Eric van de Poele

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }} Template:Infobox Le Mans driver

Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (Template:IPA; born 30 September 1961) 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. Before his Formula One career, he won the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft.

Driving career

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.<ref name="Career">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He subsequently raced in German Touring Cars Championships, winning the 1987 championship despite not winning a race all season.<ref name="Biography">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also won the 1987 Spa 24 Hours, sharing a car with Didier Theys and Jean-Michel Martin.<ref name="Biography"/> 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 LeasePlan. 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.

Van de Poele driving the Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP during the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

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.<ref name="Cotton">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, van de Poele competed in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Racing record

Complete German Formula Three results

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

Year	Entrant	Engine	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	DC	Pts	Ref
1987	Hartge Motorsport	VW	A	NÜR Template:Small	AVU Template:Small	ZOL Template:Small	HOC Template:Small	ÖST	SIE	NÜR Template:Small	NÜR Template:Small	ZOL Template:Small	11th	29	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

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

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1987	Zakspeed BMW Team	BMW M3	HOC Template:Small	ZOL Template:Small	NÜR Template:Small	AVU Template:Small	MFA Template:Small	NOR Template:Small	NÜR Template:Small	WUN Template:Small	DIE Template:Small	SAL Template:Small															1st	127
1988	BMW M Team Linder	BMW M3 Evo	ZOL 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 Template:Small	HOC 2 Template:Small	34th	13
1989	BMW Faltz Essen	BMW M3 Evo	ZOL 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 Template:Small	NOR 2 Template:Small	HOC 1	HOC 2	DIE 1	DIE 2	NÜR 1	NÜR 2	HOC 1	HOC 2			39th	4
1990	BMW M Team Schnitzer	BMW M3 Sport Evo	ZOL 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 Template:Small	HOC 2 Template:Small			32nd	1
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Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1989	Players/GA Motorsports/Colt Racing	Lola T89/50	Cosworth	SIL Template:Small	VAL Template:Small	PAU Template:Small	JER Template:Small	PER Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	BIR Template:Small	SPA Template:Small	BUG Template:Small	DIJ Template:Small		5th	19
1990	GA Motorsport	Reynard 90D	Cosworth	DON Template:Small	SIL Template:Small	PAU Template:Small	JER Template:Small	MNZ Template:Small	PER Template:Small	HOC Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	BIR Template:Small	BUG Template:Small	NOG Template:Small	2nd	30
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Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Template:Tooltip	Pts
Template:F1	Central Park Modena team	Lambo 291	Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12	USA Template:Small	BRA Template:Small	SMR Template:Small	MON Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	MEX Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	HUN Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	POR Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	JPN Template:Small	AUS Template:Small	NC	0
Template:F1	Brabham	Brabham BT60B	Judd GV 3.5 V10	RSA Template:Small	MEX Template:Small	BRA Template:Small	ESP Template:Small	SMR Template:Small	MON Template:Small	CAN Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small							NC	0
	Fondmetal	Fondmetal GR02	Ford HBA5 3.5 V8											HUN Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	POR	JPN	AUS
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† Driver did not finish the race, but were still classified as they completed 90% of the race distance.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

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

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1994	Old Spice Nissan Racing	Nissan Primera eGT	THR 1 Template:Small	BRH 1 Template:Small	BRH 2 Template:Small	SNE 1 Template:Small	SIL 1 Template:Small	SIL 2 Template:Small	OUL 1 Template:Small	DON 1 Template:Small	DON 2 Template:Small	BRH 1 Template:Small	BRH 2 Template:Small	SIL 1 Template:Small	KNO 1	KNO 2	OUL 1	BRH 1	BRH 2	SIL 1	SIL 2	DON 1	DON 2	22nd	2
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Complete Spanish Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	DC	Pts
1995	Team Repsol Nissan	Nissan Primera	JER 1 3	JER 2 Ret	JAR 1 2	JAR 2 8	BAR 1 2	BAR 2 1	EST 1 4	EST 2 2	ALB 1 Ret	ALB 2 5	CAL 1 1	CAL 2 4	ALB 1 3	ALB 2 10	JER 1 4	JER 2 4	BAR 1 1	BAR 2 1	JAR 1	JAR 2	3rd	204
1996	Team Repsol Nissan	Nissan Primera	JAR 1 5	JAR 2 1	ALB 1 4	ALB 2 2	BAR 1 4	BAR 2 Ret	EST 1 9	EST 2 7	CAL 1 4	CAL 2 8	JER 1 3	JER 2 2	JAR 1 Ret	JAR 2 8	BAR 1 7	BAR 2 1					5th	139
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24 Hours of Spa results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1985	Template:Flagicon Hoflijk Sport Team	Template:Flagicon Guy Hendrickx Template:Flagicon Freek Staal	Opel Manta GTE	Div.2		DNF	DNF
1986	Template:Flagicon CiBiEmme Sport	Template:Flagicon Jean-Michel Martin Template:Flagicon Pascal Witmeur	BMW 635 CSi	Div.3	489	DNF	DNF
1987	Template:Flagicon Waterloo Motors	Template:Flagicon Jean-Michel Martin Template:Flagicon Didier Theys	BMW M3	Div.2	481	1st	1st
1988	Template:Flagicon BMW Motorsport	Template:Flagicon Harald Grohs Template:Flagicon Markus Oestreich	BMW M3	Div.2	477	9th	5th
1991	Template:Flagicon Bastos Castrol Team Bigazzi	Template:Flagicon Emanuele Pirro Template:Flagicon Roberto Ravaglia	BMW M3	Div.2		DNF	DNF
1992	Template:Flagicon BMW Fina Bastos Team Bigazzi	Template:Flagicon Altfrid Heger Template:Flagicon Joachim Winkelhock	BMW M3	DTM	512	2nd	2nd
1993	Template:Flagicon Toyota Racing UK	Template:Flagicon Julian Bailey Template:Flagicon Will Hoy	Toyota Carina E GTi	FISA 2L	271	23rd	3rd
1995	Template:Flagicon Opel Team Belgium	Template:Flagicon Jean-François Hemroulle Template:Flagicon Pierre-Alain Thibaut	Opel Vectra	ST		DNF	DNF
1996	Template:Flagicon Opel Team Belgium	Template:Flagicon Alain Cudini Template:Flagicon Pierre-Alain Thibaut	Opel Vectra GT	ST		DNF	DNF
1997	Template:Flagicon Ecurie Toison d'Or	Template:Flagicon Olivier Marechal Template:Flagicon Pascal Witmeur	BMW 318 is	ST	411	27th	3rd
1998	Template:Flagicon BMW Fina Bastos Team	Template:Flagicon Alain Cudini Template:Flagicon Marc Duez	BMW 320i	SP	480	1st	1st
2000	Template:Flagicon Peugeot Team Belgique Luxembourg	Template:Flagicon Vincent Radermecker Template:Flagicon Jeffrey van Hooydonk	Peugeot 306 GTI	SP		DNF	DNF
2001	Template:Flagicon Team Rafanelli	Template:Flagicon Martial Chouvel Template:Flagicon Emanuele Naspetti Template:Flagicon Philippe Steveny	Ferrari 550 Maranello	GT	150	DNF	DNF
2002	Template:Flagicon Lister Storm Racing	Template:Flagicon Jamie Campbell-Walter Template:Flagicon Nicolaus Springer Template:Flagicon Andy Wallace	Lister Storm GTM	GT	424	DQ	DQ
2003	Template:Flagicon Konrad Motorsport	Template:Flagicon Franz Konrad Template:Flagicon Walter Lechner Jr. Template:Flagicon Toni Seiler	Saleen S7-R	GT	74	DNF	DNF
2004	Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Uwe Alzen Template:Flagicon Michael Bartels Template:Flagicon Franz Konrad	Saleen S7-R	GT	78	DNF	DNF
2005	Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Michael Bartels Template:Flagicon Timo Scheider	Maserati MC12 GT1	GT1	576	1st	1st
2006	Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Andrea Bertolini Template:Flagicon Michael Bartels	Maserati MC12 GT1	GT1	589	1st	1st
2007	Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Michael Bartels Template:Flagicon Thomas Biagi Template:Flagicon Pedro Lamy	Maserati MC12 GT1	GT1	532	2nd	2nd
2008	Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Michael Bartels Template:Flagicon Andrea Bertolini Template:Flagicon Stéphane Sarrazin	Maserati MC12 GT1	GT1	577	1st	1st
2009	Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Miguel Ramos Template:Flagicon Pedro Lamy Template:Flagicon Alex Müller	Maserati MC12 GT1	GT1	419	DNF	DNF
2010	Template:Flagicon AF Corse ALD Team Vitaphone Template:Flagicon Vitaphone Racing	Template:Flagicon Gianmaria Bruni Template:Flagicon Bert Longin Template:Flagicon Toni Vilander	Ferrari F430 GTE	GT2	295	DNF	DNF
2011	Template:Flagicon Vita4One	Template:Flagicon Jean-Karl Vernay Template:Flagicon Nico Verdonck	Ferrari F458 Italia GT3	GT3 Pro	251	DNF	DNF
2012	Template:Flagicon Boutsen Ginion Racing	Template:Flagicon Jack Clarke Template:Flagicon Edouard Mondron Template:Flagicon Nico Verdonck	McLaren MP4-12C GT3	GT3 Pro-Am	124	DNF	DNF
2015	Template:Flagicon BMW Racing Against Cancer	Template:Flagicon Marc Duez Template:Flagicon Jean-Michel Martin Template:Flagicon Pascal Witmeur	BMW Z4 GT3	Pro-Am Cup	42	DNF	DNF

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Peugeot Talbot Sport	Template:Flagicon Karl Wendlinger Template:Flagicon Alain Ferté	Peugeot 905 Evo 1B	C1	208	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Clayton Cunningham Racing	Template:Flagicon Paul Gentilozzi Template:Flagicon Shunji Kasuya	Nissan 300ZX Turbo	IMSA GTS	25	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Courage Compétition	Template:Flagicon Olivier Beretta Template:Flagicon Matiaz Tomlje	Courage C41-Chevrolet	WSC	-	DNQ	DNQ
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Racing for Belgium Template:Flagicon Team Scandia	Template:Flagicon Marc Goossens Template:Flagicon Éric Bachelart	Ferrari 333 SP	WSC	208	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Nissan Motorsport Template:Flagicon TWR	Template:Flagicon Riccardo Patrese Template:Flagicon Aguri Suzuki	Nissan R390 GT1	GT1	121	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Doyle-Risi Racing	Template:Flagicon Wayne Taylor Template:Flagicon Fermín Vélez	Ferrari 333 SP	LMP1	332	8th	1st
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Nissan Motorsport	Template:Flagicon Masami Kageyama Template:Flagicon Aguri Suzuki	Nissan R391	LMP	-	DNS	DNS
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Team Cadillac	Template:Flagicon Wayne Taylor Template:Flagicon Max Angelelli	Cadillac Northstar LMP	LMP900	287	22nd	12th
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Team Bentley	Template:Flagicon Andy Wallace Template:Flagicon Butch Leitzinger	Bentley EXP Speed 8	LMGTP	306	3rd	1st
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Team Bentley	Template:Flagicon Andy Wallace Template:Flagicon Butch Leitzinger	Bentley EXP Speed 8	LMGTP	362	4th	1st
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Risi Competizione Template:Flagicon Krohn Racing	Template:Flagicon Tracy Krohn Template:Flagicon Niclas Jönsson	Ferrari F430 GT2	GT2	12	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Risi Competizione Template:Flagicon Krohn Racing	Template:Flagicon Tracy Krohn Template:Flagicon Niclas Jönsson	Ferrari F430 GT2	GT2	323	22nd	3rd
Template:24hLM	Template:Flagicon Risi Competizione Template:Flagicon Krohn Racing	Template:Flagicon Tracy Krohn Template:Flagicon Niclas Jönsson	Ferrari F430 GT2	GT2	197	DNF	DNF
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24 Hours of Nürburgring results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1987	Template:Flagicon Zakspeed BMW-Team	Template:Flagicon Marc Hessel Template:Flagicon Karl Senne	BMW M3	8	119	19th	5th
1988	Template:Flagicon BMW Motorsport GmbH	Template:Flagicon Marc Duez Template:Flagicon Eddy Joosen	BMW M3	9	40	DNF	DNF
1989	Template:Flagicon BMW Fina	Template:Flagicon Marc Duez Template:Flagicon Jean-Michel Martin	BMW M3	2	70	DNF	DNF
2006	Template:Flagicon Maserati SPA	Template:Flagicon Andrea Bertolini Template:Flagicon Michael Bartels Template:Flagicon Gianni Giudici	Maserati Gransport Light GT3	E1XP	26	DNF	DNF

24 Hours of Zolder results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
2007	Template:Flagicon Gravity International Racing	Template:Flagicon Christophe Bouchut Template:Flagicon Stéphane Lémeret Template:Flagicon Vincent Radermecker	Mosler MT900 R GT3	1		DNF	DNF

Complete Grand Prix Masters results

(key) Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap.

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5
2006	Team Golden Palace	Delta Motorsport GPM	Nicholson McLaren 3.5 V8	QAT Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	RSA Template:Small
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External links

• Official website Template:Webarchive
• Profile on F1 Rejects