Benoît Tréluyer
A French endurance racing maestro who formed one-third of Audi's dominant 'three musketeers' at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Born 1976 (age 50)·French racing driver·Birthday: December 7·Generation X
Biography
Benoît Tréluyer's career is a testament to precision and partnership. While he found success early in single-seaters, winning the 2007 Formula Nippon title in Japan, his legacy was forged in sports cars. He became a cornerstone of Audi's endurance racing program during its golden era. Paired with Marcel Fässler and André Lotterer, Tréluyer was part of a driver lineup so seamless they seemed to share a brain. This trio piloted their Audi R18 TDI and later R18 e-tron quattro to three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011, 2012, and 2014. His driving was marked by surgical consistency and remarkable mechanical sympathy, crucial for preserving a car over a grueling day and night of racing. Beyond Le Mans, he also claimed a Super GT championship in Japan, proving his versatility and speed across different formats and continents.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Benoît was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Benoît Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Benoît's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times (2011, 2012, 2014) with Audi Sport Team Joest.
- Secured the 2007 Formula Nippon championship, Japan's premier open-wheel series at the time.
- Clinched the 2009 Super GT Series GT500 class championship driving for NISMO.
- Stood on the podium at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 6 Hours of São Paulo.
Did You Know?
He is an accomplished karter and won the French Karting Championship.
Tréluyer is a trained helicopter pilot.
He and his longtime co-driver André Lotterer shared a car for over a decade, one of the longest stable pairings in endurance racing.
“The car must be an extension of your own body, reacting before you think.”
