For some weeks the name of Jann Mardenborough has been increasingly mentioned and present in the articles, but not for his exploits on the track, but for the film Gran Turismo which has been out in theaters for a few days.
The Briton, who became a driver thanks to the GT Academy project that brought a kid to actually race coming from the world of simulators, gave a big hand in writing the script to tell his incredible story.
This can be a source of inspiration for many to find a path in their lives and harness the talents that have been given to us; as he points out in this exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, his is racing in a car and the idea is to get back into action as soon as possible on a prototype or a GT, perhaps by redoing the much loved 24h of Le Mans.
Jann Mardenborough
Photo by: Paola Depalmas
The film ends with your podium finish at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, but I think for many people the question is: what happened to Jann after that?
“The following year I did Le Mans again with G-Drive. Also Spa in GT3 and raced in GP3, which I then repeated in 2015. He did some tests in the World Series, GT3 races and then also LMP1 in 2015. In 2016 I went to Japan for F3 and was vice-champion. Then I raced in Super GT 300, Super Formula, Super GT 500 with Impul. In 2018 only the Super GT 500 and it was like this until the end of 2020. In 2021 and 2022 I covered the role of test driver in Formula E with Nissan and McLaren, and also did the sim driver. I’m off this year, but with the film I was on set for about six months, doing stunts and making sure everything was right. I had a lot of promotional activities this year so I didn’t have much time for racing. Just the 24h of Fuji in Super Taikyu”.
In 2014 you were part of the Red Bull youth programme…
“Yes, the Infinity Red Bull program. I was busy on the simulator, so before each GP3 round with Arden I worked with the engineers. I had only been racing for three years, I was still very young. It would have been great to have had more years in F3, because I only did 2013. But in order to continue racing, I had to work my way up the level and in terms of my career and growth as a driver, it wasn’t the right decision. Let’s say it was the one to take at the time and the GP3 is comparable to an F3, the best in the world.”
I think it’s fair to say that you are still the best example of how simracers can be successful in real life. Since you’ve been doing real racing, we haven’t seen many people take that step, even though simracing has become more and more popular. How do you explain it?
“I’ve done it, so it’s totally possible. If you had asked me this question thirteen years ago, before I got into racing, it would have been a little more difficult to answer. But now I’ve proven that it can. I did everything except F1, raced in the top categories in Japan, Super Formula and GT500 as a factory driver and my level was zero. I have not karted, nor had I ever been to a track. My entire experience has been through Gran Turismo.”
The winner of the race; Jann Mardenborough
Photo by: GP3 Series Media Service
Is there a lack of funding? It’s still possible?
“I’m surprised that since then there hasn’t been any competition similar to GT Academy and it annoys me because commercially it was a success. Every company involved in creating the Academy, such as Nissan and Playstation, were doing well financially. It worked like initiative, next was World’s Fastest Gamer, they made two versions of it, which was similar to GT Academy, then nothing. I get so many questions on my Instagram from people with a similar background to me. ‘How do I get into racing ?I love racing and I’m very good at racing games, but how do I do it?’.
And what do you answer?
“Which unfortunately I don’t know. You have to contact a team, work your way through the traditional route, as a mechanic, and maybe you can get the opportunity to test a car if the driver doesn’t show up for a test session or something. Other than that, I can’t give an answer. And it really annoys me. Because the formula worked, I’m the proof. I hope that after the release of the film, some big multinational company or private investor will think of something similar. Because it works.”
Is that something you would consider starting a project like this?
“We should think about it, but at the moment I’m alone and I would like to do Le Mans again with a Hypercar. I am aware that I have a reputation, I come from that world, but starting a project like this requires a deeper reflection on how it should be done”.
#23 Nissan Motorsports Nissan GT-R LM NISMO: Olivier Pla, Jann Mardenborough, Max Chilton
Photo by: James Holland
So are you thinking about a return to Le Mans?
“Yes because those cars are fantastic. I feel this is the golden era of sportscars and prototypes with so many manufacturers involved, I want to be a part of it. And then still racing in Japan, I love Super GT, it’s my favorite racing series and the GT500s are phenomenal cars. Unfortunately in that part of the world you risk being forgotten, but that’s part of the game.”
The film can help show you…
“It came out at a good point in my career and it can get my name around. I’m working hard with my managers to meet people and talk. I’m no longer associated with Nissan, who I ended the relationship with at the end of last year.” . Now my image is rebuilding, my name, it’s a new chapter. Target 2024: Le Mans and Hypercar. I’d like to do something in America in the same category, also in GT3. We’ll see”.
Is there already any concrete project?
“Not yet, but even if I had, I wouldn’t say it now!” (laughs, ed.).
Jann Mardenborough, Rookie Test Driver for Nissan e.Dams
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
On the GT Academy website your bio says: ‘Mardenborough’s ultimate ambition is to compete in Formula 1. He also aspires to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but for now his primary goal is to learn something every time he gets out of the car. With an attitude like that, one day he might share the grid with his hero, Lewis Hamilton’. You have not reached F1, you came close to winning Le Mans and with your plans there is new hope. Looking back, what can you say about those ambitions?
“I think of 2013 when I was entering the world of F3, then the reason was to get to F1, but at the time I didn’t know much about it in terms of life and communicating with people. Yet it has always been my ambition to reach the top of my sport, which is F1. I feel lucky for all the opportunities I’ve had in my life, because it could have gone in the opposite direction completely. But I’m never really satisfied, there’s always more to do, something more, and I want to race in combustion engine cars. So cars like Super GT, LMDh, LMH and GT3. This is my world and Le Mans is the biggest race in the world, but it’s also the biggest prototype and sportscar race. Winning it is still the goal”.
You co-produced the film Gran Turismo; how was it and what was your goal?
“If I had been asked the question six or seven years ago, it would have been very easy to say I didn’t want to be a part of it, because you open up to everything about your life and are exposed to criticism for years, like when I was not yet growing up as a driver and human being. I come from nowhere and the film focuses on the first four years of racing. Now I’m in a position where I feel comfortable, especially if a person can walk out of the theater after seeing it and be inspired to follow their dream . Whether it’s motorsport or something completely different. It’s worth a try. I hope people follow their passion, their purpose in life; I believe everyone has many childhood dreams and is born with talent. Racing is mine, this is It’s what I believe I was born to do. I hope people see the silver lining in watching the film and find direction in their lives.”
How involved were you in writing the story?
“A lot in all the scripts. In the first one many things were not correct, but we were on the phone for seven hours with Sony to define what needed to be changed. The thing repeated itself, then in June 2022 the script was at a really good point and there was still sort of finalizing the casting Meet Archie [Madekwe] for the first time, again, it put me at ease because this guy wanted to know everything about me.”
Gran Turismo Movie, cockpit
Photo by: Gran Turismo movie
How did you find him, as an actor?
“It’s not a biopic with Archie mimicking the way I walk or my facial expressions. It’s more the relationships I have with my family, engineers and racing as well. That’s what it focuses on. So it made me put me at ease when I arrived on set. I’m not an actor, I’m not a cinematographer, but I’m focusing on my job, which for 11-12 years is driving. Clearly driving the film is a little different, but at least I have control over that. And I felt very confident in this person playing me, I’m very happy with the script. It all came together to create what we have today. I feel very lucky to have made such a huge contribution.”
Do you still play Gran Turismo?
“Occasionally I find a few hours in the day, but it’s just for fun. The only time I’ve played it seriously was for GT Academy, and it wasn’t for fun because that’s something like 8 hours a day. The only reason I play it’s because it’s fun, I run online for fun, whereas that was for a reason.”
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