Date of birth: 12th June 1975
Residence: Geneva, Switzerland
Marital status: Single
Harold Primat is a man with a burning ambition.
The 35-year-old racing driver wants to stand on the podium at the most prestigious motor race in the world - the Le Mans 24 Hours
Born in France but raised in Switzerland since he was a child, Harold’s love affair with motorsport was sparked by racing Karts as a schoolboy, whilst he also attended the Max Mygale and Winfield Racing Schools in France and the Jim Russell Racing School in England.
His first outing in a competitive championship came in the USA, racing Formula Ford 2000’s and he worked his way through the single seater ranks, competing in British F3, F3 Euroseries and World Series Lights.
However it was in endurance racing where Harold really found his niche. His first taste of the discipline came in the V de V French Endurance Championship with Saulnier Racing in 2003 and 2004 and a competitive debut, which saw him leading at Spa before mechanical failure. After clinching several victories and finishing as Vice Champions behind team mate Phillip Hottinguer in 2004, Harold developed a taste for sportscars.
In 2005 Primat was given the chance to make his top-line sportscar racing debut, proving to be immediately competitive by scoring a podium for Kruse Motorsport in P2 of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) round at Sebring. After also racing at Spa, in the Le Mans Endurance series, for Kruse in LMP2, Harold switched to Rollcentre Racing in LMP1 for the remainder of the Championship securing competitive finishes at Monza, Silverstone and Istanbul.
However, despite not being classified due to mechanical problems, a debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June proved to be the season’s highlight.
2006 saw Primat broaden his horizons still further with a debut appearance in the Daytona 24 Hours before returning to European endurance racing with Team Swiss Spirit under the guidance of Serge Saulnier for another successful season in the Le Mans Series. Podiums at Spa-Francorchamps and Jarama earned Harold a share of fourth place in the drivers’ championship, although gearbox problems would scupper his second shot at Le Mans. The disappointment would be short-lived however with more success arriving on the other side of the Atlantic in the ALMS later that year with a podium at Laguna Seca and fourth place at Petit Le Mans for the Creation Autosportif squad.
Harold’s strong season had impressed many and with firm offers on the table for the following year, that dream Le Mans podium looked to be creeping ever closer.
He was signed to drive alongside Christophe Tinseau for reigning LMS champions Pescarolo Sport in 2007 and a podium at Spa and his first-ever finish at the Le Mans 24 Hours were just rewards for his efforts. He also enjoyed strong results in the American Le Mans Series rounds at the Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca with the Creation Autosportif squad.
The beginning of 2008 saw Harold again sample Grand-Am machinery at Daytona. Engine problems would ultimately force his Pontiac Riley into retirement but any disappointment would be short-lived as another successful LMS campaign beckoned. Opting for a second year with Pescarolo Sport, Harold’s string of impressive performances heralded his best sportscar campaign to date with results that included an overall podium finish at Monza behind Peugeot and Audi factory entries.
Even more impressive however was what the man himself describes as the greatest achievement in his short career; a seventh place overall finish at Le Mans behind the six diesel-burning Audis and Peugeots in a result that also saw him crowned unofficial petrol-powered champion. His annual pilgrimage to the States to compete in the ALMS with Creation Autosportif after a long season also proved fruitful and by the end of the year, team personnel up and down the pit lane were beginning to take notice.
In January 2009, Harold was confirmed as an Aston Martin factory driver for the marque’s first foray into top-class endurance racing since 1989. Partnering Darren Turner, he finished fourth in the standings thanks to the duo’s consistency which included a second position at the Nurburgring. Harold was joined by Peter Kox and Stuart Hall for Le Mans where a water leak curtailed the 009 Aston’s involvement after 252 laps. The highlight of the season was still to come however with victory alongside Stefan Mücke at the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series race at Okayama in late autumn.
2010 again sees Harold don the familiar blue and orange overalls of Aston Martin Racing. Although a full LMS programme has been ruled out, the campaign will take in at least two American Le Mans Series rounds – the 12 Hours of Sebring and Long Beach – as well as the LMS season curtain raising eight hour race at Paul Ricard ahead of the big one; the Le Mans 24 Hours, in mid-June.