Pedro Lamy

Pedro Lamy is a Portuguese racing driver, best known for his results in the endurance racing. Most recently, he won GTE Am class in the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing. It's his fifth championship title in sports car competitions.

Earlier in a career, he won FIA GT Championship in 1998 with Viper Team Oreca and American Le Mans Series three times with three different manufacturers - GTS class in 2004 with Ferrari, GT1 class in 2006 with Aston Martin, and LMP1 class in 2007 with Peugeot.

At 24 Hours of Le Mans, Lamy scored two overall podiums with Peugeot in 2007 and 2011, and three more class podiums with other manufacturers. His only Le Mans win was in the GTE Am class in 2012 with Larbre Competition's Chevrolet Corvette.

Lamy also recorded 32 starts in the Formula One World Championship between 1993 and 1996 with Lotus and Minardi, scoring one single point in four seasons.

Pedro Lamy drives for Aston Martin Racing since 2013

Lamy was successful in the junior competitions

Jose Pedro Mourao Lamy Vicioso was born in March 1972 in Aldeia Galega, in Alenquer municipality in the western Portugal. After graduating in karting, he won Portuguese Formula Ford championship in his rookie season in 1989 and then in 1991 he became Formula Opel Lotus champion.

In 1992, Lamy moved to Germany where he raced in Formula 3 championship and won the title in his first attempt, scoring 11 wins out of 26 starts. The same year he also finished 2nd in Macau Grand Prix. The following year, Pedro debuted in the International Formula 3000 Championship and finished as a vice-champion, losing to Olivier Panis by only one point.

Formula 1 debut with Lotus and horrible crash

His talent was spotted by many and he got a chance to compete in Formula 1 in the season of 1993. Lamy replaced Alessandro Zanardi in Lotus for the final four races of the season and even though he failed to impress, Lotus decided to sign him for 1994.

Pedro driving a Lotus, 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril

Pedro drove in the four opening races and finished 8th in the Pacific Grand Prix before having a horrible crash at Silverstone during a private test. During the session right after the Monaco Grand Prix, the rear wing fell off Lamy's car, flew into and through the debris fencing and ended up in the pedestrian tunnel under the track on fire. He was lucky enough to survive but he broke both legs and wrists and was sidelined until the second half of 1995.

Unsuccessful return to F1 with Minardi

The recovery was long and painful but Pedro managed to get back into the racing seat. He signed a contract with Minardi and joined the team in the middle of 1995 campaign and he finished 9th in the Hungarian Grand Prix. In the last race of the year, at the Australian Grand Prix, Lamy finished 6th which is the best result in his Formula 1 career.

Pedro Lamy, Minardi, 1995 Australian Grand Prix

He stayed with Minardi for 1996 thanks to a lucrative sponsorship backing, but he had to drive the uncompetitive car which was extremely depressing for him. Pedro finished the season without a point, with the 9th place at Imola as his best result. That was his last year in the most popular racing series and the beginning of the new era in Lamy’s career.

Switch to sports cars racing

In 1997, Lamy debuted in FIA GT Championship, driving a Porsche. He also raced in 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished 5th overall and 3rd in GT1 class. The following year, Pedro switched to Chrysler Viper GTS-R and drove alongside Olivier Beretta. They won the FIA GT title in great style, scoring eight wins and two 2nd places in GT2 class, including Le Mans.

Pedro Lamy, Mercedes, 2000 DTM

After an unsuccessful stint with Mercedes in the beginning of 1999, Lamy raced in the American Le Mans Series, driving for BMW. In 2000 and 2001 Pedro competed in DTM, driving Team Rosberg’s Mercedes but the results weren’t that good so he left the team after four races in 2001. The same year also was the winner of 24 Hours of Nurburgring and finished 4th at Le Mans.

Multiple winner of Nurburgring 24h and excellent results in other big races

His journey through the various competitions has continued over the years. Lamy drove in V8 Star Championship, then in Le Mans Series, while later he won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring for the second time and appeared at Le Mans 24h, always scoring Top 10 finish.

Driving a Larbre Competition's Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello

In 2004, Pedro became Le Mans Series champion in GT1 class,  he won the 24 Hours of Zolder and finished 2nd at Nurburgring 24 Hours. In 2005, he returned to FIA GT Championship and scored three wins driving a Ferrari 550-GTS before finishing 8th in the championship. That was his last full-time campaign in the championship. He only appeared in selected events, driving various cars for the different teams.

Pedro Lamy is the endurance racing specialist

The season of 2006 was pretty good for one of the best known Portuguese drivers. He became Le Mans Series champion in GT1 class, he won the Vallelunga 6 Hours race and scored four wins in GT class of American Le Mans Series.

During the next season, Lamy switched to LMP1 class and again scored notable results. As a Peugeot factory driver, alongside Stephane Sarrazin and Sebastien Bourdais, Pedro finished 2nd at Le Mans. The same place he took in 24 Hours of Spa but later won the 1000 km of Nurburgring race, which he also won in 2008.

With Pagenaud and Bourdais, 2011 Le Mans drivers parade

After a relatively quiet season of 2009, the stream of successes has continued in 2010. As a Peugeot team factory driver, Lamy won 1000 km of Spa and Petit Le Mans in the ALMS, while at 12 Hours of Sebring he was 2nd. Driving for BMW, Pedro again won 24 Hours of Nurburgring. The best result in 2011 he scored at Le Mans where he finished 2nd overall, driving alongside Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud.

Lamy won GTE class at Le Mans in 2012 and was WEC runner-up in 2013

Finally, in 2012, Pedro managed to triumph at Le Mans. He won the GTE-Am class driving Larbre Competition’s Chevrolet Corvette  C6.R alongside Patrick Bornhauser and Julien Canal. That triumph helped him to win the title in the same class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Since 2013, Pedro Lamy is a regular participant of the FIA WEC’s GTE class, as a driver of Aston Martin Racing. The first year with a new team was marked by ups and downs, and Portuguese finished 11th overall. The season of 2014 was much better. Portuguese driver won three races and finished the season as a runner-up together with Christoffer Nygaard and Paul Dalla Lana.

During the 2015 campaign, Nygaard was replaced with Mathias Lauda and new line-up did really well. They won three races and scored three 2nd places before they took 3rd position overall. They should have won the title that year but unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Pedro Lamy, one of the best-known Portuguese racing drivers

FIA WEC GTE Am champion in 2017

For the 2016 FIA WEC season, Paul dalla Lana joined Lamy and Lauda in the #98 Aston Martin Vantage. They were races winners five times in the GTE Am class but three retirements cost them a lost, so they finished third in the final standings.

And then, finally, in 2017, his fifth season with Aston Martin Racing, Pedro Lamy captured the FIA WEC title. He, Paul dalla Lana and Mathias Lauda have won four races in the GTE Am class and finished first in the points.

Next year, Lamy stayed with Aston Martin Racing in the FIA WEC Super Season (2018-2019), winning the first race of the season at Spa, still sharing a car with Dalla Lana and Lauda. Outside FIA WEC, they raced in a Ferrari at Daytona 24h and Bathurst 12h.

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