Product Code Database
Example Keywords: produce -mobile $30
   » » Wiki: Stefan Johansson
Tag Wiki 'Stefan Johansson'.
Tag

Stefan Nils Edwin Johansson (born 8 September 1956) is a Swedish former and executive, who competed in between and . In endurance racing, Johansson won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in with .

Born and raised in Växjö, Johansson began his career in , winning the Swedish Championship in 1973. After achieving multiple national titles in , Johansson progressed to British Formula Three, winning the championship in 1980. Johansson also made his Formula One debut that year—at the with Shadow—but did not qualify for either round he contested. Following multiple race wins in European Formula Two and podiums in the World Sportscar Championship, Johansson returned to Formula One in with Spirit. After sporadic appearances for and in , Johansson signed for the following season, achieving his maiden podium finish in Canada. Retaining his seat for , Johansson scored several podiums as he finished a career-best fifth in the World Drivers' Championship. Replaced by at Ferrari in , Johansson moved to to partner ; he scored five podiums on his way to sixth in the standings, but left for Ligier at the end of the season. After a non-classified championship finish in , Johansson moved to Onyx, scoring the team's only podium finish at the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix. He was dropped by Onyx after the 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix, making further appearances for AGS and in before leaving Formula One, having achieved 12 podiums.

In addition to his ten seasons in Formula One, Johansson entered 15 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between and , taking three class wins amongst an overall win in , driving the Porsche WSC-95 alongside and . He also competed in the IndyCar World Series from 1992 to 1996, both seasons of Grand Prix Masters, and the inaugural season of the FIA World Endurance Championship.


Early life and career
Stefan Nils Edwin Johansson was born on 8 September 1956 in Växjö, Sweden. Johansson began his career in , where he won the Swedish Championship in 1973. He then progressed to , winning the Swedish title in both 1977 and 1979.

Johansson competed in the British Formula Three Championship from 1978 to 1980, winning the series in his final year, driving for future chief executive ' Project Four team.


Formula One career
In Formula One, Johansson participated in 103 Grands Prix, debuting on 13 January 1980 for the Shadow Racing Team at the 1980 Argentine Grand Prix when he was still a Formula Three regular. He failed to qualify for the race and the next race in Brazil and he was not seen in Formula One again until 1983, after spending 1982 in the European Formula Two Championship with Spirit Racing, where he finished eighth overall, his best finish being third at in .


Spirit (1983)
Johansson's first Formula One race with Spirit was at the non-championship 1983 Race of Champions at , where he failed to finish due to failure of the Honda engine on lap four. His qualifying time was almost 20 seconds off the pole time set by World Champion in his Williams-, but his times in the race morning warm-up session were within a second of the Ferrari 126C2B of René Arnoux, who was fastest. He moved up to seventh place before pulling into the pits with another engine failure. Anecdotally, then- commentator said on air that Spirit and Honda had completed thousands of miles of trouble-free testing until that point. Spirit continued to test and develop the 201C and Johansson re-entered Formula One at the 1983 British Grand Prix at Silverstone where he qualified the car in a credible 14th position. He raced in a further five Grands Prix in 1983, with a best finish of seventh in the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.


Tyrrell/Toleman (1984)
Johansson was replaced at Spirit by for the season when the team lost its Honda engines to Williams and he didn't race until he joined in Round 10 of the championship, the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, as a replacement for the injured . He then went on to drive for for the last few Grands Prix of the season in place of the injured , finishing fourth in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. While at Toleman, Johansson's regular teammate was future triple World Drivers' Champion .


Ferrari (1985–1986)
Johansson signed a contract with Toleman for but it fell through when Toleman failed to secure a tyre agreement. Instead Johansson started again with Tyrrell as a replacement for the suspended before being called up to Ferrari when René Arnoux was mysteriously sacked after the first race of the season in Brazil. At his second race with Ferrari, namely their 'home' race, the San Marino Grand Prix, two laps from home he passed Senna's out-of-fuel Lotus to take the lead to the delight of the , and would probably have won if his Ferrari 156/85 had not run out of fuel itself just half a lap later. His role at Ferrari for the 1985 season was primarily to support 's championship challenge, though he did finish second to the Italian at Canada, and backed it up with second in the next race at Detroit.

In , Johansson often outpaced Alboreto, despite the Italian being the team's lead driver. The V6 turbo in the Ferrari F1/86 lacked nothing in power compared to the Honda, BMW, Renault and TAG-Porsche engines, but the car itself proved to be difficult, with both drivers complaining through the season about lack of downforce and the car's reluctance to drive well on all but the smoothest of circuits. Johansson finished fifth in the 1986 Drivers' Championship, his best-ever position, while Alboreto, who finished second in 1985, could only manage ninth place. There were many in Formula One, including highly respected then- commentators Murray Walker and World Champion , who believed that Ferrari were sacking the wrong driver, given that the Swede had generally outshone his more highly-paid teammate throughout the season.


McLaren (1987)
Johansson was replaced at Ferrari by for and he moved to McLaren as number two driver behind double and reigning World Champion . McLaren weren't as competitive in 1987 as they had been in 1984–1986, with Prost only adding three wins to his tally (and beating the record of 27 Grand Prix wins held by with his 28th win in Portugal) and failing to successfully defend his Drivers' Championship. Further podium finishes did follow for the Swede and Johansson finished sixth in the Drivers' Championship. Stefan Johansson's position at McLaren was considered by many as just a stop gap signing by team boss Ron Dennis who had failed to lure Ayrton Senna from Lotus due to him being under contract until the end of 1987 and always intended signing the for . Johansson famously finished the 1987 German Grand Prix on three wheels having had a puncture on the last lap. He also finished second behind Prost in Belgium and added further podium finishes in Brazil, Spain and Japan. Despite 11 podiums in three seasons, Johansson was still winless and was not wanted by a top team (he had hoped to join Williams in 1988 as a replacement for the departing 1987 World Champion but Williams signed instead). He did return to McLaren in a test-driver capacity in 1990, testing the Honda V12 engine at in and helping with the development of a paddle shifter and a new gearbox.


Ligier (1988)
Johansson joined for 1988, ironically alongside the man he replaced at Ferrari, René Arnoux, but the team's first non-turbo powered car since , the Michel Beaujon-designed JS31 powered by a naturally aspirated Judd V8 engine, was totally uncompetitive, scoring no points and often failed to qualify, even against teams with much smaller budgets such as AGS and (the French team's low point of the year was when both Johansson and Arnoux failed to qualify for the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard in the first weekend of July). Unfortunately for Johansson, he failed to come to grips with the JS31, recording six non-qualifications during the season (compared to Arnoux who only failed to qualify twice). He did record the car's two best finishes of the year though, ninth placings in the opening race of the season in Brazil and the last race in Australia.


Onyx/AGS/Footwork (1989–1991)
Better was to follow in , as Johansson was signed to lead the new Onyx team. The car was temperamental and didn't always qualify, but Johansson finished a surprise and popular third in Portugal for his last (and the team's only) podium finish. He fell out with new team owner in early 1990 and was duly sacked, making further appearances for AGS and in .

Johansson's record of podium finishes without a win was equalled by at the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix, who then took the record outright at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

In his 11-year Formula One career, in which he drove for ten different teams at 103 Grands Prix, Johansson achieved 12 podiums and scored a total of 88 championship points.


CART career
For 1992, Johansson moved over to , winning the Rookie of the Year title with two third places, ahead of 's Éric Bachelart. His first pole came at Portland the next year, but as in Formula One he never won a race. From 1992 to 1996, he started 73 races and had his best season overall in 1994, finishing in 11th. During this time, he competed in the 1993–1995 Indianapolis 500. At the 1996 Molson Indy Toronto race, he was involved in an accident that claimed the life of fellow driver and track marshal . After making wheel to wheel contact, Jeff's car hit the barriers and also a tree and lamp post that was too close to the track. Krosnoff died instantly of the injuries sustained from hitting the lamp post.


After Formula One: Sports Cars and team ownership
Before his career Johansson had participated in sports car races such as 24 Hours of Le Mans, and had won two World Sportscar Championship races in the 1980s (the round in 1983, driving a Porsche 956 with , and the 1988 Spa Francorchamps race in a Sauber C9 with ).

After retiring from at the end of the 1996 season, Johansson returned to this type of racing. During 1997 he recorded two major race wins, at the 12 Hours of Sebring driving a Ferrari 333 SP with Andy Evans, Fermín Vélez and . Later in 1997 Johansson also won at Le Mans where he drove a TWR-Porsche WSC-95 for alongside his Ferrari F1 teammate of 1985 and 1986 Michele Alboreto, and young Tom Kristensen. For Kristensen it was to be the first of a record (as of 2025) 9 wins in the famous French classic.

In 1997, Johansson founded a successful team running Fredrik Larsson and Jeff Ward; in 1998 its drivers were Guy Smith and Luiz Garcia Jr.; for 1999 the seats went to and Ben Collins.

During 1998 and 1999, Johansson raced for various sports car teams (like the unreliable Audi R8C Coupé at Le Mans) but in 2000 he started Johansson-Matthews racing with an American businessman called Jim Matthews. They competed in the American Le Mans Series using a Reynard 2KQ prototype. Unfortunately this wasn't a successful vehicle in its original form (though it was later developed into various other successful cars including the Zytek that he later raced) and the partnership dissolved.

In 2001, Johansson campaigned an Audi R8 prototype with backing from and the assistance of 's Arena team. That year he raced in the European Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series and at itself. His co-drivers were Guy Smith and Patrick Lemarie. At Le Mans Smith was replaced by .

2002 saw Johansson back in an Audi R8 but this time one run by the based Champion Racing team. His co-driver was ex driver and they competed in the American Le Mans Series.

For 2003, Johansson returned to CART as a team owner, running American Spirit Team Johansson with and as drivers. This was one of many new teams for the 2003 CART season; ironically, Bachelart's Mi-Jack Conquest Racing team was another. The team was under-funded, and although Hunter-Reay scored a fluke win in the wet conditions at Australia, it folded at the end of the season.

After only competing in a couple of celebrity races and occasional outings in the works in 2004 Johansson returned to full-time racing in 2005 driving the run New Century Mortgage sponsored Lexus Riley Daytona Prototype in the American Rolex Sports Car Series. With co-driver he scored his best finish, a second place, at in Canada, they finished the year in fifth place in the championship.

In 2006 as well as the Grand Prix Masters series, Johansson has made occasional appearances in Grand-Am for the Cheever and CITGO teams, and has continued an association with the works team in the Le Mans Series.

2007 saw Johansson competing in a Courage- in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series, sharing with . He was due to race a Zytek at Le Mans in 2007, but the team could not rebuild the car in time after a test-day accident, and Johansson made a last minute deal to drive a works Courage.

Johansson took part in the inaugural in 2008, where luck once again deserted him as the victim of a lot of other drivers' accidents. For 2008 Johansson did not have a full-time sports car drive, but had some outings planned in the Highcroft Acura ARX-01 in the ALMS and a place with the team at Le Mans.

Outside the cockpit, Johansson has a number of business ventures (including managing several successful drivers such as ) and is a keen – he is particularly known for his designs. Also, Johansson does expert commentary on Viasat Motor during Formula One races on occasion.

In 2011, Johansson raced a -Judd in the Petit Le Mans 10 Hours and a in the Malaysian 12 Hours at Sepang.

In 2012, Johansson returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing a Lola B12/80.


Driver management
Johansson is the manager of several racing drivers, including New Zealander , fellow Swede (winner of the 2015 European Formula 3 Championship), Canadian Zachary Claman DeMelo, and Ed Jones.


In popular culture
Johansson was the inspiration for the song "Speedway at Nazareth" by .


Career results

Career summary
British Formula ThreeChevron Cars Ltd180237544th
Derek McMahon Racing31011
European Formula TwoICI Roloil Racing Team000000
British Formula ThreeProject Four Racing20610513971st
Japanese Formula TwoHachimonjiya Speed Box Team10000305th
Walter Wolf Racing Japan10000
Racing Mate Project Team10001
Japanese Formula Two20102277th
World Sportscar Championship100000
Japanese Formula TwoRACING MATE Uchida Racing10000417th
World Sportscar Championship500023611th
10000
24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/A6th
30000
Japanese Formula TwoAdvan Sports Nova83116102 (108)2nd
World Sportscar Championship500001338th
24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/A
150002
World Sportscar ChampionshipTeam Sauber Mercedes310025519th
Team Tom's10000
24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/A
10000
Ford
World Sportscar ChampionshipKonrad Motorsport40000639th
10000
24 Hours of Le MansKonrad Motorsport10000N/A6th
10000
PPG Indy Car World Series900024714th
24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/A5th
00000N/A
24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/A


Complete European Formula Two Championship results
() (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
! nowrap Polifac BMW Junior Team ! nowrapMarch 792 ! BMWSILVLLPAUZANPERMIS
! NC ! 0
! nowrap ICI Roloil Racing Team ! nowrapMarch 802 ! BMW
VLLPAUSILZANPERMIS! NC ! 0
! nowrap Docking Spitzley Team Toleman ! nowrap ! HartSIL



VLL

PAU
PER
SPA

MIS

! 4th ! 30
! nowrap Marlboro Team Spirit ! nowrapSpirit 201 ! HondaSIL




VLL
PAU
SPA



PER
MIS
! 8th ! 11


Complete All Japan Formula 2 Championship results
() (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
1981 ! nowrapHachimonjiya Speed Box Team ! rowspan=3 nowrapMarch 802 ! rowspan=3 nowrapBMW M12
!rowspan=3 5th !rowspan=330
1982 ! nowrap ! nowrapSpirit 201 ! nowrap

! 7th ! 27
1983 ! nowrapRACING MATE Uchida Racing ! nowrapMarch 832 ! nowrapBMW M12
! 17th ! 4
1984 ! nowrapAdvan Sports Nova ! nowrapMarch 842 ! nowrap







2nd102 (108)


Complete Formula One World Championship results
()
! nowrap Shadow Cars ! nowrapShadow DN11 ! nowrap 3.0 V8ARG
BRA
RSAUSWBELMONFRAGBRGERAUTNEDITACANUSA! NC ! 0
!rowspan=2 nowrap Spirit Racing ! nowrapSpirit 201 !rowspan=2 nowrapHonda RA163E 1.5 V6 BRAUSWFRASMRMONBELDETCANGBR
AUT
ITA
EUR
RSA!rowspan=2 NC !rowspan=20
! nowrap ! nowrap 012 ! nowrapFord Cosworth DFY 3.0 V8BRARSABELSMRFRAMONCANDETDAL

AUT

!rowspan=2 17th !rowspan=23
! nowrap ! nowrap 012 ! nowrap 3.0 V8BRA
!rowspan=2 7th !rowspan=226
! nowrap ! nowrap F1/86 ! nowrap 032 1.5 V6 BRA
ESP
SMR
MON
BEL
CAN
DET
FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
AUT
ITA
POR
MEX
AUS
! 5th ! 23
! nowrap TAG Turbo ! nowrap MP4/3 ! nowrapTAG TTE PO1 1.5 V6 BRA
SMR
BEL
MON
DET
FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
AUT
ITA
POR
ESP
MEX
JPN
AUS
! 6th ! 30
! nowrap ! nowrap JS31 ! nowrapJudd CV 3.5 V8BRA
SMR
MON
MEX
CAN
DET
FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
BEL
ITA
POR
ESP
JPN
AUS
! NC ! 0
! nowrap Moneytron Onyx Formula One ! nowrapOnyx ORE-1 ! nowrapFord Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8BRA
SMR
MON
MEX
USA

FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
BEL
ITA
POR
ESP
JPN
AUS
! 12th ! 6
! nowrap Monteverdi Onyx Formula One ! nowrapOnyx ORE-1 ! nowrapFord Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8USA
BRA
SMRMONCANMEXFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPORESPJPNAUS ! NC ! 0
! nowrap AGS ! nowrapAGS JH25B ! nowrapFord Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8USA
BRA
SMRMON!rowspan=3 NC !rowspan=30
Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
     


Complete World Sportscar Championship results
() (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
1982 ! nowrap ! C ! nowrapSauber SHS C6 ! nowrapCosworth DFL 4.0 V8MNZSILNÜRLMSSPA
! NC ! 0
1983 ! nowrapSorga S.A. / !rowspan=2C !rowspan=2 nowrapPorsche 956 !rowspan=2 nowrap Type-935 2.6 F6 MNZSIL
NÜR
LMS
SPA

!rowspan=2 11th !rowspan=236
1984 ! nowrapNew-Man ! C1 ! nowrapPorsche 956 ! nowrap Type-935 2.6 F6 MNZ
SILLMS
NÜR
BRHMOSSPA
IMO
SAN ! 38th ! 13
1988 ! nowrap !rowspan=2C1 ! nowrapSauber C9 ! nowrap M117 5.0 V8 JERJARMNZSILLMSBRNBRHNÜR
SPA
SAN
!rowspan=2
19th !rowspan=255
1991 ! nowrapKonrad Motorsport !rowspan=2C2 ! nowrapPorsche 962C ! nowrap Type-935 3.2 F6 SUZMNZ
SIL!rowspan=3 39th !rowspan=36
1992 ! nowrapEuro Racing ! C1 ! nowrapLola T92/10 ! nowrapJudd GV10 3.5 V10MNZ

!rowspan=2 NC !rowspan=20


Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Courage Compétition
Courage LC70-AERLMP1175DNFDNF


American open-wheel results
()


CART
() (Races in bold indicate pole position)
1992 !nowrapBettenhausen Racing !rowspan=616 !nowrap PC-20 !nowrap 265A V8 SRFPHXLBHINDYDET
PORMILNHA
TOR
MCHCLE
ROA
VAN
MDO
NAZ
LAG
14th47 !
1993 !nowrapBettenhausen Motorsports !nowrap PC-22 !nowrap 265C V8 SRF
PHX
LBH
INDY
MIL
DET
POR
CLE
TOR
MCH
NHA
ROA
VAN
MDO
NAZ
LAG
13th43 !
1994 !nowrapBettenhausen Motorsports !nowrap PC-22 !nowrap 265D V8 SRF
PHX
LBH
INDY
MIL
DET
POR
CLE
TOR
MCH
MDO
NHA
VAN
ROA
NAZ
LAG
11th57 !
1995 !rowspan="2" nowrapBettenhausen Motorsports !nowrap PC-23 !nowrapMercedes-Benz IC108B V8 MIA
SRF
PHX
LBH
NAZ
MIL
DET
POR
ROA
TOR
CLE
MCH
MDO
NHA
VAN
LAG
13th60 !rowspan=2
1996 !nowrapBettenhausen Racing !nowrapReynard 96i !nowrapMercedes-Benz IC108C V8 MIA
RIO
SRF
LBH
NAZ
500
MIL
DET
POR
CLE
TOR
MCH
MDO
ROA
VAN
LAG
15th43 !


Indianapolis 500
1993 PC-22 265C V8 611Bettenhausen Motorsports
1994 PC-22 265D V8 2715Bettenhausen Motorsports
1995Reynard 94iFord XB V8 3116Bettenhausen Motorsports


Complete Macau Grand Prix results


Complete Grand Prix Masters results
() Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap.
2005 !nowrapTeam Phantom !nowrap GPM !nowrapNicholson McLaren 3.5 V8
2006 !nowrapTeam Altech !rowspan=2 nowrap GPM !rowspan=2 nowrapNicholson McLaren 3.5 V8QAT


Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
() (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
2012 !nowrap ! LMP2 !nowrapLola B12/80 !nowrap VK45DE 4.5 V8SEB
SPA
LMS
SILSÃOBHRFUJSHA ! 76th ! 1.5


Notes

External links

: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Page 1 of 1
1
Page 1 of 1
1

Account

Social:
Pages:  ..   .. 
Items:  .. 

Navigation

General: Atom Feed Atom Feed  .. 
Help:  ..   .. 
Category:  ..   .. 
Media:  ..   .. 
Posts:  ..   ..   .. 

Statistics

Page:  .. 
Summary:  .. 
1 Tags
10/10 Page Rank
5 Page Refs
2s Time