Eric van de Poele

Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele[1] (French pronunciation: [e.ʁik vɑn də pwal, -pwɛl]; born 30 September 1961) is a Belgian racing driver and former Formula One driver. He participated in 29 Grands Prix, in 1991 and 1992. He is a three-times class winner at 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won three Formula 3000 races in 1990.

Eric van de Poele
Born (1961-09-30) 30 September 1961
Verviers, Liège, Belgium
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityBelgium Belgian
Active years1991 – 1992
TeamsModena, Brabham, Fondmetal
Entries29 (5 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1991 United States Grand Prix
Last entry1992 Italian Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1992, 1994, 1996 – 1998, 2000 – 2002, 2008 – 2010
TeamsClayton Cunninghman Racing, Racing for Belgium/Team Scandia, Nissan Motorsports/TWR, Doyle-Risi Racing, Team Cadillac, Team Bentley, Krohn Racing
Best finish3rd (2001)
Class wins3 (1998, 2001, 2002)

Driving career

After a difficult 1984 season in French Formula Three, van de Poele then won the Belgian and Benelux Formula Ford titles, also racing in the Belgian Touring Car Championship.[2] He subsequently raced in German Touring Cars Championships, winning the 1987 championship despite not winning a race all season.[3] He also won the 1987 Spa 24 Hours, sharing a car with Didier Theys and Jean-Michel Martin.[3] He also dabbled in British Formula 3. For 1989, he moved up to Formula 3000, finishing fourth, and then runner-up in 1990.

After this, he signed for the Modena Formula One team for 1991, driving their Lamborghini cars thanks to backing from long-time sponsors LeasePlan. He qualified onto the grid at his third attempt, for the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix. There he impressed in the rain, running fifth in the last lap before the car ran out of fuel, dropping him to ninth. The team, in financial difficulties, was unable to build on this success, and van de Poele would not race again that year.

He then signed for Brabham in 1992, but the team were low on money. He qualified for the opening South African Grand Prix, finishing 13th, but did not manage to qualify the outdated car again. He frequently matched team-mate Damon Hill in the other Brabham, however. For the Hungarian Grand Prix he switched to the promising Fondmetal team. He qualified the car at the first attempt, only to spin out. He then started an excellent 15th for the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing 10th, and qualified again for the Italian Grand Prix, only for the clutch to break. After this, Fondmetal also hit money troubles and withdrew, leaving van de Poele without a drive.

Van de Poele driving the Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP during the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Aside from a largely unused capacity as test driver for Tyrrell in 1993, van de Poele has since found considerable success in Touring Cars and sports cars, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1995 and 1996 and the Petit Le Mans in 1998. He has also added to his 1987 win in the Spa 24 Hours with four more wins in 1998, 2005, 2006 and 2008, giving him the record of five wins in the event.[4] In 2008, van de Poele competed in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Racing record

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pos. Pts
1987 Zakspeed BMW Team BMW M3 HOC
2		 ZOL
10		 NÜR
4		 AVU
4		 MFA
8		 NOR
6		 NÜR
8		 WUN
3		 DIE
2		 SAL
10		 1st 127
1988 BMW M Team Linder BMW M3 Evo ZOL
1		 ZOL
2		 HOC
1		 HOC
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 BRN
1		 BRN
2		 AVU
1		 AVU
2		 MFA
1		 MFA
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 NOR
1		 NOR
2		 WUN
1		 WUN
2		 SAL
1		 SAL
2		 HUN
1		 HUN
2		 HOC
1
6		 HOC
2
Ret		 34th 13
1989 BMW Faltz Essen BMW M3 Evo ZOL
1		 ZOL
2		 HOC
1		 HOC
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 MFA
1		 MFA
2		 AVU
1		 AVU
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 NOR
1
15		 NOR
2
DNS		 HOC
1		 HOC
2		 DIE
1		 DIE
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 HOC
1		 HOC
2		 39th 4
1990 BMW M Team Schnitzer BMW M3 Sport Evo ZOL
1		 ZOL
2		 HOC
1		 HOC
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 AVU
1		 AVU
2		 MFA
1		 MFA
2		 WUN
1		 WUN
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 NOR
1		 NOR
2		 DIE
1		 DIE
2		 NÜR
1		 NÜR
2		 HOC
1
15		 HOC
2
10		 32nd 1

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pos. Pts
1989 Players/GA Motorsports/Colt Racing Lola T89/50 Cosworth SIL
6		 VAL
3		 PAU
Ret		 JER
4		 PER
Ret		 BRH
Ret		 BIR
14		 SPA
4		 BUG
2		 DIJ
5		 5th 19
1990 GA Motorsport Reynard 90D Cosworth DON
6		 SIL
5		 PAU
1		 JER
9		 MNZ
9		 PER
Ret		 HOC
Ret		 BRH
Ret		 BIR
1		 BUG
10		 NOG
1		 2nd 30

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Pts
1991 Modena Team SpA Lambo 291 Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12 USA
DNPQ		 BRA
DNPQ		 SMR
9†		 MON
DNPQ		 CAN
DNPQ		 MEX
DNPQ		 FRA
DNPQ		 GBR
DNPQ		 GER
DNQ		 HUN
DNQ		 BEL
DNQ		 ITA
DNQ		 POR
DNQ		 ESP
DNQ		 JPN
DNQ		 AUS
DNQ		 NC 0
1992 Motor Racing Developments Brabham BT60B Judd GV 3.5 V10 RSA
13		 MEX
DNQ		 BRA
DNQ		 ESP
DNQ		 SMR
DNQ		 MON
DNQ		 CAN
DNQ		 FRA
DNQ		 GBR
DNQ		 GER
DNQ		 NC 0
Fondmetal Fondmetal GR02 Ford HBA5 3.5 V8 HUN
Ret		 BEL
10		 ITA
Ret		 POR JPN AUS

† Driver did not finish the race, but were still classified as they completed 90% of the race distance.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Pos. Pts
1994 Old Spice Nissan Racing Nissan Primera eGT THR
1
13		 BRH
1
DNS		 BRH
2
DNS		 SNE
1
9		 SIL
1
13		 SIL
2
12		 OUL
1
14		 DON
1
17		 DON
2
13		 BRH
1
14		 BRH
2
12		 SIL
1
DNS		 KNO
1		 KNO
2		 OUL
1		 BRH
1		 BRH
2		 SIL
1		 SIL
2		 DON
1		 DON
2		 22nd 2

Complete Spanish Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Pts
1995 Team Repsol Nissan Nissan Primera JER
1
3		 JER
2
Ret		 JAR
1
2		 JAR
2
8		 BAR
1
2		 BAR
2
1		 EST
1
4		 EST
2
2		 ALB
1
Ret		 ALB
2
5		 CAL
1
1		 CAL
2
4		 ALB
1
3		 ALB
2
10		 JER
1
4		 JER
2
4		 BAR
1
1		 BAR
2
1		 JAR
1		 JAR
2		 3rd 204
1996 Team Repsol Nissan Nissan Primera JAR
1
5		 JAR
2
1		 ALB
1
4		 ALB
2
2		 BAR
1
4		 BAR
2
Ret		 EST
1
9		 EST
2
7		 CAL
1
4		 CAL
2
8		 JER
1
3		 JER
2
2		 JAR
1
Ret		 JAR
2
8		 BAR
1
7		 BAR
2
1		 5th 139

24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1992 France Peugeot Talbot Sport Austria Karl Wendlinger
France Alain Ferté		 Peugeot 905 Evo 1B C1 208 DNF DNF
1994 United States Clayton Cunningham Racing United States Paul Gentilozzi
Japan Shunji Kasuya		 Nissan 300ZX Turbo IMSA
GTS		 25 DNF DNF
1995 France Courage Compétition Monaco Olivier Beretta
Slovenia Matiaz Tomlje		 Courage C41-Chevrolet WSC - DNQ DNQ
1996 Belgium Racing for Belgium
Belgium Team Scandia		 Belgium Marc Goossens
Belgium Éric Bachelart		 Ferrari 333 SP WSC 208 DNF DNF
1997 Japan Nissan Motorsport
United Kingdom TWR		 Italy Riccardo Patrese
Japan Aguri Suzuki		 Nissan R390 GT1 GT1 121 DNF DNF
1998 United States Doyle-Risi Racing South Africa Wayne Taylor
Spain Fermín Vélez		 Ferrari 333 SP LMP1 332 8th 1st
1999 Japan Nissan Motorsport Japan Masami Kageyama
Japan Aguri Suzuki		 Nissan R391 LMP - DNS DNS
2000 United States Team Cadillac South Africa Wayne Taylor
Italy Max Angelelli		 Cadillac Northstar LMP LMP900 287 22nd 12th
2001 United Kingdom Team Bentley United Kingdom Andy Wallace
United States Butch Leitzinger		 Bentley EXP Speed 8 LMGTP 306 3rd 1st
2002 United Kingdom Team Bentley United Kingdom Andy Wallace
United States Butch Leitzinger		 Bentley EXP Speed 8 LMGTP 362 4th 1st
2008 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing		 United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson		 Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 12 DNF DNF
2009 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing		 United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson		 Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 323 22nd 3rd
2010 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing		 United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson		 Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 197 DNF DNF
Source:[5]

Complete Grand Prix Masters results

(key) Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap.

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5
2006 Team Golden Palace Delta Motorsport GPM Nicholson McLaren 3.5 V8 QAT
3		 ITA
C		 GBR
2		 MAL
C		 RSA
C

References
  1. "Pilote des 24 heures du Mans : Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele". www.24h-en-piste.com (in French). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. "Eric van de Poele: Career summary". F1 Rejects. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  3. "Eric van de Poele: Full biography". F1 Rejects. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  4. Cotton, Andrew (4 August 2008). "Eric Van de Poele makes it a record breaking fifth victory". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  5. "All Results of Eric van de Poele". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
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