DOB:                 August 22nd, 1989

Nationality:    French

Resides:          St Petersburg, Florida

Racing History :

2013  IndyCar – Team Schmidt Peterson Motorsports – Rookie of the Year – Qualified 3 times in the
           Firestone Fast Six (Q3) – Best qualifying of 3rd – 2 laps led
           Rolex 24 at Daytona – Mazda6 GX Skyactiv Technology – Factory Team SpeedSource

2012  Firestone Indy Lights Champion – Team Sam Schmidt Motorsports – 4 wins – 5 poles – 315 laps led out of 660 -
           First driver-ever to win two consecutive championships on the Mazda Road to Indy Ladder
           24 Hours of Spa – Team Sofrev-ASP – Ferrari 458 GT3 – 10th overall – 5th in class

2011  Star Mazda US Champion (JDC Motorsports) – 4 wins – 4 poles – 4 fastest laps – finished every race
           inside top-5

2010  Star Mazda series. Winner at Sebring and New Jersey

          Firestone Indy Lights Series – Testing with Andersen Racing and Andretti Autosport

2009  Last round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship in replacement of a driver: podium

          Formula Palmer Audi

                  • 6 wins (record) – 6 poles – 6 fastest laps
       
          French GT3 Championship – 4 meetings

                  • 1 win – 2 podiums

2008  Formula Renault 2.0
        
                 • French Championship Runner-up - 3 wins - 9 podiums
                 • Tests in World Series by Renault - Formula Renault 3.5 – Team Draco

2007  Formula Renault 2.0

                 • 5th in the French Championship – 3rd rookie - 3 podiums
                 • 3 meetings in Eurocup- 2 podiums

2006  Formula Campus (Auto Sport Academy)

                  • French Championship Runner-up - 13 races - 12 podiums - 5 wins - 6 pole positions – same points as
                    the champion but lost at 5 wins against 6.
                  • Nominated for the Espoirs de l’Année Echappement (French equivalent of the BRDC Rising Stars).

2005  2nd in the Volant Mygale

2001 - 2004  Karting - 2 titles as Champion of the Rhône-Alpes League

Biography :

It was the age of four in 1993 that Tristan caught the motorsport bug when his dad Eric, who had just set up the Laquais circuit, let him try his hand at karting.

At the age of nine, Tristan asked him for a proper racing kart and a few days after his 10th birthday he took part in his first ever race. At the start it was a hobby but little by little he got caught up in the sport and in his first ever full competitive season, he picked up his first title as Champion of the Rhône Alpes League, which he won again in 2002.

Tristan quickly understood that he couldn’t waste any time and that he had to prepare himself as early on as possible for the move into cars.
He did his first laps in a car behind the wheel of a Formula Ford at the age of 13, at the Laquais circuit.

 

At barely 16 he took part in his first competition, driving in the Mygale shootout on the legendary Montlhéry circuit and achieved second place. This won him a scholarship that allowed him to take part in the 2006 Formula Campus French Championship, the first step towards F1.

With 6 pole positions and 5 wins, Tristan finished the championship on a par points-wise with the winner, but he had to settle for runner-up with one less win than the champion.
However, with his performance having been noticed by Formula Renault 2.0 teams and with the help of his partners, he gained a drive with Graff Racing for the 2007 season.
Tristan took part in the French Championship and three rounds of the European Championship, during which he stepped twice onto the podium. His three podiums on the French scene won him fifth place in the final championship standings.
That year Tristan achieved his BAC S (French equivalent of A-levels with emphasis on science) and was admitted to one of France’s IUTs (University Technology Institutes) to study Business and Services Management, whilst at the same time doing high-level sport training.

Tristan achieved encouraging results in 2008 when he drove once again in Formula Renault 2.0.  That season was marked by a change of team but in the end Tristan achieved the commendable title of French Championship Runner-up with three wins under his belt. This performance won him a test in World Series Formula Renault 3.5.
In 2009 Tristan set up his company, Tristan Vautier events, the better to answer his partners’ expectations, organizing VIP hospitality at race meetings and using his experience to arrange taster driving days at the Laquais circuit at Champier (Isère region of France).

His racing season was marked by a record of 6 wins in the British Formula Palmer Audi Championship, who would unfortunately not bring him the title, despite leading the standings for 8 races. Tristan also took part in 4 races in the French GT3 championship where he made a big impression winning his first ever race in the car, on a wet track at Nogaro, teaming with Jean-Charles Levy.

By the end of the year, following his noticed results in Formula Palmer Audi, Tristan got the opportunity to compete in the last round of the FIA Formula Two Championship, replacing a driver competing in GP2 series. On the fast track of Barcelona, Tristan finished on the podium for his first ever race in the series, beating several drivers having previously shined in GP2 or World Series by Renault, as well as having done some testing in F1
At the start of 2010, Tristan decided to fly to USA to enter an official test in the Star Mazda Championship, the feeder series to Firestone Indy Lights, the last step before the IZOD IndyCar Series (American F1). After a successful test, Tristan signed for the season with the Andersen Racing Team. He won his first race in the series, at Sebring right before the 12 hours, and confirmed his speed by claiming another victory in New Jersey in June, with a 7 second gap over 2nd place.  Unfortunately, 3 retirements due to mechanical failures cost him the rookie title and a podium position in the championship. He ended up 5th in the final standings and 2nd in the rookie points.

2011 saw Tristan reach his best accomplishment so far in racing by clinching the 2011 Star Mazda US Championship Title for team JDC Motorsports in great fashion, winning 4 races, 4 poles and 4 fastest laps, finishing every race inside top-5, and setting a new record by winning the Barber Motorsports Park race with a 39,5 seconds margin over second place finisher. This title got him a scholarship from Mazda USA to step up to Firestone Indy Lights for a full program in 2012.

Driving the #77 Mazda Road To Indy/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Firestone Indy Lights car, Tristan made the most of his rookie season in the series and drove to the title, becoming the first driver-ever to win two consecutive championships in the Mazda Road to Indy Ladder history. His stats include 4 wins, 5 poles, and 315 laps led out of 660.

 

This title, backed-up by an impressive debut test in IndyCar at the end of 2013 (in which Tristan ended-up 2nd overall and best Honda driver, only 0.02 sec. off of IndyCar star Will Power from Team Penske), got Tristan a ride in the IZOD IndyCar series with Team Schmidt-Peterson for 2013. He won the Rookie of the Year award, but his most impressive achievement was to qualify in 6th position in the Streets of St Petersburg for his first-ever race, and running up to 4th position before he had to retire on a mechanical failure after 70 laps of racing. He scored his first Top-10 finish the following race in Barber after qualifying in third, a performance never seen in IndyCar by a driver with such little experience. After a great season of learning, Tristan hopes to be able to continue his progression in the IZOD IndyCar series in 2014.