FINDING A LOT IN LIFE

Andre Lotterer is a part of an exclusive club as a factory Porsche open-wheel racer, but the endurance veteran still has plenty to prove

- DAMIEN SMITH

ANDRÉ LOTTERER HAS a hunch he might be the most experienced single-seater racing driver in history, despite his record including just one solitary Formula 1 grand prix start. He must be up there. For much of the past two decades, the 39-year-old has juggled a colourfully diverse dual racing life, consistently logging race starts and miles in openwheelers while also becoming one of his generation's greatest endurance sports car racers. Born to a Belgian mother and Peruvian-German father who ran his own racing team, Lotterer remains an open-hearted car nut with an unquenchable thirst for speed and power, now competing in Formula E.

The all-electric world championship hasn't been kind to Lotterer so far. In four seasons, two for DS Techeetah and two as a member of the factory Porsche team, he's yet to win a race. In the most recent campaign he finished a lowly 17th in the standings after a season that featured too many clashes with rivals.

Still, he's committed for another season alongside Pascal Wehrlein and insists it's a challenge he relishes. MOTOR caught up with Lotterer in London where we found the three-time Le Mans winner, 1995 Junior Karting world champion, 2011 Formula Nippon champion, 2012 World Endurance champion and enthusiastic amateur photographer in typically ebullient mood, happy to talk us through his racing life.

At this stage of your career, what do you get out of Formula E?