André Lotterer (born 19 November 1981) is a German professional racing driver who has competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship. One of the most accomplished endurance racers of the modern era, Lotterer is a two-time FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Champion, a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a champion in both Formula Nippon and Japan’s Super GT series. He also competed in Formula One, Formula E, CART and Super Formula, enjoying success across multiple disciplines.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | German |
| Birthplace | Duisburg, Germany |
| Born | 19 November 1981 |
| First Grand Prix | 2014 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 2014 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 2014 |
| Current/Last Team | Caterham |
Early life
Born in Duisburg, Germany, Lotterer is the son of a German-Peruvian father and a Belgian mother. He grew up in Nivelles, Belgium, where he began karting at the age of seven. Although German by nationality, he spent much of his formative years in Belgium and developed his racing career there before progressing through the European junior formulae.
Junior career
Lotterer enjoyed strong results in both the German and British Formula 3 Championships, performances that earned him a place as Jaguar Racing’s Formula One test driver. While working with the Formula One team, he also gained valuable experience in international single-seater racing, including a one-off CART appearance with Dale Coyne Racing in Mexico in 2002, where he finished 12th and scored a championship point.
That same year, he won the non-championship Euro Formula 3000 Sprint at the Bologna Motor Show, before deciding to continue his career in Japan rather than Europe.
Formula One career
Jaguar test driver
Lotterer tested extensively for Jaguar Racing between 2000 and 2003 and officially served as the team’s Formula One test driver from 2002. Despite impressing behind the scenes, he narrowly missed out on a race seat for the 2003 season after Jaguar opted to sign Mark Webber and Antônio Pizzonia instead.
Caterham return
More than a decade later, Lotterer finally realised his Formula One dream when Caterham called him up for the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Kamui Kobayashi for a one-off appearance.
He immediately impressed by qualifying ahead of teammate Marcus Ericsson despite having virtually no recent Formula One experience. Unfortunately, his long-awaited Grand Prix debut lasted only a single lap before a mechanical failure forced him into retirement.
Although Caterham invited him to race again at the Italian Grand Prix, Lotterer declined after learning he would lose valuable practice time to another driver, choosing instead to focus on his existing endurance racing commitments.
Japanese racing success
After leaving Jaguar, Lotterer relocated to Japan, where his career flourished.
Driving for TOM’S, he became one of the country’s leading professional drivers, winning the Super GT Championship twice, in 2006 and 2009, before capturing the Formula Nippon title in 2011. Over a career spanning more than a decade, he established himself as one of the most successful foreign drivers ever to compete in Japanese motorsport, collecting 24 victories in Formula Nippon, later renamed Super Formula.
Endurance racing
Lotterer’s international breakthrough came in endurance racing.
He made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in 2009 before earning a factory Audi drive the following year. Partnering Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer, he finished second in 2010 before the trio claimed a dramatic overall victory in the 2011 race, defeating Peugeot by just 13 seconds after an intense battle throughout the event.
The same driver combination dominated the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012, securing Lotterer’s first World Endurance Drivers’ title.
He remained with Audi until the manufacturer withdrew from the championship before moving to Porsche for the 2017 season. Following spells with Porsche and Rebellion Racing, Lotterer returned to Porsche’s factory Hypercar programme in 2023 alongside Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor.
The trio enjoyed an outstanding 2024 campaign, securing Lotterer’s second FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship—twelve years after his first.
Later that year, Lotterer joined Genesis Magma Racing to help develop the manufacturer’s new GMR-001 LMDh prototype ahead of its entry into top-level endurance racing.
Across his endurance career, Lotterer has claimed three outright victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and established himself as one of the defining sports car drivers of his generation.
Formula E
Lotterer joined Formula E in 2017 with Techeetah alongside Jean-Éric Vergne. He quickly became a regular front-runner, claiming multiple podium finishes and helping the team secure several strong championship results.
Although victory narrowly eluded him on several occasions—notably after a dramatic late collision while leading the 2019 Hong Kong E-Prix—he established himself as one of the championship’s most competitive drivers.
He moved to Porsche’s factory Formula E programme in 2019 before joining Avalanche Andretti for the 2023 season. After leaving full-time competition at the end of the year, he remained associated with Porsche as the team’s reserve and test driver while concentrating on the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Personal life
Lotterer has lived in several countries during his career, including Belgium, Japan and Monaco, reflecting the international nature of his racing life.
Away from the circuit, he is an enthusiastic cyclist, classic car collector and photographer, while also enjoying off-road driving and exploring different cuisines during his travels. Throughout his career he has built close friendships within the paddock, particularly with former Formula E teammate Jean-Éric Vergne and fellow endurance racing star Allan McNish.
With championship-winning success in endurance racing, Japanese single-seaters and GT competition, André Lotterer is widely regarded as one of the most versatile and accomplished racing drivers of his generation.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 21st |
| Best Race Finish | DNF |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 1 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 1 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Caterham | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | DNF | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caterham | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | DNF | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Ericsson | 2014 | 1 | 1-0 |
