JJ Lehto

Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto (born 31 January 1966), known as JJ Lehto, is a Finnish former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1989 to 1994, participating in 70 Grands Prix and achieving one podium—third place at the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix—while finding far greater success in endurance racing as a two-time Le Mans winner (1995, 2005) and 2004 American Le Mans Series champion. A protégé of 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg, Lehto dominated the 1988 British Formula Three Championship with Pacific Racing, establishing himself as one of Finland's most promising young drivers. He made his Formula One debut at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix for Onyx, securing his only podium at the wet 1991 San Marino Grand Prix for Dallara—lasting through a race of attrition to finish third and score his first Formula One points.

For 1993, Lehto joined the much-anticipated new Sauber team alongside Karl Wendlinger with Ilmor engines. He started strong with fifth in South Africa and fourth at San Marino, but after colliding with Wendlinger at Monaco their relationship soured and his season tailed off pointless. For 1994, Lehto won the coveted second Benetton seat alongside Michael Schumacher, but injured his neck in pre-season testing which severely impacted his season and partnership with the dominant team. When Wendlinger suffered career-threatening injuries at Monaco 1994, Lehto returned to Sauber for the final two rounds, closing his Formula One career.

His greatest success came at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he was a late addition to the McLaren F1 GTR team. Alongside Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, Lehto won Le Mans at his third attempt—one of motorsport's most prestigious victories. He won Le Mans again in 2005, also capturing the American Le Mans Series championship in 2004, and was a two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring (1999, 2005). His 70 Formula One starts yielded modest statistics, but his dual Le Mans victories and ALMS championship established him as one of Finland's greatest sports car racers, proving his talents excelled in endurance racing's sustained concentration and strategic thinking.