Andre Lotterer carved a niche for himself across various racing disciplines, yet never quite made the cut in F1 despite spending 14 years on its fringes – his time on the grid amounted to just over one lap. The German driver’s undeniable skill saw him miss out on F1 opportunities but he found considerable success elsewhere, triumphing in Super Formula and Super GT, and recently showing form in Formula E.
His impressive form during his junior years caught attention from industry figures including Helmut Marko back in the late ’90s. By 2000, he got his foot in the door with Jaguar, regularly testing their car, and nearly had his breakthrough replacing an unwell Eddie Irvine at a Monza test where he wowed the team with his speed and technical insight.
Yet, internal changes at the team meant his support within the outfit evaporated as Niki Lauda stepped in. Speaking to The Race, Lotterer explained: “Things were not looking bad at all. But then the management completely changed and Niki Lauda came in and it seemed that the people who were supporting me were either gone or focusing on other things. I was just not in the right place at the right time I guess.
“I kind of regret I didn’t push more when things were good to maybe have an opportunity elsewhere.”
Intent on capitalising when in top form, Sauber took notice of Lotterer’s talent, arranging a test which never materialized due to Felipe Massa’s prior outstanding performance. This led Lotterer’s manager to cancel, apprehensive about the prospect of unfavourable comparisons.
Consequently, Lotterer’s journey veered towards IndyCar and Japan – a decision marking the start of significant success.
Piloting Japanese tracks rekindled F1 aspirations, with Lotterer trying to negotiate a leap into F1, akin to Eddie Irvine and Heinz-Harald Frentzen who transitioned from Japan to F1 fame. Racing alongside Nakajima, he eyed a Honda deal, tethered to championship triumphs.
Yet it was Caterham that delivered an unexpected break in 2014, thanks to Colin Kolles – Lotterer’s first endurance racing boss. Now team principal, Kolles’ recommendation placed Lotterer on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, amidst a tumultuous period for the team.
Initially, no one thought he could keep up with Kamui Kobayashi, the driver he was replacing, but he went on to outqualify Marcus Ericsson by nearly a second in a rain-soaked session. However, his Sunday outing was cut short after just seven miles.
“I went over the exit kerb a bit at Blanchimont on lap two and some fuse popped out and that was it,” he explained.
