Loic Duval

Loic Duval is a racing driver from France who currently competes with Audi in DTM and with TDS Racing in sports car championships.

His biggest success so far in a career is the championship title in the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship and the victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year. He achieved that with Audi Sport Team Joest. He scored one more podium at Le Mans in 2016.

Duval also won two championship titles in Japan, triumphing in Formula Nippon in 2009 and then in the Super GT Series in 2010.

Loic Duval spent his most successful years with Audi

Start of the career in Formula Renault

Loic Duval was born in June 1982 in Chartres and as a 20-year-old stepped into the world of racing. After graduating in karting, Duval debuted in the Formula Renault Campus France, immediately winning the title, winning 9 out of 16 races. In 2003, Loic has competed in French Formula Renault 2000 and again became a champion, winning 4 out of 10 races.

As a driver of Signature Racing in 2004, he had more duties. He competed full-time in Formula 3 Euro Series, had two podiums and finished 12th overall. At the same time, he appeared in three more series but failed to impress. With the same team, Loic slightly improved in Formula 3 Euroseries, taking 7th place.

Departure to Japan

A somewhat unexpected departure to Japan followed in 2006. Duval was a driver of Nakajima Racing and had a relatively good season. Competing in Formula Nippon, the Frenchman scored two wins and took the 4th position in the final standings while in Super GT he was the winner of one race and finished 11th overall.  The following year, still with the same team, was a step forward. Even after he failed to win a race in Formula Nippon, he won 6th place in the championship while in Super GT Series he became a vice-champion.

During Formula Nippon days

After becoming series runner-up in Super GT, Loic Duval in 2008 won the vice-champion title in Formula Nippon with two race wins on his account. The same year he debuted in 24 Hours of Le Mans driving for Oreca Team Matmut and finished at 10th place. Parallel with the duties in Japan, Duval from 2006 to 2009 was driving for Team France in A1 Grand Prix. During three seasons, Loic appeared in 26 races and scored two wins.

In 2010, Duval was Super GT Series champion with Honda

Winning Formula Nippon and Super GT championship titles

Finally, in 2009, Loic Duval won the Formula Nippon title with Nakajima Racing after he has won 4 out of 8  races while in Asian Le Mans Series he was 3rd overall.

The stream of successes has continued in 2010 when Duval won the Super GT Series crown driving for Weider Honda Racing. The same year he was 4th in Formula Nippon, driving for Dandelion Racing.

Joining Audi in 2012, reaching the top of the world in 2013

The years 2011 and 2012 were relatively quiet for the Frenchman who became more interested in the endurance racing at a higher level. He was hired by Audi Sport Team Joest, one of the best endurance racing teams in the world, and debuted in the FIA World Endurance Racing championship in which started in three races and took one victory.

In 2013, Duval achieved his best results. He became the FIA WEC champion with Audi Sport Team Joest, driving alongside Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen. They won 3 races in 2013, including the victory in the world’s most prestigious race – 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2013 Le Mans winners - Duval, Kristensen and McNish

Formula E debut in the inaugural season

Attempt to defend his WEC crown in 2014 FIA WEC was unsuccessful after Duval was 7th at the end of the year, but the new opportunity arose the same year.

Loic was hired by Dragon Racing to drive in the newly formed competition – Formula E. Duval scored two podiums in seven races and finished 9th overall.

Vice-champion in the last FIA WEC season with Audi

He stayed with the team for another season of Formula E and continued with the duties in the World Endurance Championship. The results in WEC were better than in the previous campaign and still as an Audi factory driver he moved to the 4th position, with an ambition to continue progress in 2016.

Duval did very well during 2016 and finished the season as a runner-up. Driving alongside Lucas di Grassi and Oliver Jarvis, the Frenchman won the races at Spa and in Bahrain, and also had other four podiums, including the 3rd place at 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the same time, Loic continued to race in the FIA Formula E Championship with Dragon Racing.

In 2017 Duval debuted in DTM

Debut in DTM in 2017, maiden podium in 2019

Audi left FIA WEC at the end of 2016 and Duval had to find new championship to race in. Before the start of 2017 season, it was announced that he will drive a full season with Audi in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters). Despite having big experience in various motorsport categories, the French driver had a tough start in the series, scoring points just two times, including a podium at Zandvoort, to finish the season last among 18 drivers.

In 2018, Duval stayed with Audi in the DTM and the season started better, with four point-scoring finishes in first six races. However, he scored no podiums or wins later in the season, finishing 17th in the points.

In the same time, he joined French team to drive Oreca LMP2 prototype in the European Le Mans Series and FIA WEC. In January 2018, he joined CORE Autosport at Daytona 24 Hours, finishing in the third place. In the 2018-2019 FIA WEC super season, his best result with TDS Racing was the third place in the LMP2 class at 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2019.

In 2019, he continued to race in the DTM and finally reached his maiden podium, finishing third in the first race of the third round at Misano.

Photo: thecheckeredflag.co.uk flickr.com endurance-info.com seriouswheels.com racingblog.de audi-mediacenter.com