GR Racing
British racing team (founded 2021)
GR Racing, formerly known as Gulf Racing, is a British auto racing team founded in 2011 by businessman and amateur driver Mike Wainwright. The team is based in Milton Keynes, England and has featured in various endurance racing events including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC).
01History
GR Racing was founded in 2011 with the aim to merge competitive racing with the iconic Gulf Oil livery, representing motorsports excellence since the 1960s. The team debuted in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship competing in the GTE Am category with a Porsche 911 RSR.
The debut season provided valuable experience and a competitive edge. Over subsequent years, Gulf Racing achieved podium finishes in the FIA WEC, led by Ben Barker. In 2021 the team stopped using the Gulf Oil livery and changed its name to GR Racing.
In recent years, GR Racing has been active in the FIA WEC and other endurance racing series. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team finished 4th in the LM GTE Am class in 2022 and 3rd in 2023. The team expanded its operations and technical capabilities, forming partnerships with leading automotive and racing technology companies.
In 2024, GR Racing became a Ferrari customer team, fielding a Ferrari 296 GT3 in the European Le Mans Series for Wainwright, Riccardo Pera and factory driver Davide Rigon.
For 2025 the team continued with Ferrari in the European Le Mans series. Drivers Wainwright and Pera were joined by Tom Fleming and scored podiums in Le Castellet and Silverstone. The team was leading the race in Silverstone when a red-flag due to weather brought the race to a halt und the following count-back resulted in the team being pushed back to P2 as the overtake for P1 had only happened shortly before the red flag was called. GR Racing finished the season in P8.
The 2026 European Le Mans Series kicked off with a new lineup for GR. Mike Wainwright was joined by Mex Jansen and Lorcan Hanafin. The team scored a podium in Round 2 of the European Le Mans Series in Le Castellet.
02Racing record
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Entrant | No. | Car | Drivers | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Gulf Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR | Ben Barker Adam Carroll Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 328 | 33rd | 5th |
| 2017 | Gulf Racing UK | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR | Ben Barker Nick Foster Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 328 | 38th | 10th |
| 2018 | Gulf Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR | Ben Barker Alex Davison Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 283 | 40th | 10th |
| 2019 | Gulf Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR | Ben Barker Thomas Preining Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 331 | 38th | 8th |
| 2020 | Gulf Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR | Ben Barker Mike Wainwright Andrew Watson |
LMGTE Am | 337 | 29th | 5th |
| 2021 | GR Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Ben Barker Tom Gamble Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 322 | 43rd | 14th |
| 2022 | GR Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Ben Barker Riccardo Pera Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 340 | 37th | 4th |
| 2023 | GR Racing | 86 | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Ben Barker Riccardo Pera Mike Wainwright |
LMGTE Am | 312 | 29th | 3rd |
| 2024 | GR Racing | 86 | Ferrari 296 GT3 | Riccardo Pera Daniel Serra Mike Wainwright |
LMGT3 | 278 | 39th | 12th |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “GR Racing”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- GR Racing logo.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
- Porsche 911 RSR - Michael Wainwright, Ben Barker & Riccardo Pera in Ford Chicane at the 2023 Le Mans (53427991997).jpg by Martin Lee from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gulf Racing UK's Porsche 911 RSR Driven by Michael Wainwright, Ben Barker and Nick Foster (36038041512).jpg by David Merrett from Daventry, England, CC BY 2.0
- 2024 4 Hours of Le Castellet 36.jpg by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
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