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Our History

1988 1988
1989 1989
1990 1990
1993 1993
1994 1994
1997-98 1997-98
1999-2000 1999-2000
2003 2003
2005 2005
2006 2006
2009 2009
2009-10 2009-10
2010 2010
2011 2011
2012 2012
2013 2013
2014 2014
2014 2014
2014 2014
2015 2015
2016 2016
2017 2017
2017 2017
2018 2018
2019 2019
2020 2020

1988

Driot Associés Motor Sport (DAMS) is founded by Jean-Paul Driot and seven-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Rene Arnoux.

 

1989

In its first racing season, DAMS scores three wins with Erik Comas and Erik Bernard in International Formula 3000.

They finished second and third in the drivers’ championship respectively.

1990

DAMS wins its first international title, with Erik Comas claiming the F3000 drivers’ championship.

Allan McNish scores two wins in his rookie season to finish fourth in the standings.

1993

Olivier Panis takes three wins on the way to the F3000 drivers’ title.

He moved to F1 the following year with Ligier, with who he would claim his famous 1996 Monaco Grand Prix victory.

1994

Jean-Christophe Boullion gives DAMS a second consecutive F3000 drivers’ title and is promoted to F1 with Sauber.

He would race again with DAMS during its 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans assault with Panoz.

1997-98

DAMS competes in the FIA GT Championship with the Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Ford. 

The team took two podiums in Hockenheim and Dijon during the 1998 season.

1999-2000

DAMS competes in the Sports Racing World Cup, taking four wins with the Lola B98/10 in its first season.

 

2003

DAMS wins the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup drivers’ championship with Jose Maria Lopez after taking five wins.

Lopez would go on to become a triple World Touring Car champion with Citroen and a WEC race winner with Toyota.

2005

DAMS enters the newly created GP2 Series, replacing F3000 on the F1 support bill.

Its first win in the championship came in Barcelona with Jose Maria Lopez.

2006

DAMS wins in the inaugural A1 Grand Prix championship running Team France, taking 13 wins in the 22 races.

 

2009

DAMS takes both the teams’ and drivers’ titles in the GP2 Asia Series.

The future F1 graduates Kamui Kobayashi and Jerome d’Ambrosio finished first and second in the drivers’ standings respectively.

2009-10

DAMS takes the teams’ and drivers’ titles in the 2009 and 2010 Formula Le Mans Cup championships.

 

2010

Romain Grosjean becomes the first Auto GP champion.

DAMS locked out the top three in the drivers’ standings to take the teams’ title.

2011

After taking the GP2 Asia championship during the winter, Romain Grosjean takes the GP2 Series title before moving to F1 with Lotus.

 

2012

DAMS takes its first GP2 teams’ title and back-to-back drivers’ championships with Davide Valsecchi.

 

2013

In its second year back in Formula Renault 3.5, DAMS wins the teams’ and drivers’ titles with Kevin Magnussen.

The Dane moved to F1 with McLaren the following year.

2014

DAMS does the double again in GP2 with Jolyon Palmer.

Taking the teams’ and drivers’ championships, the Brit went on to compete for Renault in F1.

2014

Carlos Sainz continues DAMS’ record in Formula Renault 3.5.

Seven victories led to the teams’ and drivers’ championship before making his F1 debut with Toro Rosso.

2014

e.dams division is created, and partnered with Renault, to enter the ground-breaking new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship.

 

2015

After taking four wins, e.dams becomes the inaugural teams’ champion in Formula E.

 

2016

Sebastien Buemi wins the Formula E drivers’ title with Renault e.dams taking a second consecutive teams’ championship.

 

2017

Renault e.dams takes a third consecutive Formula E teams’ championship.

 

2017

DAMS enters the new FIA Formula 2 Championship, replacing GP2 Series, taking its first win in Monaco with Oliver Rowland.

 

2018

Nissan becomes new Formula E partner to form Nissan e.dams.

The new partnership took its first win with Sebastien Buemi in New York at the end of the 2018/19 season.

2019

DAMS claims its first Formula 2 teams’ title after taking six wins with Nicholas Latifi and Sergio Sette Camara.

The former moved to F1 with Williams for 2020.

2020

Nissan e.dams claims second in the Formula E teams’ championship, while Oliver Rowland takes his first victory in the series at the penultimate round in Berlin.

 

More than 30 years’ experience

Jean-Paul Driot established Driot Associés Motor Sport (DAMS) at the end of 1988, before debuting in the 1989 International Formula 3000 season.

Based in La Sarthe, near the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, the team was managed by Jean-Paul for more than 30 years. Following his passing in August 2019, his sons Olivier and Gregory now run the team.

Having mainly competed in single-seater championships since its foundation, DAMS has built an impressive racing CV over the years, winning 31 international titles and over 160 races. Out of these successes, more than 32 former DAMS drivers have reached Formula 1, including six current racers: Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi.

DAMS’ experience also extends to endurance and GT racing, having competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times for prestigious manufacturers, including Cadillac and Panoz. DAMS has also won titles in Formula Le Mans Cup and taken victories in the Sports Racing World Cup.

DAMS is a visionary team that has always been involved in the evolution of motorsport, entering the new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship in 2014.

Originally partnering with Renault, the team won the first three teams’ titles, with Sébastien Buemi taking the 2015-16 drivers’ title.

Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Nissan became the team’s new partner, forming Nissan e.dams.

Sadly, on 3 August 2019, at the age of 68, Jean-Paul passed away after a long battle with illness. The team is now run by his two sons, Gregory and Olivier.