Soheil Ayari

Soheil Ayari, born on April 5, 1970, is a French-Iranian racing driver with a diverse and successful career spanning multiple racing disciplines. Ayari's early career highlights include winning the French Formula Ford Championship in 1994, the French Formula Three Championship in 1996, and the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 1997. From 1997 to 2000, he competed in Formula 3000, securing two race wins before transitioning to touring cars.

Ayari found considerable success in the French Supertouring Championship, claiming the title in 2002, 2004, and 2005. He later ventured into GT racing, becoming the French GT Champion in 2006 and 2007 while driving a Saleen S7-R for Team Oreca. In 2007, he also won the European Le Mans Series championship. His adaptability and skill were further demonstrated by his participation in various GT categories, including driving a Corvette GT1 and later joining the Audi ORECA Team. In 2011, he secured championships in the ILMC LMP2 (Signatech Nissan) and the International Open GT with JMB Ferrari F458 GT2.

A notable aspect of Ayari's career is his extensive experience at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with 11 starts in GT1, LMP1, and LMP2 classes. His best overall results include fourth-place finishes in 2004 and 2010, and a second-place finish in LMP2 in 2011. Beyond his driving career, Ayari has remained active in the racing world as a journalist, specializing in track tests and historic racing events. In recent years, he has participated in series like the European Le Mans Series, French GT Championship, and GT4 European Southern Cup, and from 2023 he has focused more on team management.