JJ Lehto

1.1. Childhood, education, and name change

Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto was born on January 31, 1966, in Espoo, Finland. He started competitive kart racing at the age of six, quickly demonstrating his talent. During his junior karting years, he competed against future Formula One drivers such as Mika Häkkinen and Mika Salo. Lehto briefly transitioned to motocross racing in 1981, achieving good results for three years, but a knee injury sustained during a competition made it difficult to absorb the impact of landings, forcing him to abandon motocross. He initially considered a career in rallying, but a sponsorship deal fell through just before his planned debut.

In addition to his early racing pursuits, Lehto pursued an academic path, completing a university course in mathematics. A significant turning point in his early career came when Keke Rosberg, the 1982 Formula One World Champion and a fellow Finn, suggested that Jyrki Järvilehto abbreviate his complex Finnish name to the more memorable "JJ Lehto" for professional purposes, following Rosberg's own adoption of the nickname "Keke" from Keijo. This shortened name also became an affectionate nickname. Rosberg first observed Lehto's extraordinary speed during a Formula 2000 race at Silverstone Circuit in 1987, where Lehto dominated. Impressed by what he described as a "shining raw talent" and finding Lehto's personality agreeable, Rosberg decided to manage his career, fulfilling a post-retirement goal of nurturing young Finnish drivers. This pivotal relationship led to a sponsorship deal with Marlboro, further solidifying Lehto's path as a professional racing driver.

1.2. Early karting and junior formula career

After his early karting success, Lehto transitioned to four-wheel racing in 1985, making his debut in the Finnish Formula Ford 1600 championship. Despite competing for the title, a crash in the final race cost him the championship. In 1986, he achieved triple championship success, winning the EFDA European Formula Ford 1600, Scandinavian Formula Ford 1600, and Finnish Formula Ford 1600 titles.

In 1987, Lehto stepped up to British Formula 2000 with Pacific Racing. He displayed overwhelming speed, securing 11 victories in the British Formula 2000 series and 6 wins in the European Formula 2000 series, claiming both championships. His next major step was the 1988 British Formula Three Championship, where he continued to dominate with Marlboro Pacific Racing, driving a Reynard 883-Toyota. He clinched the series championship with 8 wins, 6 pole positions, and 11 fastest laps. The 1988 British F3 season featured many future top-tier drivers, including Damon Hill (who finished third), Martin Donnelly, Eddie Irvine, Roland Ratzenberger, and Gil de Ferran.

In 1989, Lehto progressed to the International Formula 3000 Championship with Marlboro Pacific Racing, driving a Reynard 89D-Mugen. His teammate was Eddie Irvine. Despite occasional flashes of speed, the season was challenging, and he failed to achieve any podium finishes, with his best result being a fourth place at the Pau Grand Prix. He did not participate in the final race held at Dijon-Prenois. During this period, his talent was recognized by Ferrari, who recruited him as a test driver. At the Fiorano Circuit, Lehto contributed to the development of the Ferrari 640 and its newly introduced semi-automatic transmission. He also tested for the new Formula One team Onyx at the Circuit Paul Ricard, where he demonstrated superior pace compared to his F3000 teammate Irvine, who was making his first Formula One drive. This performance ultimately led to his unexpected Formula One debut later that year.

2.1. Onyx (1989-1990)

Lehto made his Formula One debut with the Onyx team in 1989, joining as a late-season replacement for Bertrand Gachot. He failed to pre-qualify for his first race at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix but impressed with his speed during the challenging sessions. His first race start came at the subsequent 1989 Spanish Grand Prix, where he retired early due to a gearbox issue. In the wet season finale at the 1989 Australian Grand Prix, Lehto showed exceptional pace, running as high as fifth before being forced to retire due to waterlogged electrics.

In 1990, Lehto continued with Onyx. However, the team was sold to Swiss businessman Peter Monteverdi after the second round, leading to the departure of key staff and veteran driver Stefan Johansson. Lehto was paired with Gregor Foitek, whose father was involved in the team's buyout. This change brought severe financial difficulties and internal favoritism towards Foitek. The team's poor preparation, including issues like a driveshaft being fitted incorrectly for several races, hampered Lehto's performance. He failed to qualify for five events and experienced four retirements. The team's operational state became so poor that Lehto and Rosberg decided to leave after the 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix, perceiving the situation as dangerous. Lacking funding and drivers, Onyx ultimately withdrew from Formula One before the season concluded.

2.2. Scuderia Italia (1991-1992)

For the 1991 season, Lehto joined the ambitious Scuderia Italia team, which was backed by Beppe Lucchini and utilized Dallara chassis with Judd V10 engines. His teammate was Emanuele Pirro. Despite the cars initially having to pre-qualify due to the team's previous poor results, Lehto consistently showed good pace, pre-qualifying fastest four times and successfully navigating all eight pre-qualifying sessions at the start of the season. At the wet 1991 San Marino Grand Prix, in a race of high attrition that saw many top teams falter, Lehto impressed by finishing third, securing his only Formula One podium finish from a 16th-place qualifying position. He also briefly ran fourth at the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix before retiring. However, his season was marred by poor reliability and bad luck, resulting in 11 retirements out of 16 races.

Lehto remained with Scuderia Italia for 1992, now partnered with Pierluigi Martini and using Ferrari V12 engines. The new Dallara BMS-192 chassis suffered from severe handling problems, largely due to a failed mono-shock damper in the front suspension and a rear-heavy design necessitated by the V12 engine, making car setup inconsistent. Lehto and Martini struggled with the car's poor cornering performance throughout the season. Lehto's best result was a seventh place at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, but he failed to score any points, enduring many finishes around tenth place and even failing to qualify for the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix.

2.3. Sauber (1993)

In 1993, Lehto secured the second seat at the new and highly anticipated Sauber team, running Ilmor V10 engines, alongside Austrian Karl Wendlinger. This opportunity came after Michael Schumacher declined the Sauber drive, using a multi-year contract with Benetton as leverage. Lehto's pre-season testing for Sauber was promising, with him setting times faster than established teams like Ferrari and Benetton, showcasing the inherent quality of the Sauber C12. The season began strongly, with Lehto impressively finishing fifth at the team's debut race, the 1993 South African Grand Prix, despite a late downpour. He followed this with a fourth-place finish at the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix, although he experienced a late engine failure. However, after a collision with Wendlinger at the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix, his relationship with both his teammate and Sauber became strained. Reliability issues plagued the car, leading to a string of retirements for both drivers, and Lehto failed to score any further points that season.

2.4. Benetton (1994)

For 1994, Lehto overcame competition from Michele Alboreto and Luca Badoer to secure the second seat at Benetton alongside Michael Schumacher. However, his season was severely impacted before it even began. In February, during pre-season testing of the new Benetton B194 at Silverstone Circuit, Lehto suffered a major crash, hitting a fence from the rear, which resulted in a fractured cervical vertebra. He underwent extensive surgery, including a bone graft from his hip to his neck. Although he returned to testing just before the season began, his neck was still painful under vertical vibrations. This forced him to miss the first two rounds of the championship, with test driver Jos Verstappen taking his place.

Lehto returned to the cockpit for the ill-fated 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Despite qualifying fifth, he stalled on the grid and his car was violently struck from behind by Pedro Lamy's Lotus, leading to an immediate retirement. At the next race, the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, he struggled significantly, qualifying four seconds slower than Schumacher. At the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix, Lehto showed signs of recovery, topping free practice and qualifying fourth, but an engine failure forced his retirement while running in third place. He scored his only point of the season with a sixth-place finish at the 1994 Canadian Grand Prix (benefiting from Christian Fittipaldi's disqualification). It became evident that his injuries had not fully healed, and he was once again replaced by Verstappen for the 1994 French Grand Prix.

During his recovery and break from racing, Lehto joined the Ligier test team, which was under the ownership of Flavio Briatore and Benetton's control. Working with Verstappen and Benetton's Rory Byrne, Lehto contributed to improving the Ligier JS39B chassis, specifically focusing on its under-tray and aerodynamic components. This development work, which saw the JS39B achieve podium finishes at the 1994 German Grand Prix, also provided Lehto with valuable experience with the Renault V10 engine. His knowledge of the Ilmor V10 (Mercedes) from Sauber, the Ford Zetec-R V8 from Benetton, and the Renault V10 made him a unique resource. This expertise prompted Ron Dennis of McLaren (which would use Mercedes V10s in 1995) to request a report from Lehto comparing the different V10 engines.

In September 1994, Lehto briefly returned to Benetton for the 1994 Italian Grand Prix and 1994 Portuguese Grand Prix, replacing the suspended Schumacher. However, his performances (ninth and retirement) were not impactful, and he was soon released from the team, which then signed Johnny Herbert. This freed Lehto to drive the final two rounds of the season for Sauber at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix and 1994 Australian Grand Prix, as Karl Wendlinger's injuries had not healed and his previous replacement, Andrea de Cesaris, was unavailable. He retired in Japan and finished tenth in Australia. Although Sauber offered him a contract for 1995 and he also negotiated with his former F3000 team Pacific Racing, his manager Keke Rosberg advised a move to the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) due to a competitive offer from Opel, ending his Formula One career.

3.1. Touring car racing

Following the advice of his manager, Keke Rosberg, Lehto transitioned to touring car racing, joining the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) and its international counterpart, the International Touring Car Championship (ITC), for the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He competed with Opel Team Joest, driving an Opel Calibra. Although he did not achieve victories in these series, his consistent performance earned him high regard. In the 1996 ITC season, he secured five podium finishes, including a third place at his home event in Helsinki, and finished fifth in the championship standings with 148 points.

In 1997, Lehto moved to the FIA GT Championship, joining the factory-backed BMW Motorsport team, partnered with Steve Soper. Driving a McLaren F1 GTR, the duo found immediate success, winning four races, including a victory in front of his home crowd at the "Thunder In Helsinki" event. Despite their strong performances and eight podium finishes, the dominance of Mercedes-Benz later in the season led to Lehto finishing second in the championship behind former DTM rival Bernd Schneider.

3.2. Sportscar racing and endurance events

Lehto's most significant achievements came in sportscar racing and endurance events. He made a late addition to the 1995 entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a McLaren F1 GTR. In his third attempt at the iconic race, he, along with co-drivers Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, won the event outright. Lehto played a crucial role in securing this victory, particularly during the rainy night stints, where he reportedly lapped up to 30 seconds faster than other drivers by skillfully sliding the car while others drove cautiously. He made three more guest appearances in the same car the following year, winning another race.

In 1999, Lehto returned to the BMW fold, competing in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with their BMW V12 LMR sportscar. He won four races that season, including the 12 Hours of Sebring, but narrowly missed out on the championship title due to a technicality: he was not awarded points for his Sebring victory because he did not possess an American racing license at the time. The 2000 season proved less successful for BMW and Lehto due to the emergence of the dominant Audi R8.

For the 2001 season, Lehto and BMW continued in the ALMS, competing in the GT class with the controversial BMW M3 GTR. The team was virtually unbeatable, but Lehto finished second in the championship to his co-driver, Jörg Müller, who had more fastest laps and laps in the lead. Lehto, finding the M3 GTR not fast enough for his preference, declined BMW's offer to join their European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) program the following year.

In 2002, Lehto found himself temporarily without a full-time drive but was recruited by Cadillac for their Northstar LMP sportscar program at Le Mans and in the ALMS. While the car initially lagged behind the Audi R8s and Panoz LMPs, it began securing regular podium finishes in the latter half of the year. However, General Motors, Cadillac's parent company, discontinued the project, leaving Lehto without a seat until Champion Racing offered him a drive in their Audi R8.

With Champion Racing, Lehto enjoyed a highly successful period. In the 2003 season, he won four races, including the prestigious Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta. His efforts culminated in the 2004 season, where, with the factory Audi squad having left the ALMS, he finally clinched his first championship title since his 1988 British Formula Three triumph, securing six victories along the way.

Despite a disappointing second half of the 2005 season preventing a second consecutive championship, Lehto concluded his full-time racing career on an impressive note by winning both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans again.

In 2006, there were announcements of the Solaroli team purchasing two Porsche RS Spyders for the ALMS, with one car to be driven by Lehto alongside Johnny Herbert. However, despite initial confirmation, the deal never materialized.

3.3. CART Series

In 1998, Lehto briefly returned to open-wheel racing, entering the CART FedEx Championship Series with Team Hogan. He drove the Reynard-Mercedes No. 9 car and occasionally led races. However, as a single-car team without a main sponsor, the team faced budget constraints and frequent mechanical failures. His best result was a fifth-place finish, and he ultimately ended the season in 20th position with 25 points. This marked his final year in open-wheel racing before fully committing to sportscars.

3.4. Other race appearances

Beyond his primary racing endeavors, Lehto also made other competitive appearances. He participated in the 2007 24 Hours of Daytona, teaming up with Colin Braun and Max Papis in the Krohn Racing Pontiac-Riley. His debut in the event was not successful, as the car suffered from a misfire and, after spending significant time in the pits, finished 17th. In 2008, he made an unexpected return to the race tracks, competing in the Speedcar support race during the Malaysian Grand Prix, taking over the No. 90 car previously driven by Narain Karthikeyan.

7.1. Career summary

7.2. Complete British Formula Three Championship results

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

7.3. Complete Macau Grand Prix results

7.4. Complete International Formula 3000 results

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

7.5. Complete Formula One results

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

7.6. Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

7.7. Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/Masters results

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

7.8. Complete International Touring Car Championship

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

7.9. American open-wheel racing results

7.10. Complete American Le Mans Series results

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

7.11. Complete BPR Global GT Series results

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

7.12. Complete FIA GT Championship results

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