfeller.

2009

Bernhard and Dumas moved to Joest Racing, in which he ran the new Audi R15 TDI. Along with Alexandre Prémat, the #3 car finished 17th in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2010

Along with Dumas and Rockenfeller, Bernhard took the overall win in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was the first win for either driver and set records throughout and after the race, including breaking the 1971 distance record of 5,335.313 km (3,315.210 mi); the car (#9) ran 397 laps and 5,410.713 km (3,362.061 mi). Bernhard's victory made him the eleventh driver to complete the Triple Crown in endurance racing, with Bernhard also winning not only the 2003 24 Hours of Daytona but also the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring with Penske (also with Dumas but also with Collard). Bernhard partnered Klaus Graf in the Muscle Milk Team CytoSport Porsche RS Spyder to second place at Road America, the seventh round of the 2010 ALMS season.

Racing achievements

Audi R15 TDi - Audi Sport Team Joest
Bernhard driving an Audi R15 TDI at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
  • ALMS LMP2 class champion: 2007, 2008
  • ALMS GT class champion: 2004
  • 24 Hours of Le Mans GT class winner: 2002
  • 24 Hours of Le Mans Overall winner: 2010, 2017
  • 12 Hours of Sebring GT class winner: 2004
  • 12 Hours of Sebring Overall winner: 2008
  • Petit Le Mans LMP2 class winner: 2006
  • Petit Le Mans GT class winner: 2003, 2004
  • 24 Hours of Daytona overall winner: 2003
  • 24 Hours of Daytona GT class winner: 2002, 2003
  • 24 Hours Nürburgring winner: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
  • Porsche Carrera Cup Germany champion: 2001

Racing record

Career summary

Series/Event Class Years Races Wins Podiums Best season result
Open Wheel
Formula Ford 1800 Germany 1800 1999 8 0 4 3rd place (1999)
Endurance Racing
FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1 2012-2017 33 12 23 Champion (2015,2017)
LMGTE Pro 2013 3 0 1 21st (2012)
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup LMP1 2011 7 0 3
Le Mans Series LMP1 2010-2011 5 0 3 13th (2010)
Blancpain Endurance Series GT3 Pro 2013 1 0 0 28th (2013)
American Le Mans Series LMP 2006-2011 36 16 30 Champion (2007, 2008)
GT 2002-2010 44 13 24 Champion (2004)
Grand American Rolex Series DP 2005-2010 15 0 3 4th place (2010)
GT 2002-2010 5 2 2 23rd place (2003)
VLN Endurance 2009-2012 3+ 2 149th (2010)
24 Hours of Le Mans LMP1 2009-2017 7 2 2 Winner (2010, 2017)
GTE Pro 2013 1 0 1 2nd place (2013)
GT 2002-2005 3 1 2 Winner (2002)
24 Hours of Nürburgring SP7 2006-2013 6 6 6 Winner (2006-2010, 2013)
A8 2003-2004 2 1 2 Winner (2003)
A7 2002 1 1 1 Winner (2002)
GT
FIA GT Championship GT2 2006 1 0 0
NGT 2001-2005 2 0 1 13th place (2004)
United SportsCar Championship GTD 2014 1 0 0 126th place (2014)
Porsche Supercup GT3 2001-2002 14 1 8 3rd place (2002)
Porsche Carrera Cup Germany GT3 1999-2003 27 6 8 Champion (2001)
Karting
Andrea Margutti Trophy ICA 1996 18th place (1996)
Five Continents Cup Junior A 1995 5th place (1995)
German Kart Championship 1996-1997 3rd place (1997)
German Junior Kart Championship 1995 Champion (1995)
Source:

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2002 United States The Racer's Group United States Kevin Buckler
Germany Lucas Luhr
Porsche 911 GT3-RS GT 322 16th 1st
2003 United States The Racer's Group United States Kevin Buckler
Germany Jörg Bergmeister
Porsche 911 GT3-RS GT 304 20th 5th
2005 United States Petersen Motorsports
United States White Lightning Racing
Germany Jörg Bergmeister
United States Patrick Long
Porsche 911 GT3-RSR GT2 331 11th 2nd
2009 Germany Audi Sport Team Joest France Romain Dumas
France Alexandre Prémat
Audi R15 TDI LMP1 333 17th 13th
2010 Germany Audi Sport North America France Romain Dumas
Germany Mike Rockenfeller
Audi R15 TDI plus LMP1 397 1st 1st
2011 Germany Audi Sport Team Joest France Romain Dumas
Germany Mike Rockenfeller
Audi R18 TDI LMP1 116 DNF DNF
2013 Germany Porsche AG Team Manthey France Patrick Pilet
Germany Jörg Bergmeister
Porsche 911 RSR GTE
Pro
315 16th 2nd
2014 Germany Porsche Team New Zealand Brendon Hartley
Australia Mark Webber
Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1-H 346 NC NC
2015 Germany Porsche Team New Zealand Brendon Hartley
Australia Mark Webber
Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 394 2nd 2nd
2016 Germany Porsche Team New Zealand Brendon Hartley
Australia Mark Webber
Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 346 13th 5th
2017 Germany Porsche LMP Team New Zealand Brendon Hartley
New Zealand Earl Bamber
Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 367 1st 1st
2018 United States Porsche GT Team France Romain Dumas
Germany Sven Müller
Porsche 911 RSR GTE
Pro
92 DNF DNF
Sources:

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Year Team Class Chassis
Engine
Co-drivers Results Championship
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Points Rank
2013 Germany Porsche AG Team Manthey LMGTE Pro Porsche 911 RSR
4.0 L Flat-6
Germany
France
Jörg Bergmeister
Patrick Pilet
SIL
7
SPA
Ret
LMS
2
SÃO COA FUJ SHA BHR 42 12th
2014 Germany Porsche Team LMP1-H Porsche 919 Hybrid
2.0 L Turbo V4 (Hybrid)
Australia
New Zealand
Mark Webber
Brendon Hartley
SIL
3
SPA
12
LMS
NC
COA
5
FUJ
3
SHA
6
BHR
3
SÃO
Ret
64.5 9th
2015 Germany Porsche Team LMP1 Porsche 919 Hybrid
2.0 L Turbo V4 (Hybrid)
Australia
New Zealand
Mark Webber
Brendon Hartley
SIL
Ret
SPA
3
LMS
2
NÜR
1
COA
1
FUJ
1
SHA
1
BHR
5
166 1st
2016 Germany Porsche Team LMP1 Porsche 919 Hybrid
2.0 L Turbo V4 (Hybrid)
Australia
New Zealand
Mark Webber
Brendon Hartley
SIL
Ret
SPA
26
LMS
10
NÜR
1
MEX
1
COA
1
FUJ
3
SHA
1
BHR
3
134.5 4th
2017 Germany Porsche LMP Team LMP1 Porsche 919 Hybrid
2.0 L Turbo V4 (Hybrid)
New Zealand
New Zealand
Brendon Hartley
Earl Bamber
SIL
2
SPA
3
LMS
1
NÜR
1
MEX
1
COA
1
FUJ
4
SHA
2
BHR
2
208 1st
Sources:

* Season still in progress. (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Points
2014 Park Place Motorsports GTD Porsche 911 GT America Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
23†
SEB
LGA
BEL
WGL
MOS
IMS
ELK
VIR
AUS
ATL
126th 1
2018 Tequila Patrón ESM P Nissan Onroak DPi Nissan VR38DETT 3.8 L Turbo V6 DAY
SEB
LBH
MDO
DET
WGL
MOS
ELK
LGA
PET
6
53rd 25
2019 Mazda Team Joest DPi Mazda RT24-P Mazda MZ-2.0T 2.0 L Turbo I4 DAY
11
SEB
11
LBH
MDO
DET
WGL
2
MOS
ELK
LGA
PET
6
15th 97
Source:

Bernhard did not complete sufficient laps in order to score full points.

See also

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