Racing legend Andy Wallace and Bugatti bolide: when destinies cross paths

Racing legend Andy Wallace and Bugatti Bolide: when destinies cross paths

In the realm of racing greatness, Andy Wallace’s illustrious career stands out as a shining beacon. From being part of a very select group of people to have won the Triple Crown of Le Mans 24 Hours, 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring to his pivotal role as a Bugatti Pilote Officiel, Andy’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. But it is his unwavering dedication and unparalleled expertise that has made him a key part of Bugatti’s pursuit of performance perfection, ensuring the brand is always at the very pinnacle of automotive engineering.

Raised in the arena of endurance racing, Andy’s passion for speed and precision was forged on the world’s most challenging tracks, which helped to establish him as one of the most acclaimed racers in history. In 2022, he was even inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame, joining truly legendary names like Fangio, Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney.

But Andy hasn’t just left an everlasting mark within the history of motorsports; he has also forged a legacy with Bugatti. Joining the brand in 2011 as a Pilote Officiel, Andy’s transition to the realm of hyper sports cars was seamless. “When I stopped competitive racing, I feared I would miss the adrenaline from being on track and behind the wheel of truly remarkable machines, but I quickly came to realize I had embarked upon a journey with something that has never before been witnessed with road cars. Thanks to Bugatti, I quickly reconnected to the thrill of racing car performance” he said. And in 2019, Andy set the brand’s third world speed record, piloting Chiron Super Sport 300+¹ to more than 300 mph – the first time the barrier had ever been broken in a series production car.

Andy has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of Bugatti from the moment he stepped into its world. His talent and years of expertise have been invaluable for the development of iconic models like the Chiron², but also coachbuilt models like the Divo³ and the Centodieci⁴, pushing the boundaries of performance and engineering to new heights and creating the world’s most advanced hyper sports cars.

His experience of extreme high speeds, sharp corners, physical and mental constraints from competitive driving and an awareness of safety considerations in high-pressure racing environments has been a huge resource of expertise that the Bugatti Bolide⁵ development team has tapped into. But, in addition to those remarkable qualities, Andy’s passion and determination, as well as a relentless pursuit of excellence, has also contributed to the development of the Bolide, shaping a program that has been honed to offer only the best for the modern-day Bugatti track-only car.

"Every Bugatti automobile is, in its own way, unique. I’ve had the privilege to not only drive these breathtaking cars but to also work alongside the best engineers in the world, helping to achieve engineering optimization on the programs we’ve worked on,” continues Andy. But the Bolide is very special to me; it is simply incomparable – a true Bugatti masterpiece that has taken me back to the most exciting emotions and sensations I experienced in my racing life.”

From the rain-soaked circuit of Paul Ricard in 2019 to the hallowed grounds of Le Mans last year, Andy’s experience of high-speed, high-performance driving on dynamic race tracks the world over has been an essential and unique foundation for the Bugatti Bolide engineering team as the development and testing of the car has progressed, helping to ensure every aspect of the Bolide remains true to the brand’s legacy in motorsports and to Ettore’s philosophy “If comparable, it is no longer Bugatti”.

And the next phase in this epic journey of two racing legends is now in sight, as Andy gets behind the wheel of the Bolide to unleash its full on-track racing pedigree for the final testing session before the start of production commences at the Atelier in Molsheim.