Natacha Gachnang
NationalitySwiss
Birth date27 October 1987 (age 38)
Birth placeVevey, Switzerland
RelativesSébastien Buemi (cousin)
Racing licence FIA Gold (until 2012)[1]
FIA Silver (2013–)[2]
Current seriesFIA Formula Two Championship
First year2009
Current teamMotorSport Vision
Car number18
Starts16
Wins0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finish23rd
Year2009

Natacha Gachnang (born 27 October 1987 in Vevey, Switzerland) is a Swiss race driver and the cousin of former Formula One driver Sébastien Buemi.[3] In 2010, she was a member of the first all-female crew to race at Le Mans 24 hours since 1991, and she competed at Le Mans again in 2013.

Career

  • 2001 Swiss junior karting champion.
  • 2002 Formula BMW ADAC Meisterschaft test – fourth of 64 drivers.
  • 2003 Formula BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – one fourth-place finish.
  • 2004 Formula BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – two fourth-place finishes.
  • 2005 Formula BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – sixth, three podiums.
  • 2006 Formula 3 Cup – one podium, nine top-10 finishes.
  • 2007 Star Mazda 3- two podiums.
  • 2007/2008 A1 Grand Prix - Rookie driver for Switzerland (Brno)[4]

On 17 December 2008, it was announced Gachnang would be the first female to drive in the new Formula One feeder series FIA Formula Two Championship.[5] She finished 23rd in the campaign, scoring two points.

  • 2008 Spanish Formula 3 - four podiums.
  • 2009 Formula 2 - one top-ten finish.

For the 2010 season, Gachnang teamed up with Cyndie Allemann and raced for the Swiss Matech team in a GT1 class Ford GT in the FIA GT1 World Championship.[6] During qualifying for the first round of the championship in Abu Dhabi, she crashed heavily, breaking her right tibia.[7]

Gachnang returned to racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Gachnang and Allemann being joined by fellow Swiss Rahel Frey. This marked the first time since 1991, with Lyn St. James, Desire Wilson and Cathy Muller, that an all-female team competed at Le Mans.[8]

Racing record

Career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2003Formula BMW ADACPrivateer2000001319th
2004Formula BMW ADACAM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH1900003712th
2005Formula BMW ADACJosef Kaufmann Racing200003906th
2006German Formula 3 Championship - CupBordoli Motorsport1400011113th
German Formula 3 Championship - Trophy400021711th
Österreichische Rennwagen Meisterschaft21002354th[9]
Formula 3 Euro Series30000024th
Jo Zeller Racing40000
2007Star Mazda ChampionshipAIM Autosport700?221715th
Atlantic ChampionshipPaladin Motorsports00000034th
2008Spanish Formula 3 Championship - Class ACampos F3 Racing170124763rd
Spanish Formula 3 Championship - Copa F30017536121101st
2009FIA Formula Two ChampionshipMotorSport Vision160000223rd
Formula Le Mans CupHope Polevision Racing701025210th
Radical European Masters811481335th
2010Auto GPCharouz-Gravity Racing60000121st
FIA GT1 World ChampionshipMatech Competition20000060th
Le Mans 24 Hours - LMGT110000N/ADNF
2011V de V Challenge Endurance ProtoÉquipe Palmyr10??0544th
2012VLN SeriesToyota Swiss Racing Team300??10507th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - V311111N/A1st
2013European Le Mans SeriesMorand Racing50003587th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP210000N/A5th
2015V de V Challenge Endurance ProtoÉquipe Palmyr4000283.511th

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617181920DCPoints
2006Bordoli MotorsportDallara F305/026OpelHOC1
1		HOC1
2		LAU
1		LAU
2		OSC
1		OSC
2		BRH
1		BRH
2		NOR
1
15		NOR
2
DNS		NÜR
1
23		NÜR
2
15		ZAN
1		ZAN
2		CAT
1		CAT
2		24th0
Jo Zeller RacingDallara F306/014OpelLMS
1
12		LMS
2
Ret		HOC2
1
13		HOC2
2
10

Complete FIA Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year12345678910111213141516DCPoints
2009VAL
1
11		VAL
2
Ret		BRN
1
14		BRN
2
Ret		SPA
1
11		SPA
2
13		BRH
1
14		BRH
2
15		DON
1
13		DON
2
Ret		OSC
1
11		OSC
2
12		IMO
1
15		IMO
2
Ret		CAT
1
7		CAT
2
13		23rd2

Complete Auto GP Results

(key)

YearEntrant123456789101112PosPoints
2010Charouz-Gravity RacingBRN
1		BRN
2		IMO
1		IMO
2		SPA
1
12		SPA
2
11		MAG
1		MAG
2		NAV
1
8		NAV
2
7		MNZ
1
15		MNZ
2
10		21st1

Complete GT1 World Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314151617181920PosPoints
2010Matech CompetitionFordABU
QR
DNS
ABU
CR
DNS
SIL
QR		SIL
CR		BRN
QR		BRN
CR		PRI
QR
18
PRI
CR
Ret
SPA
QR		SPA
CR		NÜR
QR		NÜR
CR		ALG
QR		ALG
CR		NAV
QR		NAV
CR		INT
QR		INT
CR		SAN
QR		SAN
CR		60th0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2010Matech CompetitionCyndie Allemann
Rahel Frey		Ford GT1GT159DNFDNF
2013Morand RacingFranck Mailleux
Olivier Lombard		Morgan LMP2-JuddLMP232011th5th

Complete European Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantClassChassisEngine12345RankPoints
2013Morand RacingLMP2Morgan LMP2Judd HK 3.6 L V8SIL
Ret		IMO
3		RBR
3		HUN
5		LEC
2		7th58

References

  1. ^ "2013 FIA WEC - Liste des catégorisations des pilotes". nextgen-auto.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  2. ^ "WEC Silverstone Entry". prostgp.org. Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  3. ^ Panzariu, Ovidiu (15 July 2009). "Buemi Not Getting Excited about Cousin's F1 Links". Autoevolution. Archived 11 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  4. ^ http://www.motorsport.com/#!/a1gp/news/brno-practice-1-times-2007-10-13/?v=2&s=1&q=Natacha+Gachnang&i=5 Brno Practice 1 times - Motorsport.com. Retrieved 3 February 2012
  5. ^ "Formula 1 News, Live Grand Prix Updates, Videos, Drivers and Results - ESPN". Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  6. ^ "Bernoldi eyes GT1 title with Ford". Autosport. 2010-03-04.
  7. ^ Watkins, Gary (2010-04-16). "No surgery required for Gachnang". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  8. ^ "All Female Team Hoped to Make History at Le Mans". Vintage Motorsport. 2010-06-12. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-06-13.
  9. ^ "Österreichische Staatsmeisterschaften 2006 Rennwagen". Archived 2016-08-30 at the Wayback Machine.