Eric van de Poele


Eric van de Poele is a Belgian racing driver and former Formula One driver. He participated in 29 Grands Prix, in 1991 and 1992. He is a three-times class winner at 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won three Formula 3000 races in 1990.
After a difficult 1984 season in French Formula Three, van de Poele then won the Belgian and Benelux Formula Ford titles, also racing in the Belgian Touring Car Championship. He subsequently raced in German Touring Cars Championships, winning the 1987 championship despite not winning a race all season. He also won the 1987 Spa 24 Hours, sharing a car with Didier Theys and Jean-Michel Martin. He also dabbled in British Formula 3. For 1989, he moved up to Formula 3000, finishing fourth, and then runner-up in 1990.
After this, he signed for the Modena Formula One team for 1991, driving their Lamborghini cars thanks to backing from long-time sponsors Lease Plan. He qualified onto the grid at his third attempt, for the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix. There he impressed in the rain, running fifth in the last lap before the car ran out of fuel, dropping him to ninth. The team, in financial difficulties, was unable to build on this success, and van de Poele would not race again that year.
He then signed for Brabham in 1992, but the team were low on money. He qualified for the opening South African Grand Prix, finishing 13th, but did not manage to qualify the outdated car again. He frequently matched team-mate Damon Hill in the other Brabham, however. For the Hungarian Grand Prix he switched to the promising Fondmetal team. He qualified the car at the first attempt, only to spin out. He then started an excellent 15th for the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing 10th, and qualified again for the Italian Grand Prix, only for the clutch to break. After this, Fondmetal also hit money troubles and withdrew, leaving van de Poele without a drive.
Aside from a largely unused capacity as test driver for Tyrrell in 1993, van de Poele has since found considerable success in Touring Cars and sports cars, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1995 and 1996 and the Petit Le Mans in 1998. He has also added to his 1987 win in the Spa 24 Hours with four more wins in 1998, 2005, 2006 and 2008, giving him the record of five wins in the event.
In 2008, van de Poele competed in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Racing record

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324Pts
1987Zakspeed BMW TeamBMW M3HOC
2
ZOL
10
NÜR
4
AVU
4
MFA
8
NOR
6
NÜR
8
WUN
3
DIE
2
SAL
10
1st127
1988BMW M Team LinderBMW M3 EvoZOL
1
ZOL
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
BRN
1
BRN
2
AVU
1
AVU
2
MFA
1
MFA
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
NOR
1
NOR
2
WUN
1
WUN
2
SAL
1
SAL
2
HUN
1
HUN
2
HOC
1
6
HOC
2
Ret
34th13
1989BMW Faltz EssenBMW M3 EvoZOL
1
ZOL
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
MFA
1
MFA
2
AVU
1
AVU
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
NOR
1
15
NOR
2
DNS
HOC
1
HOC
2
DIE
1
DIE
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
39th4
1990BMW M Team SchnitzerBMW M3 Sport EvoZOL
1
ZOL
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
AVU
1
AVU
2
MFA
1
MFA
2
WUN
1
WUN
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
NOR
1
NOR
2
DIE
1
DIE
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
HOC
1
15
HOC
2
10
32nd1

Complete International Formula 3000 results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011Pts
1989Players/GA Motorsports/Colt RacingLola T89/50CosworthSIL
6
VAL
3
PAU
Ret
JER
4
PER
Ret
BRH
Ret
BIR
14
SPA
4
BUG
2
DIJ
5
5th19
1990GA MotorsportReynard 90DCosworthDON
6
SIL
5
PAU
1
JER
9
MNZ
9
PER
Ret
HOC
Ret
BRH
Ret
BIR
1
BUG
10
NOG
1
2nd30

Complete Formula One results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213141516Pts
1991Modena Team SpALambo 291Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12USA
DNPQ
BRA
DNPQ
SMR
9
MON
DNPQ
CAN
DNPQ
MEX
DNPQ
FRA
DNPQ
GBR
DNPQ
GER
DNQ
HUN
DNQ
BEL
DNQ
ITA
DNQ
POR
DNQ
ESP
DNQ
JPN
DNQ
AUS
DNQ
NC0
1992Motor Racing DevelopmentsBrabham BT60BJudd GV 3.5 V10RSA
13
MEX
DNQ
BRA
DNQ
ESP
DNQ
SMR
DNQ
MON
DNQ
CAN
DNQ
FRA
DNQ
GBR
DNQ
GER
DNQ
NC0
1992FondmetalFondmetal GR02Ford HBA5 3.5 V8HUN
Ret
BEL
10
ITA
Ret
PORJPNAUSNC0

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021Pts
1994Old Spice Nissan RacingNissan Primera eGTTHR
1
13
BRH
1
DNS
BRH
2
DNS
SNE
1
9
SIL
1
13
SIL
2
12
OUL
1
14
DON
1
17
DON
2
13
BRH
1
14
BRH
2
12
SIL
1
DNS
KNO
1
KNO
2
OUL
1
BRH
1
BRH
2
SIL
1
SIL
2
DON
1
DON
2
22nd2

24 Hours of Le Mans results