Harold Primat is a French born (June 12, 1975), Swiss racing driver currently racing in the Le Mans Series (LMS) and the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Early career

Like many young racing drivers, Primat started his career racing go-karts as a schoolboy, before graduating to the famous Max Mygale and Winfield racing schools in France, as well as the Jim Russell racing school in the UK. One could say that racing was in Primat's blood, as his uncle was the famed motorcycle racer Claude Vigreux.

His next move was to the USA, where he chose to compete in the Formula Ford 2000 championship before continuing to climb the motorsport ladder, first in the British Formula Three Championship

British Formula Three Championship

The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...

, then in the European based Formula 3 Euroseries before ending his single seater career in World Series Lights with the Saulnier Racing team.

During 2003 and 2004, Primat dovetailed his single-seater career with a new interest in endurance racing - a type of racing that rewards consistency and car management over outright speed. He made his debut in 2003, again with Saulnier Racing, in the French V de V Endurance championship and was instantly competitive, leading his first race at Spa before suffering from a mechanical failure. Ending up vice-champion in only his second season (missing out on the title due to missing a race because of prior World Series Lights engagement), Primat had clearly been bitten by the endurance bug.

Top flight endurance racing on both sides of the Atlantic

Finally graduating to top level endurance racing in 2005, Primat made an instant impact by qualifying third and finishing second in the P2 class of the American Le Mans Series

American Le Mans Series

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...

, driving for Kruse Motorsport.

Still with Kruse, Primat started the European season at Spa but retired due to an engine problem. He then switched teams to Rollcentre Racing which allowed him to fight for overall honours in the LMP1 category, scoring three top-ten finishes in his debut year.

2005 was also the year of Primat's first visit to Le Mans. After qualifying an excellent 13th, the Rollcentre Racing Dallara Nissan suffered from technical problems in the early stages of the race, leading to the team not being classified.

For 2006, Primat changed teams again, this time becoming a part of the all Swiss line-up in the new Swiss Spirit team. Here, he would rejoin his old team boss, Serge Saulnier, whose Saulnier Racing team ran the programme. Podiums at Spa and Jarama soon followed netting Primat joint fourth place in the championship, but again he was unable to complete the Le Mans 24 Hours, suffering from a gearbox problem after 132 laps.

Once more, Primat dovetailed his European programme with a selection of US-based races finishing third at Laguna Seca and fourth at Petit Le Mans - this time for the Creation Autosportif

Creation Autosportif

Creation Autosportif, Ltd. is a sports car racing team based in Oxford, England. It was founded in 2003 by Ian Bickerton and Mike Jankowski and has raced in the FIA GT Championship, FFSA GT Championship, American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Endurance Series, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans...

 team. His debut at the Daytona 24 Hours was thwarted after an engine failure in his Spirit of Daytona Crawford Pontiac.

In 2007, Primat changed teams again, signing for the double (and reigning) Le Mans Series champions Pescarolo Sport

Pescarolo Sport

Pescarolo Sport is a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. They race in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In October 2007, Henri Pescarolo purchased Jacques Nicolet's Saulnier Racing and created Pescarolo Automobiles,...

, owned by Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo

Henri Pescarolo

Henri Pescarolo is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 64 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 22 September 1968. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 12 championship points...

. A podium at Spa was his best result in the face of increased competition in the form of the works Peugeot Sport team, but again Primat showed amazing consistency to finish in the top six of four of the six races that year - being forced to retire in the other two races with technical problems.

At Le Mans, Primat finished sixth in class and 13th overall despite losing 90 minutes in the pits due to an oil leak.

For 2008, Primat has stayed with the Pescarolo Sport team in the Le Mans Series, so far gaining a third position at Monza as his best result. In the Le Mans 24 Hours, he finished a to-date best of seventh and first of the unofficial 'petrol' class, being beaten only by the diesel works Audis and works Peugeots.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2005 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 2005.This race marked the record 7th victory for Tom Kristensen, including his 6th straight.-Race:...	LMP1	8		Dallara SP1 Dallara SP1 The Dallara SP1, also known as the Chrysler LMP, was a Le Mans Prototype built by Italian firm Dallara. Initially used as part of Chrysler Corporation's attempt to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the cars were later sold to customers for use series such as the FIA Sportscar Championship and Le Mans... Nissan 3.6L Turbo V8	Rollcentre Racing	Michael Krumm Michael Krumm Michael Krumm is an auto racing driver. At present, he competes in the FIA GT1 World Championship. Krumm married tennis player Kimiko Date on 1 December 2001 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo...   Bobby Verdon-Roe Bobby Verdon-Roe Bobby Verdon-Roe is a British racing driver who has raced in various formats of motor sport throughout his career.-Racing Career:...	133	DNF	DNF
2006 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 74th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place over June 17–18, 2006.-Pre-race:Prior to this race the ACO redeveloped the area around the Dunlop Curve and Dunlop Chicane, moving the Dunlop Curve in tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the Dunlop...	LMP1	5		Courage Courage Compétition Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...  LC70 Judd Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...  GV5 S2 5.0L V10	Swiss Spirit	Marcel Fässler   Philipp Peter Philipp Peter Philipp Peter is a race car driver from Austria.In 2003 he won the 12 Hours of Sebring in a Team Joest Audi R8 with teammates Marco Werner and Frank Biela...	132	DNF	DNF
2007 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 75th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France from 16–17 June 2007. Four classes of cars raced together, with each class having honors for its highest finishers...	LMP1	17		Pescarolo 01 Pescarolo 01 The Pescarolo 01 is the first sports prototype racing car built entirely by French team Pescarolo Sport. It is designed to meet the LMP1 and LMP2 regulations for Le Mans Prototypes in the Le Mans Series as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and replace Pescarolo's previous C60 chassis which had... Judd Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...  GV5.5 S2 5.5L V10	Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Sport is a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. They race in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In October 2007, Henri Pescarolo purchased Jacques Nicolet's Saulnier Racing and created Pescarolo Automobiles,...	Christophe Tinseau Christophe Tinseau Christophe Tinseau is a French racing driver from Orléans.Tinseau began racing professionally in French Formula Renault in 1991. In 1992 he moved to French Formula Three and in 1993 he placed 4th in that championship with 2 wins and finished 10th in the Macau Grand Prix...   Benoît Tréluyer Benoît Tréluyer Benoît Tréluyer is a French race car driver.He is currently competing in the Super GT racing series.-Racing career:He was the champion of the European Formula Three Cup 1999 at the Pau Circuit....	325	13th	6th
2008 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...	LMP1	17		Pescarolo 01 Pescarolo 01 The Pescarolo 01 is the first sports prototype racing car built entirely by French team Pescarolo Sport. It is designed to meet the LMP1 and LMP2 regulations for Le Mans Prototypes in the Le Mans Series as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and replace Pescarolo's previous C60 chassis which had... Judd Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...  GV5.5 S2 5.5L V10	Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Sport is a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. They race in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In October 2007, Henri Pescarolo purchased Jacques Nicolet's Saulnier Racing and created Pescarolo Automobiles,...	Christophe Tinseau Christophe Tinseau Christophe Tinseau is a French racing driver from Orléans.Tinseau began racing professionally in French Formula Renault in 1991. In 1992 he moved to French Formula Three and in 1993 he placed 4th in that championship with 2 wins and finished 10th in the Macau Grand Prix...   Benoît Tréluyer Benoît Tréluyer Benoît Tréluyer is a French race car driver.He is currently competing in the Super GT racing series.-Racing career:He was the champion of the European Formula Three Cup 1999 at the Pau Circuit....	362	7th	7th
2009 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, an endurance auto race run over 24 hours. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest over June 13–14, 2009 and was started by Fiat and Ferrari chairman Luca...	LMP1	009		Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 The Lola-Aston Martin B09/60, also known as the Aston Martin DBR1-2, is a Le Mans Prototype sports car built by Lola Cars International and co-developed with Prodrive for use by Aston Martin Racing. It is the first prototype to bear the Aston Martin name since the AMR1 in 1989... Aston Martin Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...  6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified...	Stuart Hall   Peter Kox Peter Kox Peter Kox is a racecar driver from the NetherlandsKox began racing in karts in 1978, winning five titles until 1982. In 1983 he moved to automobiles, winning the Marlboro Formula Ford Challenge and was second and third in the Benelux and Dutch Formula Ford 2000 Championships, respectively, the...	252	DNF	DNF
2010 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also known as the Grand Prix of Endurance. The race took place on 12–13 June 2010 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . Fifty-six cars participated in the...	LMP1	007		Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 Lola-Aston Martin B09/60 The Lola-Aston Martin B09/60, also known as the Aston Martin DBR1-2, is a Le Mans Prototype sports car built by Lola Cars International and co-developed with Prodrive for use by Aston Martin Racing. It is the first prototype to bear the Aston Martin name since the AMR1 in 1989... Aston Martin Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...  6.0L V12	Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified...	Stefan Mücke Stefan Mücke - Racing career :Mücke started his racing career in 1998, when he won the Formula BMW ADAC series, with his father's Mücke Motorsport team, also making their debut. He competed in German Formula Three for his father's team for the next three years, before moving to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters...   Adrián Fernández Adrian Fernández José Adrián Fernández Mier is a Mexican racing driver and co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team.-Early career:...	365	6th	5th
2011 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 79th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 11–12 June 2011 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest...	LMP1	009		Aston Martin AMR-One Aston Martin AMR-One The Aston Martin AMR-One is a Le Mans Prototype sports car built by Prodrive's Aston Martin Racing arm. The car is a successor to the B09/60 which was a collaboration between Lola and Aston Martin... Aston Martin Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...  2.0L Turbo I6	Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified...	Adrián Fernández Adrian Fernández José Adrián Fernández Mier is a Mexican racing driver and co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team.-Early career:...   Andy Meyrick	2	DNF	DNF

External links

• Official Harold Primat website