Inès Taittinger

Inès Taittinger is a French racing driver who made history as one of only two women to compete at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing in the prestigious LM P2 class with Pegasus Racing.

EARLY YEARS

Born April 7, 1990, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France (though she grew up in Reims), Inès came into the world with a serious congenital heart defect that required open-heart surgery as a child. That early brush with mortality didn’t slow her down—it fueled her. Her father, Hugues Taittinger, and her godfather Philippe Alliot, a former Formula 1 and Le Mans driver, introduced her to motorsports. But unlike most racing prodigies who start karting as kids, Inès didn’t get behind the wheel until she was 18, when she was offered the chance to drive a Ferrari GT. She was hooked instantly. By 20, she was racing professionally—a late start by any standard, but she wasn’t about to let that stop her.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the track, Taittinger has been a passionate advocate for children’s health, serving as an ambassador for Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque, a French charity that funds life-saving heart surgeries for children around the world. Given her own childhood experience with heart surgery, this isn’t some PR move—it’s personal. She’s also been the official ambassador for the city of Touquet-Paris-Plage since 2013, representing the seaside resort town with the same determination she brings to racing.

EARLY SUCCESS

Inès made her racing debut in 2009 at age 19, driving a Ligier prototype in the VdeV championship at Magny-Cours. She finished 22nd in her only race that year, driving alongside her father, Hugues—they placed sixteenth in class. Not a podium finish, but it was a start. She continued in the VdeV series over the following years, steadily improving. In 2013, she and teammate Kevin Bole-Besançon came third in the grueling 12 Hours of Motorland Aragon—an impressive result that proved she could handle endurance racing’s mental and physical demands. She followed that up with a sixth-place finish at Dijon and closed the season strong. Her consistent performance in the French sportscar scene built her reputation as a driver who could deliver results when it mattered.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2009: Made racing debut in VdeV championship at Magny-Cours driving a Ligier prototype[1].
• 2013: Finished third in the 12 Hours of Motorland Aragon in VdeV Endurance Series[2].
• 2015: Selected as one of 24 contenders for “Race to 24” reality TV show, which would have awarded a Le Mans drive (show never aired, but she leveraged the publicity)[3].
• 2016: Competed in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with Pegasus Racing, sharing the #29 Morgan-Nissan LMP2 with Léo Roussel and Rémy Striebig[4].
• 2016: Raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the #28 Morgan-Nissan LMP2, becoming one of only two women in the race (alongside Denmark’s Christina Nielsen)[5].
• 2017: Returned to VdeV Endurance Series racing a Norma M20 in the CN class with CD Sport[6].
• 2021: Competed in Porsche Sprint Challenge France at Le Mans[7].

INSPIRATIONS

Her godfather Philippe Alliot, who raced in Formula 1 from 1984 to 1993 and competed at Le Mans, has been her mentor throughout her career. Alliot’s guidance gave her not just technical knowledge but also access to the racing world’s inner circles—crucial for a woman entering a male-dominated sport later than most. Her father Hugues was equally instrumental, racing alongside her early on and supporting her ambitions. Inès has also competed alongside Alliot in the Trophée Andros ice racing series, furthering their mentor-student bond on frozen tracks.

REPUTATION

Taittinger earned respect not through shortcuts but through relentless self-promotion and seizing every opportunity. When the “Race to 24” reality show fell through in 2015, she didn’t sulk—she used the media attention to raise her profile with TV appearances and interviews, making herself impossible to ignore. That hustle paid off when Pegasus Racing signed her for the 2016 ELMS and Le Mans. At 26, making her Le Mans debut, she told media her priority was simple: “to learn.” She didn’t pretend to be the fastest or the most experienced; she was honest about where she stood. That authenticity, combined with genuine speed and endurance chops, made her credible. She also had an interesting quirk: she admitted to reporters that she needed to go faster to feel comfortable in the car—a counterintuitive statement that reveals the racer’s mindset where confidence comes from pushing limits, not playing it safe.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2025, Taittinger continues to be active in French endurance racing and has been mentioned in WEC (World Endurance Championship) context alongside other notable female drivers like Lilou Wadoux and Doriane Pin, suggesting ongoing involvement in high-level sportscar competition. Specific future plans beyond 2025 remain undisclosed in available sources.

REFERENCES

[1] Inès Taittinger – Wikipedia
[2] Inès Taittinger – Speedqueens
[3] Ines Taittinger: “My Main Priority Is To Learn” – dailysportscar.com
[4] 2016 European Le Mans Series – Wikipedia
[5] Ten numbers for female drivers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
[6] Ines Taittinger (CD Sport) – Endurance Info
[7] Porsche Sprint Challenge Race Starting Grid – Le Mans 2021
[8] Racing Driver Ines Taittinger – Profile – 51GT3
[9] Inès Taittinger (Morgan) – “I need to go faster to feel really comfortable”
[10] WEC – La saison 2025 en faits et en chiffres – Endurance Live