When you win the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a rookie, you become a legend overnight. Having started out in Formula Ford in the 1980s, Bouchut and teammate Eric Helary set their sights on Le Mans. On 20 June 1993, Bouchut, Helary and Geoff Brabham led a Peugeot 905 one-two-three in the famous French endurance marathon. It was a great way to end his stint with Peugeot for team principal Jean Todt, who subsequently took the helm of Ferrari Scuderia and is currently president of the Fédération Internationale Automobile.

Since making his grand entrance, Christophe Bouchut has continued to compete in both prototype and GT classes at Le Mans. The list of cars includes Honda, Lotus, Kremer Porsche, Mercedes CLK LM & CLR, Porsche 996, Dodge Viper, Ferrari 550 Maranello, Aston Martin DBR9, Saleen S7-R and the Audi R10 TDI. His speed and invaluable experience have made for a glittering career with victories at Le Mans 24 Hours (1993), Daytona (1995), Spa-Francorchamps (2001 and 2002) and countless FIA GT, Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series races. Bouchut has raced practically every type of car that has entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans over the last 25 years. That varied track record also makes him a precious witness to the changes in endurance racing in that period.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translated from French by Emma Paulay

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, LE MANS 24 HOURS, SATURDAY 19 & SUNDAY 20 JUNE 1993. Helary, Brabham and Bouchut led a Peugeot one-two-three finish, followed by Teo Fabi, Yannick Dalmas and Thierry Boutsen and Mauro Baldi, Philippe Alliot and Jean-Pierre Jabouille.