Matheus Leist

Matheus Tobias Leist, born on September 8, 1998, is a Brazilian racing driver with a diverse background in motorsports. Leist's career began in karting at age eleven, where he quickly progressed, finishing as runner-up in the Petrobras Karting Championship in 2013. Transitioning to single-seaters in 2014, he raced in the Brazilian Formula 3 Championship, securing second place in the B class. The following year, he moved to the UK to compete in MSA Formula, earning two victories and finishing fifth overall.

In 2016, Leist continued his ascent in British Formula 3, winning the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship. This success paved the way for a move to the United States, where he joined Indy Lights in 2017. He impressed with three wins, including the prestigious Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and finished fourth in the championship. Leist's performance in Indy Lights led to an IndyCar Series opportunity with A.J. Foyt Enterprises in 2018, partnering with veteran driver Tony Kanaan. He completed two full seasons in IndyCar, achieving a best finish of fourth at the 2019 IndyCar Grand Prix.

After IndyCar, Leist transitioned to sports car racing, joining JDC-Miller MotorSports for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2020. His best result was a fourth-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring. More recently, Matheus has been working as a driver coach for Brazilian drivers based in America.