Photo : Frederic GAUDIN (ACO)

 

Since late morning Wednesday, November 19th when he publicly announced his retirement, the victory record-holder at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (nine wins) has inspired a huge wave of kind sentiments - adding to a popularity which has never waivered over the entirety of his prestigious career as a driver.

Tom Kristensen: "It was incredible to see the tremendous amount of positive feedback and all the messages were very sympathetic. The news about my retirement on my Facebook page resulted in more than 45,000 ‘Likes’ and 3,500 direct comments. I owe a great debt of gratitude to many people, particularly my fans. I’ve received a flood of 
statements that deeply touched me – from the school class of my son Oswald, to Jacky Ickx and current race driver colleagues, through to politicians and members of the royal family. Allan McNish and Dindo Capello have confirmed to me how difficult it is to make a decision like this but at the same time I’m happy and will no doubt be able to enjoy my free time.My compatriots have really been showing huge enthusiasm. But I’m sure they’ll continue to show strong support in the future. I’m going to keep visiting them at Le Mans in the next years. Now I’ll even have more time for them and for all Audi fans. Plus, there are many other Danish race drivers at Le Mans who deserve their applause and encouragement."

Tom Kristensen will take the start of the his last race on Sunday November 30th for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, closing round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
(Quotation from Audi Motorsport press release)
 

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY JUNE 23 2013, PODIUM. For the ninth and final time, Tom Kristensen (at right) left his mark as a driver in the company of his two teammates, Loïc Duval (centre) and Allan McNish (at right).