Claude Haldi (28 November 1942 – 25 December 2017) was a Swiss racing driver. He was known as a frequent competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, entering the race 22 times between 1968 and 1993. His endurance racing career was associated with Porsche, with 14 of his Le Mans entries in various Porsche models. He drove for the Porsche factory works teams of Martini Racing in 1973 and Rothmans Porsche in 1987.
Claude Haldi won the , an annual award presented by Porsche AG to recognize the world's most successful privateer racing driver competing with Porsche machinery in a customer racing team, in 1975.
Beginning in 1985, he drove for the WM Peugeot team. He was a co-driver of the WM P88 which broke the top speed record at Circuit de la Sarthe in 1988.
Haldi also participated in hill climbs and rallying. He won the Group 4 category of the European Hill Climb Championship in 1970 and the 1979 Swiss Rally Championship.
Following his retirement from racing, Haldi became president of the Vaud Automobile Club. In this position, he advocated against the Swiss ban on motorsport and proposed the creation of a Formula One circuit in Switzerland.
Racing record
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1968 Scuderia Filipinetti Jacques Rey Ferrari 275 GTB/C GT+2.0 78 DNF DNF 1969 Scuderia Filipinetti Jacques Rey Ferrari 275 GTB/C GT+2.0 39 DNF DNF 1970 Claude Haldi Hart Ski Racing Arthur Blank Porsche 911S GT2.5 124 DNF DNF 1971 Claude Haldi Hans-Dieter Weigel Porsche 908/2 P3.0 18 DNF DNF 1972 Claude Haldi Paul Keller "Gédéhem" Porsche 911S GT3.0 208 DNF DNF 1973 Martini Racing Team Reinhold Joest Porsche 911 Carrera RSR S3.0 54 DNF DNF 1974 Escuderia Montjuich José-Maria Fernandez Jean-Marc Seguin Porsche 911 Carrera RSR GT 41 DNF DNF 1975 Porsche Club Romand Bernard Béguin Peter Zbinden Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo GTX 291 15th 1st 1976 Schiller Racing Team Florian Vetsch Porsche 934 GT 219 DNF DNF 1977 Schiller Racing Team Florian Vetsch Angelo Pallavicini Porsche 934 GT 123 DNF DNF 1978 Haberthur Mecarillos-Cégécol Racing Team Herbert Müller Nick McGranger Porsche 935/76 Gr.5+2.0 140 DNF DNF 1979 Claude Haldi Herbert Loewe Rodrigo Terran Porsche 935 Gr.5+2.0 275 11th 4th 1980 Meccarillos Racing Bernard Béguin Volkert Merl Porsche 935 Gr.5 37 DNF DNF 1981 Claude Haldi Charles Ivey Racing Mark Thatcher Hervé Poulain Porsche 935 Gr.5 260 DNF DNF 1982 Claude Haldi Rodrigo Terran François Hesnault Porsche 935 K3 Gr.5 141 DNF DNF 1983 Claude Haldi Günther Steckkönig Bernd Schiller Porsche 930 B 217 DNF DNF 1984 Claude Haldi Altfrid Heger Jean Krucker Porsche 930 B 285 16th 2nd 1985 WM Peugeot Roger Dorchy Jean-Claude Andruet WM P83B-Peugeot C1 73 DNF DNF 1986 WM Secateva Roger Dorchy Pascal Pessiot WM P83B-Peugeot C2 301 12th 3rd 1987 Rothmans Porsche René Metge Kees Nierop Porsche 961 GTX 199 DNF DNF 1988 WM Secateva Roger Dorchy Jean-Daniel Raulet WM P87-Peugeot C1 59 DNF DNF 1993 Scuderia Chicco d'Oro Olivier Haberthur Charles Margueron Porsche 911 Carrera RSR GT 299 18th 4th
References