Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele (; 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. 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, van de Poele 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.
Van de Poele 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 He qualified for the opening South African Grand Prix, finishing 13th, but did not manage to qualify the outdated car again.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 tenth, 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 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 AVU ZOL HOC ÖST SIE NÜR NÜR ZOL 11th 29
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 Pts 1987 Zakspeed BMW Team BMW M3 HOC ZOL NÜR AVU MFA NOR NÜR WUN DIE SAL 1st 127 1988 BMW M Team Linder BMW M3 Evo ZOL1 ZOL2 HOC1 HOC2 NÜR1 NÜR2 BRN1 BRN2 AVU1 AVU2 MFA1 MFA2 NÜR1 NÜR2 NOR1 NOR2 WUN1 WUN2 SAL1 SAL2 HUN1 HUN2 HOC1 HOC2 34th 13 1989 BMW Faltz Essen BMW M3 Evo ZOL1 ZOL2 HOC1 HOC2 NÜR1 NÜR2 MFA1 MFA2 AVU1 AVU2 NÜR1 NÜR2 NOR1 NOR2 HOC1 HOC2 DIE1 DIE2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 39th 4 1990 BMW M Team Schnitzer BMW M3 Sport Evo ZOL1 ZOL2 HOC1 HOC2 NÜR1 NÜR2 AVU1 AVU2 MFA1 MFA2 WUN1 WUN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 NOR1 NOR2 DIE1 DIE2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HOC1 HOC2 32nd 1
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 Pts 1989 Players/GA Motorsports/Colt Racing Lola T89/50 Cosworth SIL VAL PAU JER PER BRH BIR SPA BUG DIJ 5th 19 1990 GA Motorsport Reynard 90D Cosworth DON SIL PAU JER MNZ PER HOC BRH BIR BUG NOG 2nd 30
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 Pts Central Park Modena Team Lambo 291 Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12 USA BRA SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS NC 0 Brabham Brabham BT60B Judd GV 3.5 V10 RSA MEX BRA ESP SMR MON CAN FRA GBR GER NC 0 Fondmetal Fondmetal GR02 Ford HBA5 3.5 V8 HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS
† 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 Pts 1994 Old Spice Nissan Racing Nissan Primera eGT THR1 BRH1 BRH2 SNE1 SIL1 SIL2 OUL1 DON1 DON2 BRH1 BRH2 SIL1 KNO1 KNO2 OUL1 BRH1 BRH2 SIL1 SIL2 DON1 DON2 22nd 2
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 PrimeraJER13JER2RetJAR12JAR28BAR12BAR21EST14EST22ALB1RetALB25CAL11CAL24ALB13ALB210JER14JER24BAR11BAR21JAR1EXJAR2EX 3rd 204 1996 Team Repsol Nissan Nissan PrimeraJAR15JAR21ALB14ALB22BAR14BAR2RetEST19EST27CAL14CAL28JER13JER22JAR1RetJAR28BAR17BAR21 5th 139
24 Hours of Spa results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1985 Hoflijk Sport Team Guy Hendrickx Freek Staal Opel Manta GTE Div.2 DNF DNF 1986 CiBiEmme Sport Jean-Michel Martin Pascal Witmeur BMW 635 CSi Div.3 489 DNF DNF 1987 Waterloo Motors Jean-Michel Martin Didier Theys BMW M3 Div.2 481 1st 1st 1988 BMW Motorsport Harald Grohs Markus Oestreich BMW M3 Div.2 477 9th 5th 1991 Bastos Castrol Team Bigazzi Emanuele Pirro Roberto Ravaglia BMW M3 Div.2 DNF DNF 1992 BMW Fina Bastos Team Bigazzi Altfrid Heger Joachim Winkelhock BMW M3 DTM 512 2nd 2nd 1993 Toyota Racing UK Julian Bailey Will Hoy Toyota Carina E GTi FISA 2L 271 23rd 3rd 1995 Opel Team Belgium Jean-François Hemroulle Pierre-Alain Thibaut Opel Vectra ST DNF DNF 1996 Opel Team Belgium Alain Cudini Pierre-Alain Thibaut Opel Vectra GT ST DNF DNF 1997 Ecurie Toison d'Or Olivier Marechal Pascal Witmeur BMW 318 is ST 411 27th 3rd 1998 BMW Fina Bastos Team Alain Cudini Marc Duez BMW 320i SP 480 1st 1st 2000 Peugeot Team Belgique Luxembourg Vincent Radermecker Jeffrey van Hooydonk Peugeot 306 GTI SP DNF DNF 2001 Team Rafanelli Martial Chouvel Emanuele Naspetti Philippe Steveny Ferrari 550 Maranello GT 150 DNF DNF 2002 Lister Storm Racing Jamie Campbell-Walter Nicolaus Springer Andy Wallace Lister Storm GTM GT 424 DQ DQ 2003 Konrad Motorsport Franz Konrad Walter Lechner Jr. Toni Seiler Saleen S7-R GT 74 DNF DNF 2004 Vitaphone Racing Uwe Alzen Michael Bartels Franz Konrad Saleen S7-R GT 78 DNF DNF 2005 Vitaphone Racing Michael Bartels Timo Scheider Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 576 1st 1st 2006 Vitaphone Racing Andrea Bertolini Michael Bartels Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 589 1st 1st 2007 Vitaphone Racing Michael Bartels Thomas Biagi Pedro Lamy Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 532 2nd 2nd 2008 Vitaphone Racing Michael Bartels Andrea Bertolini Stéphane Sarrazin Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 577 1st 1st 2009 Vitaphone Racing Miguel Ramos Pedro Lamy Alex Müller Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 419 DNF DNF 2010 AF Corse ALD Team Vitaphone Vitaphone Racing Gianmaria Bruni Bert Longin Toni Vilander Ferrari F430 GTE GT2 295 DNF DNF 2011 Vita4One Jean-Karl Vernay Nico Verdonck Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 GT3 Pro 251 DNF DNF 2012 Boutsen Ginion Racing Jack Clarke Edouard Mondron Nico Verdonck McLaren MP4-12C GT3 GT3 Pro-Am 124 DNF DNF 2015 BMW Racing Against Cancer Marc Duez Jean-Michel Martin Pascal Witmeur BMW Z4 GT3 Pro-Am Cup 42 DNF DNF
24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Peugeot Talbot Sport Karl Wendlinger Alain Ferté Peugeot 905 Evo 1B C1 208 DNF DNF Clayton Cunningham Racing Paul Gentilozzi Shunji Kasuya Nissan 300ZX Turbo IMSAGTS 25 DNF DNF Courage Compétition Olivier Beretta Matiaz Tomlje Courage C41-Chevrolet WSC - DNQ DNQ Racing for Belgium Team Scandia Marc Goossens Éric Bachelart Ferrari 333 SP WSC 208 DNF DNF Nissan Motorsport TWR Riccardo Patrese Aguri Suzuki Nissan R390 GT1 GT1 121 DNF DNF Doyle-Risi Racing Wayne Taylor Fermín Vélez Ferrari 333 SP LMP1 332 8th 1st Nissan Motorsport Masami Kageyama Aguri Suzuki Nissan R391 LMP - DNS DNS Team Cadillac Wayne Taylor Max Angelelli Cadillac Northstar LMP LMP900 287 22nd 12th Team Bentley Andy Wallace Butch Leitzinger Bentley EXP Speed 8 LMGTP 306 3rd 1st Team Bentley Andy Wallace Butch Leitzinger Bentley EXP Speed 8 LMGTP 362 4th 1st Risi Competizione Krohn Racing Tracy Krohn Niclas Jönsson Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 12 DNF DNF Risi Competizione Krohn Racing Tracy Krohn Niclas Jönsson Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 323 22nd 3rd Risi Competizione Krohn Racing Tracy Krohn Niclas Jönsson Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 197 DNF DNF
24 Hours of Nürburgring results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1987 Zakspeed BMW-Team Marc Hessel Karl Senne BMW M3 8 119 19th 5th 1988 BMW Motorsport GmbH Marc Duez Eddy Joosen BMW M3 9 40 DNF DNF 1989 BMW Fina Marc Duez Jean-Michel Martin BMW M3 2 70 DNF DNF 2006 Maserati SPA Andrea Bertolini Michael Bartels Gianni Giudici Maserati Gransport Light GT3 E1XP 26 DNF DNF
24 Hours of Zolder results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2007 Gravity International Racing Christophe Bouchut Stéphane Lémeret 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 ITA GBR MAL RSA
References
External links Official website Profile on F1 Rejects