Laurent Leroux

Laurent Leroux is a Swiss-French former racing driver. 
== Racing Career ==
====Lower Formula====
Leroux started his racing career in 1975 in regional Swiss and French karting at the age of 16, finishing 5th in the French National Karting Championship. He then finished 3rd in 1976, before winning the championship the following season. Thanks to his karting successes, Leroux entered European Formula Three for the 1978 season. He spent a year there, with mixed success, before moving on to French Formula Two.
====World Sportscars Championship====
Leroux made his debut in 1981 at the 12 Hours of Spa for Lancia, going on to finish 6th. He then switched to Porsche for the the 24 hours of Le Mans but retired from the race. He came 5th in Sebring and 3rd at the Nurburgring, followed by another podium finish at Watkins Glen. 
====Formula One====
Leroux was drafted into ATS at the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix after James McLean's crash in qualifying but crashed out of the race on the first lap. At the 1982 British Grand Prix in Donington he had a pit lane start after engine issues in qualifying. He finished 9th, just beating his teammate Gyozo Szel. 
He returned to Formula One in 1985 to be Minardi's reserve driver. 
== Retirement ==
As Leroux entered the 50th lap of the 1985 Indianapolis 500, his car Penske car glanced the barrier down the main straight at 350 km/h. This damaged his right front suspension, and as he turned into turn one it failed completely, sending him careening into the outside wall at over 250 km/h. The heavy contact with the wall caused his car to ride the outside wall on it's side, eventually falling off and flipping multiple times before coming to a standstill on the apron. He was rushed to hospital and made a miraculous recovery, but was so shaken by the accident that he decided to retire from motorsports altogether.
Category:Drivers
Category:Swiss
Category:French
Category:F1