Ian James

Ian James, born on July 22, 1974, in Epsom, United Kingdom, is a British-American racing driver and team principal who has made a significant impact in the world of sports car racing. James is best known as the principal of the Heart of Racing Team, which he founded in 2020. The Heart of Racing team competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with factory support from Aston Martin and supports Seattle Children's hospital in Seattle, Washington.

Throughout his career, James has achieved notable success, including 11 total sportscar wins. In 2004, he secured a class victory (LMP2) at the 12 Hours of Sebring and went on to win the LMP2 driving title in the American Le Mans Series. More recently, in 2015, he achieved another class victory (GTD) at the 12 Hours of Sebring. In 2023, James distinguished himself by winning the GTD class at the 24 Hours of Daytona, outperforming the GTD Pro teams. This victory marked the first for Aston Martin at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 59 years.

Beyond his driving achievements, James has also taken on leadership roles within the motorsport industry. In November 2024, Ian James was appointed as the Director of Motorsport at McLaren Automotive, overseeing all of McLaren Automotive's GT products and customer racing activities. Before this appointment, since September 2022, James held the position of Team Principal for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, as well as Managing Director of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing.