Finnish · Espoo, Finland · Born 31 January 1966JJ Lehto is a Finnish former racing driver who competed in Formula 1 in the early 1990s before becoming a two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
JJ Lehto won the British Formula Three Championship in 1988 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 with a McLaren F1 GTR — the first Le Mans victory for both McLaren and a Finnish driver — before adding a second overall Le Mans win in 2005, establishing a sports car legacy that outshone his 62-start Formula 1 career. A protégé of fellow Finn and 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg, who suggested he adopt the more pronounceable name 'JJ Lehto,' he dominated Scandinavian Formula Ford before moving to Britain, winning the British and European Formula 2000 titles in 1987 and the British Formula 3 championship in 1988. Lehto made his Formula One debut with Onyx in 1989, and went on to race for Scuderia Italia, Sauber, and Benetton, taking his sole career podium at the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix. He joined Benetton alongside Michael Schumacher for 1994, but a severe pre-season testing crash at Silverstone broke his neck, and though he attempted a comeback, he was ultimately replaced by Jos Verstappen and released at the end of the season, ending his F1 career with 62 starts. Lehto found greater success in sports car racing, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright in 1995 sharing a McLaren F1 GTR with Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya — the first Le Mans win for both McLaren and a Finnish driver — and again in 2005 with an Audi R8. He also won the American Le Mans Series championship in 2004 and the 12 Hours of Sebring twice, in 1999 and 2005, competing at Le Mans a total of ten times. He later became a broadcaster and pundit for Finnish television.
Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall twice, a decade apart, after a Formula 1 career cut short by injury
How They Played
Versatile, resilient racer excelling across open-wheel and endurance sports car disciplines
Lasting Impact
One of Finland's most successful sports car racers, whose career recovered from a career-threatening F1 injury to reach the pinnacle of endurance racing
Career Honours
- 2x 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner (1995, 2005)
- American Le Mans Series champion (2004)
- 2x 12 Hours of Sebring winner (1999, 2005)
- Formula 1 podium finisher (1991 San Marino Grand Prix)
| Constructor | Season(s) | Races |
|---|---|---|
| Onyx | 1989–1990 | — |
| Scuderia Italia | 1991–1992 | — |
| Sauber | 1993 | — |
| Benetton | 1994 | — |
| Career Total | — | 0 |
Finnish Athletes