Though the career of Rinaldo Capello, known by the nickname Dindo, is linked to Audi, it was in a McLaren F1 GTR that the Italian debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998, but the following year along with the inception of the R8 program, he joined Audi for good, with the exception of a short stint with Bentley.

It was with the British marque that Capello won his first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003 though he had clinched pole position in 2001 with the Audi R8, a performance the Italian driver repeated two other times, in 2002 and in 2006, just as he won at Le Mans twice more, in 2004 and in 2008.

The last win made up for the disappointment of 2007 when Capello, while leading the race, lost a wheel going into the Indianapolis turn and hit the safety barrier with an R10 that had lost control. More surprising, the success in 2008 was also the only win for the trio Allan McNish-Tom Kristensen-Dindo Capello which would last until the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans after which the Italian driver retired from international motorsports, as he had announced after his victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the scene of his first win with Audi back in 2001.

Naturally discrete, the Italian driver, ambassador and...Audi dealer, molded his career in his own image, without making much noise, though he has one of the greatest records in endurance: three wins at Le Mans, five victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and at Petit Le Mans and two American Le Mans Series titles. There are some truly stunning highlights in Dindo Capello's career...

During the evening, tribute was also paid to Nino Vaccarella, victorious at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans and three-time winner of the famous Targa Florio.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

PHOTO: TAORMINA (SICILY, ITALY), ACI NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6 2016. Dindo Capello is presented with a trophy for his career by the president of the Italian Automobile Club.