BEYOND THE GRID: Jan Lammers on his astonishing F1 return, winning Le Mans and becoming a Zandvoort hero
Jan Lammers was the ‘beach boy’ who became a local hero in F1. He lived his dream by racing in Formula 1 and particularly at his home race, the Dutch Grand Prix, before taking over as Sporting Director of the Zandvoort circuit – and he’s this week’s guest on the latest episode of our Beyond The Grid podcast.
Lammers made his Formula 1 debut in 1979 for Shadow, but struggled to show his speed over the next three seasons as he moved between the likes of ATS and Theodore before dropping out of the sport altogether in 1982. But he was determined to find a way back to the pinnacle of motor sport, and although it took him a full 10 years, he did get back on the grid with March in 1992.
n this week’s pod h tells Tom Clarkson about his rise to Grand Prix racing, how bad luck ruined his best chances of what would’ve been a life-changing F1 result, and how a change in attitude and focus on learning helped him take an overall Le Mans 24 Hours victory alongside Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace in 1988.
Today, Jan is Sporting Director of his hometown racetrack, Zandvoort, and is working to make the Dutch Grand Prix a spectacular and sustainable event.
Listen to his thoughtful, surprising and inspiring appearance on Beyond The Grid in the player above or head here to catch it on your preferred platform.
