Tom Kristensen on Rolex, Goodwood Revival, and His Nine Le Mans Wins

Catching up with racing driver and Rolex testimonee Tom Kristensen at Goodwood Revival.

Interview: Tom Kristensen

Tom Kristensen in a 1955 Cooper-Jaguar T38 during the Sussex Trophy race

Grey skies over the South Downs didn’t deter Goodwood Revival’s thousands of eager attendees, all dressed to the nines in vintage-inspired outfits from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

It was the 26th edition of Revival, which was founded by the Duke of Richmond in 1998, and also the 20th year of Rolex’s sponsorship of the Rolex Drivers’ Club over the course of the three-day event, which sees period cars roar around the famous track.

The classic cars are often driven by some of the racing world’s stars, which for the last ten years have included the most highly decorated Le Mans winner ever, Tom Kristensen, who is also a Rolex testimonee. 

Over his illustrious racing career, Kristensen won the 24 Hours of Le Mans a grand total of nine times (six consecutively). With each win came a Rolex watch, a collection that ‘Mr Le Mans’ topped off last year with a limited edition Rolex Cosmograph ‘Le Mans’ Daytona, released for the centenary of Le Mans in 2023. 

‘In 1997, four days before the event, I got the phone call that changed my career,’ recalls Kristensen of his first victory at the famous endurance race. ‘Less than a week later I came home with a win and a lap record.’

He continues: ‘I did another 17 starts at Le Mans, and at the end of that [got] 14 podiums, including the nine wins. Every time the car finished, we finished on the podium. And when you’re on the podium, you get to have a look at the wonderful presents for the winners. So it was great winning a few Rolex Daytonas there – and a few times you just watched them when they went past, when you were second or third.’

These days, Kristensen gets the thrill of racing at Goodwood Revival, which he has driven for the past ten years. 

‘Now I’m a retired racing driver, and it’s nice to come and join events like this,’ he says. ‘It’s fantastic. Goodwood on a sunny day is glorious. On a rainy day, it’s hard work, and there’s a lot of concentration needed [when racing], because the cars are period [ones] and… it’s incredibly tough.’

Rolex’s alpine-inspired Drivers Club at Goodwood Revival 2024

At Goodwood Revival 2024 it was certainly challenging driving conditions, with a damp forecast and a slippery track. Kristensen drove three very different cars over the course of the weekend, including a 1955 Cooper-Jaguar in the Sussex Trophy and a 1961 Ferrari in the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy. 

Remarkably, Kristensen gets very little time to practice in each car before the race begins – sometimes just a few minutes as part of the qualifying race. 

‘I like to come and jump in different cars and get the feedback,’ he says. ‘Sometimes you gel [with it], sometimes you are frightened. This is what we have to deal with.’

Last year, for instance, he started in last position, as the car he was racing had a problem with the fuel pump during qualifying. However, he managed to finish third overall. ‘The car was very good in the race – you learn a good car fast.’

He continues: ‘It was a great day. And that’s what happens at Goodwood. Things like that can happen and  hopefully we’ll have a little bit of that this weekend, from some of the drivers and the cars  – because some of them surprise you.’

See all the results from 2024 Goodwood Revival at goodwood.com