23 février 2015
Happy birthday Bertrand Baguette
The winner of the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title, Belgium’s Bertrand Baguette was the first champion in the category to contest a full IndyCar season, one in which he led the legendary Indy 500 with three laps remaining. He went on to win a world Endurance crown and a class title in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Today he celebrates his 29th anniversary.
After starting out in karting, Bertrand won a scholarship with the RACB Formula Renault Academy and joined the official Renault team for the Belgian Formula Renault 1.6 series in 2004. Third in what was his first campaign in single-seater racing, he made his World Series by Renault debut in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 the following year.
Seventh that season and fourth in 2006, he then graduated to Formula Renault 3.5 Series, joining KTR and then moving to Draco, scoring four wins in all and claiming the 2009 title.
That triumph proved a springboard to IndyCar, where he drove for Team Conquest Racing in the 2010 season, finishing in 22nd place. He led the following year’s Indy 500 with just three laps to go before coming in seventh. In 2012, he took a new career path, competing in the LMP1 class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and then embarking on a full FIA World Endurance Championship season in LMP2 in 2013, securing a class win at Le Mans en route to the class and team title.
Last year saw Bertrand decamp to Japan to take part in Super GT, a championship the Belgian will be gracing again in 2015, while also making his return to single seaters in Super Formula.
A very happy 29th birthday to you Bertrand, from all the Renault Sport teams.