Triple Crown of Motorsport
Motorsport achievement / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, often regarded as associated with the three most important achievements of a driver in motorsport, inspired by the triple crown of thoroughbred racing.
The earliest version of the Triple Crown requires that the driver wins the:
- Indianapolis 500 (first held in 1911)
- 24 Hours of Le Mans (first held in 1923)
- World Drivers' Championship of Formula One (first held in 1950)
Under more recent definitions, the World Drivers' Championship is substituted for the Monaco Grand Prix (first held in 1929),[1][2][3][4] In different periods all three races were parts of various FIA World Championships:
- The Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Manufacturers' Championship (1925–1928) and the Formula One World Championship (1950–1960).
- The 24 Hours of Le Mans was part of the World Sportscar Championship (1953–1992 except for the 1956, 1975–1979 and 1989–1990 seasons). Since 2012 it has been part of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
- The Monaco Grand Prix has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1950 (except for the 1951–1954 and 2020 seasons).
Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown (both World Drivers' Championship and Monaco Grand Prix versions). Nineteen drivers in motorsports history have competed in all three legs of the current Triple Crown and have won at least one of the events.[5] Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso are the only active drivers to have won two of the three events, needing to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500 respectively to complete the Triple Crown. Under the original concept, Alonso and Jacques Villeneuve are the active drivers closest to completing the Crown – Villeneuve, like Montoya, would need to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
McLaren is the only racing team to have completed the Crown, along with several manufacturers whose equipment won the component races. Equivalent concepts also exist within specific disciplines of motor racing.