Christian Ried

Christian Ried, born on February 24, 1979, is a German racing driver and team principal, primarily known for his extensive involvement with Proton Competition, the team founded by his father, Gerold Ried, in 1996. Ried began his racing career in 1996 and has competed in numerous series, including the FIA GT Championship, European Le Mans Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Currently, he is racing for Iron Lynx in the #61 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Ried's career highlights include a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 in the GTE Am class with co-drivers Matt Campbell and Julien Andlauer. He also secured European Le Mans Series titles in 2020 and 2022. Notably, Christian Ried holds the distinction of being the only driver to have participated in every race of the FIA WEC from its inception in 2012 through 2022, marking an impressive streak of 85 consecutive races. After initially announcing his retirement from professional racing at the end of the 2023 season to focus on team management and his children's racing careers, Ried returned to the WEC for a one-off race in Interlagos in 2024. For the 2025 season, he has committed to a full-time racing role with Iron Lynx.

Beyond his driving achievements, Ried has also been recognized for his success in Porsche racing, winning the Porsche Cup in both 2017 and 2018. As team principal of Proton Competition, Ried has been instrumental in the team's expansion into various racing programs, including Hypercar and LMGT3 categories.