He was never the loudest – but always one of the most determined. Gérard Larrousse prefers to make history than comment on it. The former Porsche factory driver and two-time Le Mans winner set standards with his skill. On 23 May 2025, the racing driver celebrates his 85th birthday. “Gérard Larrousse has always embodied the spirit of Porsche – courageous, precise, passionate,” says Dr. Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board responsible for Research and Development. “His contribution to the success of Porsche in the 1970s was of outstanding importance. We would like to thank him and congratulate him on his 85th birthday.”
An expert on gravel and asphalt
Gérard Gilles Marie Armand Larrousse is born on 23 May 1940 in Lyon. He studied economics and takes part in rallies in France for the first time in his early 20s. After completing his studies, he did his military service in a special unit for high-speed vehicles. In 1966, he decided to make racing his profession. “First I became an official works driver at NSU France, then I spent two successful years at Automobiles Alpine,” he shares from his early years as a professional racing driver. With precise driving style and strategic flair, he won the Tour de Corse rally in the 1960s and came second in the European Rally Championship in 1969. He proved his talent as an all-rounder at an early stage: victory in the Rallye du Maroc, and second place in the Monte Carlo Rally and the Tour de Corse all consolidated his reputation.
Porsche becomes a professional home
His performance at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1969, where a superior performance did not in the end bring him victory, was of particular significance: it was a chapter that emphasised his reputation as a fighter. He and his co-driver Jean-Claude Perramond were disqualified because the headlights of their Renault didn’t comply with the regulations. In the same year, he joined the Porsche works team on the recommendation of Vic Elford. In the same year, he just missed out on a historic victory in Le Mans with Hans Herrmann. He only fell 120 metres short of the overall victory – one of the tightest finish lines in the race’s history. One year later, he took second place again. And yet there was no doubt that Larrousse had long been one of the ones to beat. Not despite, but because of these events.
In 1971, Larrousse and Vic Elford triumph in the Porsche 917 at the 12 Hours of Sebring and with the 908/03 Spyder at the 1,000-kilometer race on the Nürburgring. In 1973 and 1974 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Henri Pescarolo in a Matra-Simca.
A life dedicated to motorsport – on and off the track
Even after his active career, Larrousse remained true to motorsport. He took on management work, including at Ligier and as team leader of the Formula 1 team Larrousse Calmels, which he founded in 1986 together with the French lawyer Didier Calmels. In doing so, he proved that success is not only a matter of talent on the steering wheel, but also of vision in the background. His name remains associated with values that also shape Porsche: precision, vision, passion. Larrousse represents a time in racing when technology, courage and humanity were closely linked.
To this day, the former racing driver living in Marseille is still closely connected to Porsche. Larrousse is a sought-after contact for journalists, especially when it comes to historical driving events. As a Porsche representative, he enthused fans during the Tour de Corse Historique 2015. His memories, his perspectives and his unique way of telling stories make him an important voice for an era when motorsport was experienced far more directly by many enthusiasts.
