Oliver Gray
| Oliver Gray | |
|---|---|
Gray driving at the Mugello Circuit in 2024 | |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 28 April 2005 Woking, Surrey, England[1] |
| European Le Mans Series career | |
| Debut season | 2024 |
| Current team | VDS Panis Racing |
| Racing licence | FIA Silver |
| Car number | 48 |
| Former teams | Inter Europol Competition |
| Starts | 9 (9 entries) |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 7th in 2024 |
| Previous series | |
| 2024 2023 2022 2021–2022 2021 | Porsche Carrera Cup Italy FIA Formula 3 Championship F4 British Championship Formula 4 UAE Championship Italian F4 Championship |
Oliver Gray (born 28 April 2005[1]) is a British racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 European Le Mans Series with VDS Panis Racing. He previously drove for Inter Europol Competition in 2024. Gray was previously a member of the Williams Driver Academy.[2]
Early career
Karting
Gray began his karting career at Buckmore Park in 2015. After winning the British Championship in 2019, he moved into international competition in 2020, driving for Leclerc by Lennox Racing.[3] He also narrowly missed out on winning the 2019 IAME International Final at Le Mans, losing victory to Ollie Bearman due to a last-lap engine failure.[4]
Formula 4
2021
Gray began his single-seater career in 2021, driving for Fortec Motorsport in the F4 British Championship.[5] He had a solid season, taking his maiden wins in Thruxton Circuit.[6][7] However, those were his only wins of the year, let alone standing on the podium. Despite missing a round, Gray placed seventh in the standings.[8]
Gray also took part in two rounds of the Italian F4 Championship with BVM Racing.[9] He had a best finish of 12th and placed 37th in the championship.[10]
2022
Gray partook in the 2022 Formula 4 UAE Championship with Hitech GP.[11] He raced in only the first two rounds, scoring a podium in the second race, which put him 15th overall.[12]
For his main campaign, Gray switched to Carlin for his second F4 British season.[13] The season was largely dominated by Alex Dunne, but Gray was able to notch up two wins at Croft Circuit and Silverstone.[14][15] He did however, score 14 further podiums throughout the season, securing vice-champion following the conclusion of the season.[16] He was also nominated for the Autosport BRDC Award.[17]
FIA Formula 3 Championship
Gray was promoted to FIA Formula 3 for 2023, staying with Rodin Carlin.[18] He had a disappointing season, failing to score points and having a best finish of 14th, which placed him 28th overall in the standings.[19]
Formula One
Gray was part of the Williams Driver Academy from 2022 to 2023.[20]
Sportscar career
2024: ELMS debut
Following a sub-par Formula 3 campaign, Gray switched to racing in the 2024 European Le Mans Series with Inter Europol Competition alongside Luca Ghiotto and Clément Novalak.[21] Gray experienced a consistent campaign in the series, finishing fourth during the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps before a first podium in Mugello with third place.[22][23] He finished the season with fifth place for the 4 Hours of Portimão, as his team finished seventh in the LMP2 standings.[24]
Gray also partook in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia for Ombra Racing from the second round onwards; he had a highest finish of fourth place twice and finished 14th in the standings.[25][26]
2025
Gray switched to VDS Panis Racing for 2025 in the European Le Mans Series, where his teammates are Esteban Masson and Charles Milesi.[27] The trio began the campaign by finishing third overall at Barcelona, which netted them second in the Pro class.[28] Despite Milesi qualifying second at Le Castellet, the team finished sixth in the Pro class and a lowly 12th overall.[29][30] Gray subsequently made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut alongside Masson and Franck Perera.[31] He inherited the lead during the fifth hour and remained there during the night.[32][33] This lead, once over a minute long, was lost once a safety car was called to bunch up the field.[34] The race for the LMP2 lead became a two-way fight between Gray's #48 and the #43 of Inter Europol, but despite a late penalty for the #43, the win was lost as Masson slowed with a suspension problem during the final hour and nursed the car home in second place.[35][36]
At Imola, the VDS Panis crew bounced back: Gray took the lead from Jamie Chadwick at the end of the first hour and drove out a commanding lead, one which his teammates retained to give Gray his first sportscar victory.[37][38]
Personal life
Gray labels Michael Schumacher as his racing hero.[39]
Karting record
Karting career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | LGM Series - IAME Cadet | 10th | |
| Super 1 National Championship - IAME Cadet | 17th | ||
| 2019 | IAME International Final - X30 Junior | Dan Holland Racing | 32nd |
| Kartmasters British GP - X30 Junior | 1st | ||
| British Kart Championship - X30 Junior | 1st | ||
| IAME Euro Series - X30 Junior | 2nd | ||
| IAME Winter Cup - X30 Junior | 5th | ||
| WSK Euro Series - OK Junior | Lennox Racing Team | 33rd | |
| 2020 | CIK-FIA World Championship - OK | Leclerc by Lennox Racing | |
| WSK Euro Series - OK | 6th | ||
| CIK-FIA European Championship - OK | 10th | ||
| 25° South Garda Winter Cup - OK | |||
| WSK Super Master Series - OK | 14th |
Racing record
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | F4 British Championship | Fortec Motorsport | 27 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 173 | 7th |
| Italian F4 Championship | BVM Racing | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37th | |
| 2022 | Formula 4 UAE Championship | Hitech GP | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 15th |
| F4 British Championship | Carlin | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 343 | 2nd | |
| 2023 | FIA Formula 3 Championship | Rodin Carlin | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28th |
| 2024 | European Le Mans Series - LMP2 | Inter Europol Competition | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 7th |
| Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe - Pro | Ombra Racing | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 22nd | |
| Porsche Carrera Cup Italy | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 14th | ||
| 2025 | European Le Mans Series - LMP2 | VDS Panis Racing | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 51* | 1st* |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 2nd |
* Season still in progress.
Complete F4 British Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Fortec Motorsport | THR1 1 6 |
THR1 2 11 |
THR1 3 4 |
SNE 1 4 |
SNE 2 10 |
SNE 3 11 |
BHI 1 57 |
BHI 2 9 |
BHI 3 11 |
OUL 1 5 |
OUL 2 66 |
OUL 3 Ret |
KNO 1 9 |
KNO 2 7 |
KNO 3 Ret |
THR2 1 1 |
THR2 2 511 |
THR2 3 1 |
CRO 1 8 |
CRO 2 63 |
CRO 3 9 |
SIL 1 Ret |
SIL 2 73 |
SIL 3 Ret |
DON 1 |
DON 2 |
DON 3 |
BHGP 1 10 |
BHGP 2 41 |
BHGP 3 7 |
7th | 173 |
| 2022 | Carlin | DON 1 2 |
DON 2 Ret |
DON 3 3 |
BHI 1 3 |
BHI 2 23 |
BHI 3 2 |
THR1 1 3 |
THR1 2 44 |
THR1 3 Ret |
OUL 1 6 |
OUL 2 42 |
OUL 3 6 |
CRO 1 3 |
CRO 2 35 |
CRO 3 1 |
KNO 1 3 |
KNO 2 5 |
KNO 3 2 |
SNE 1 3 |
SNE 2 7 |
SNE 3 2 |
THR2 1 Ret |
THR2 2 67 |
THR2 3 12 |
SIL 1 4 |
SIL 2 10 |
SIL 3 1 |
BHGP 1 2 |
BHGP 2 Ret |
BHGP 3 3 |
2nd | 343 |
Complete Italian F4 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BVM Racing | LEC 1 |
LEC 2 |
LEC 3 |
MIS 1 |
MIS 2 |
MIS 3 |
VLL 1 |
VLL 2 |
VLL 3 |
IMO 1 |
IMO 2 |
IMO 3 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
RBR 3 |
MUG 1 18 |
MUG 2 21 |
MUG 3 21 |
MNZ 1 12 |
MNZ 2 26 |
MNZ 3 12 |
37th | 0 |
Complete Formula 4 UAE Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hitech GP | YAS1 1 11 |
YAS1 2 3 |
YAS1 3 11 |
YAS1 4 8 |
DUB1 1 Ret |
DUB1 2 5 |
DUB1 3 5 |
DUB1 4 9 |
DUB2 1 |
DUB2 2 |
DUB2 3 |
DUB2 4 |
DUB3 1 |
DUB3 2 |
DUB3 3 |
DUB3 4 |
YAS2 1 |
YAS2 2 |
YAS3 3 |
YAS4 4 |
15th | 41 |
Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rodin Carlin | BHR SPR 21 |
BHR FEA 21 |
MEL SPR 20 |
MEL FEA 14 |
MON SPR 22 |
MON FEA 19 |
CAT SPR 15 |
CAT FEA 18 |
RBR SPR Ret |
RBR FEA 14 |
SIL SPR 25 |
SIL FEA 20 |
HUN SPR 14 |
HUN FEA 27 |
SPA SPR 20 |
SPA FEA Ret |
MNZ SPR Ret |
MNZ FEA 16 |
28th | 0 |
Complete European Le Mans Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Inter Europol Competition | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | CAT 8 |
LEC Ret |
IMO 7 |
SPA 4 |
MUG 3 |
ALG 5 |
7th | 47 |
| 2025 | VDS Panis Racing | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | CAT 2 |
LEC 6 |
IMO 1 |
SPA |
SIL |
ALG |
1st* | 51* |
* Season still in progress.
Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Italy results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ombra Racing | MIS 1 |
MIS 2 |
IMO1 1 15 |
IMO1 2 Ret |
MUG 1 9 |
MUG 2 8 |
IMO2 1 22 |
IMO2 2 4 |
VLL 1 7 |
VLL 2 8 |
MNZ 1 12 |
MNZ 2 4 |
14th | 65 |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | VDS Panis Racing | Esteban Masson Franck Perera |
Oreca 07-Gibson | LMP2 | 367 | 19th | 2nd |
References
- ^ a b "Oliver Gray / Athletes / Athlete Management / WHS". Archived from the original on 5 August 2021.
- ^ "Oliver Gray joins Williams Racing Driver Academy - automobilsport.com". www.automobilsport.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ "FIA Karting". www.fiakarting.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "Oliver Bearman recovers to win Junior in last lap drama". KartXpress. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Wood, Ida (5 March 2021). "British karting champion Oliver Gray moves into cars with Fortec in F4". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Waring, Bethonie (29 August 2021). "Gray awarded Thruxton British F4 victory after Zagazeta appeal fails". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Waring, Bethonie (29 August 2021). "Gray wins hard-fought British F4 race three after dramatic Taylor crash". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "F4 British Championship certified by FIA powered by Ford 2021". DriverDB. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Wood, Ida (5 October 2021). "British F4 rookie Oliver Gray joins Italian F4 grid with BVM Racing". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Italian Formula 4 Championship 2021". DriverDB. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Wood, Ida (17 January 2022). "Hitech and Prema reveal their full F4 UAE line-ups". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "F4 United Arab Emirates Championship powered by Abarth 2022". DriverDB. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Oliver Gray joins Carlin's British Formula 4 Team". carlin.co.uk. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Waring, Bethonie (26 June 2022). "Williams junior Gray wins disrupted third F4 race at Croft". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Waring, Bethonie (25 September 2022). "Gray wins safety car-disrupted third British F4 race at Silverstone". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Ollie Gray on Williams: 'I believe they're happy with my progress'". Feeder Series. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Wood, Ida (4 August 2022). "Longlist of drivers for 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award named". Formula Scout. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Carlin recruit Williams junior Gray for 2023 season". FIA_Formula 3® - The Official F3® Website. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "Rodin Carlin 2023 season review: Focus on the future". FIA_Formula 3® - The Official F3® Website. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Oliver Gray joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". www.williamsf1.com. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ "Inter Europol Competition expands to three entries in the European Le Mans Series; confirm driver lineup". Inter Europol Competition. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Second place finish at Spa and very much in the ELMS championship race". Inter Europol Competition. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Double podium position for Inter Europol Competition at Mugello". Inter Europol Competition. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Inter Europol Competition disappointed with second position in the 2024 European Le Mans Series; proud of the season campaign". Inter Europol Competition. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Porsche Carrera Cup Italia: driver line-up 2024". Ombra Racing (in Italian). 10 April 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Porsche Carrera Cup Italia 2024: Two titles for Ombra Racing". Ombra Racing (in Italian). 8 October 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "Masson to Make LMP2 Debut in VDS Panis Oreca". Sportscar365. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ Euwema, Davey (6 April 2025). "AF Corse Beats IDEC to 4H Barcelona Victory – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Newbold, James (3 May 2025). "Yelloly Grabs Pole At Paul Ricard – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "European Le Mans Series – 4 Hours of Le Castellet Race – Final Classification" (PDF). ELMS Alkamel. Alkamel Systems. 4 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Perera joins VDS Panis LMP2 team for Le Mans | RACER". racer.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Little, Martin (14 June 2025). "Le Mans 24H, Hour 5: Ferrari Hypercar 1-2-3". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Kilbey, Stephen (15 June 2025). "Le Mans 24H, Hour 12: Safety Car Intervention Resets The Race". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Oakley, Phil (18 June 2025). "Ollie Gray, rising British star, finishes second at Le Mans". Motorsport Week. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Little, Martin (15 June 2025). "Le Mans 24H, Hour 22: Ferrari Domination Under Pressure". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Lickorish, Stephen (16 June 2025). "How Inter Europol won dramatic Le Mans LMP2 battle despite pitlane speeding penalty in final hour". autosport.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Newbold, James (6 July 2025). "VDS Panis Wins Eventful 4H Imola After Red Flag – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Kilbey, Stephen (6 July 2025). "VDS Panis Wins Wild Red Flag-Extended 4H Imola (Updated)". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "In Profile: Oliver Gray". FIA_Formula 3® - The Official F3® Website. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
External links
- Oliver Gray career summary at DriverDB.com