Five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro has been appointed as Grand Marshal for the 88th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Italian, who took five victories and four additional podiums with Audi between 2000 and and 2007, will lead the field to the start of the race on September 19.
As Grand Marshal, Pirro becomes the latest driver in a prestigious group to have been given the honorary function. Previous drivers to be named Grand Marshal include Allan McNish (2014), Tom Kristensen (2015) and Jacky Ickx (2018).
Pirro will follow in the footsteps of Hurley Haywood, who carried out the duty in 2019.
“I’m delighted to be back at Le Mans in this role,” Pirro said. “It will be great to be back on the circuit, to test the new Porsche Curves. It used to be a key spot; you could lose a lot of time if you weren’t careful. I’m looking forward to going through there as leader of the pack.”
“The role of Grand Marshal is traditionally fulfilled by a Le Mans winner, a driver who epitomises this race and this discipline,” said ACO president Pierre Fillon. “Emanuele Pirro is a perfect representative.
He has won Le Mans five times, finished in the top three 10 times, and above all he is a shining light, a true leader.
The 2020 field should be thrilled to be led out by a Grand Marshal who has put so much energy into racing and always defended drivers.”
