Is Gran Turismo star Jann Mardenborough heading for Le Mans return with Ford?

For Jann Mardenborough, it dates again to a self-promise in 2021.

The 2011 GT Academy winner was at a crossroads in life, having simply departed the Nissan Tremendous GT programme, which left him with no full-time drive for the 12 months.

It marked not solely the top of a five-year stint contesting Japan’s prime sportscar championship, however probably the top of an expert profession that spanned a decade. His choices had been slim, the world was nonetheless battling COVID-19, however Mardenborough was decided to drive his manner “again to the highest of motorsport”.

The journey was clearly robust. Mardenborough revealed instances of self-doubt, and one of the best he may muster was a simulator position for the Nissan Components E group throughout 2021 and 2022.

However now, after three one-off races since 2023, which Mardenborough believes stored his “foot within the door”, the 33-year-old has lastly landed a full-time racing seat as soon as once more. He’ll contest the 2025 GT World Problem Europe season aboard a factory-backed Ford Mustang GT3 alongside co-drivers Thomas Drouet and Arjun Maini.

“It is taken longer than I anticipated,” Mardenborough tells Motorsport.com, “it will have been good to have carried out it a bit faster, however I’m proud that I managed to search out the correct folks to encompass myself with to place a bundle collectively the place I can present my efficiency.

“I’ve nonetheless received ambitions and targets I might like to attain, and I’ve received extra to do. There was time to essentially replicate inside these 4 years to take a seat down and ask myself: ‘Do I wish to proceed to do that? Do I wish to proceed to push via the arduous instances of ache and rejection?’ – and sure…it’s all the time been sure.”

Mardenborough has already had a strong profession to this point, claiming wins in British GT, the GP3 Collection, Tremendous GT and Japanese Components 3. Let’s additionally not overlook his class podium on debut on the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2013.

Mardenborough shone on his Le Mans debut, along with his Greaves Motorsport-entered Zytek taking third within the LMP2 class

Picture by: Eric Gilbert

However what Mardenborough is arguably most identified for is the Gran Turismo movie launched in 2023 that’s primarily based on his profession. As a result of the Cardiff native has a narrative like no different.

All he ever wished was to change into an expert racer, but his household was unable to fund karting and the opposite conventional routes into motorsport. This left on-line racing as the one avenue for a younger Mardenborough to communicate along with his ardour.

And it initially appeared that mentioned ardour would maintain him again in a manner. He headed off to review motorsport engineering at college, however quickly dropped out with no concept of what to do for a future profession, considering driving was out of the query.

He spoke of a parallel universe the place he’s “designing furnishings for DFS”. That would simply have been a actuality had it not been for the GT Academy, a sim racing competitors he utilized for throughout his hole 12 months.

The aim of the competitors was easy: to find a future racer through on-line occasions, during which Mardenborough overcame over 90,000 different sim racing lovers to change into champion.

His prize? Knowledgeable contract with Nissan to kickstart an extended and profitable profession offering alternatives {that a} teenage Mardenborough by no means thought was attainable.

So it’s fairly the story, one which has impressed loads of others. As Mardenborough enters a “fully new chapter”, he’s conscious that it’s not simply him this time, however many others who’re hoping to emulate the Welshman.

“The state of affairs is sort of completely different to 2011,” he says, “as a result of I’ve many individuals that look as much as me.

Mardenborough wants to live up to his newfound role model status

Mardenborough needs to reside as much as his newfound position mannequin standing

Picture by: Paragraph5-4Pros

“It all the time surprises me, the messages that I get – particularly from the youthful viewers – those who have gotten into motorsport as a result of they’ve watched the movie. So that’s one thing which I am very blessed with.

“When issues are tough, I can pull out and go ‘OK, it isn’t simply you now, it is different those who have a look at you, so suck it up and get on with it’.”

The stress to ship is due to this fact on Mardenborough, beginning with this weekend’s six-hour season-opener at Circuit Paul Ricard. He’s “assured that I can get on the tempo immediately”, however maybe extra importantly, Mardenborough is at an organisation that seems like a real house.

“I’ve moved into a brand new setting with a producer desirous to make its title loud in sportscars and GT racing,” he states.

“So there’s room for me to develop. I really feel I’ve worth that I may give, not solely as velocity, however as expertise as properly, right into a group and bundle that does not wish to do a one-year factor, they wish to compete with large boys. They provide me numerous confidence that they wish to win.”

Jann Mardenborough, HRT Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3

Mardenborough will share this manufacturing unit Ford Mustang GT3 with Thomas Drouet and Arjun Maini

Picture by: Haupt Racing Workforce

The alternatives {that a} profitable marketing campaign in GT World Problem may deliver are infinite. However there is just one aim on Mardenborough’s thoughts, and that’s to formally change into “a Ford manufacturing unit driver”.

Ford has not too long ago been making headlines within the sportscar world. Its historical past throughout the area is properly documented, 4 consecutive wins at Le Mans within the late Sixties for instance, nevertheless it hopes the story will not be but over.

That’s as a result of the American marque has already introduced that it’s going to return to Circuit de la Sarthe to battle for total honours in 2027, as a part of an LMDh programme within the World Endurance Championship – one thing that’s “completely” on Mardenborough’s thoughts.

“Let’s not beat across the bush, that is the place I wish to be,” he concludes. “It is why I received into the programme within the first place. In fact, folks speak of the push to presumably be doing Hypercar, so that could be a ladder.

“I imagine I’ve the credentials, expertise and velocity to be a manufacturing unit driver. That is the place I really feel I can discover numerous worth, and this can be a good place for me to be proper now.

“I can solely take it day-to-day. It is on the market, I do not know the way it is going to be achieved, what route I will take, however so long as I am doing my finest – on monitor, off monitor – then what will likely be, will likely be.”

Jann Mardenborough, HRT Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3