SMP Racing

Last updated
SMP Racing
Founded2013
Nation Flag of Russia.svg Russia
Founder(s) Boris Rotenberg
Base Moscow, Russia
Website www.smpracing.ru
BR Engineering BR1 of SMP Racing. SMP Racing BR Engineering BR1 Sarrazin Silverstone 2018.jpg
BR Engineering BR1 of SMP Racing.

SMP Racing is a Russian racing team and driver academy mostly known for competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, FIA Formula 2 Championship and FIA Formula 3 Championship with the goal of training and unveiling new talents [1] from Russia. [2] The team was founded in 2013 by Boris Rotenberg, co-founder of the SMP Bank of Russia.

Contents

History

Origins

The team was founded in 2012 by the Russian oligarch Boris Rotenberg, co-founder of SMP Bank and CEO of Russian race car construction company BR Engineering.

They first competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the goal of supporting new talents from Russia and giving them the chance to compete in international motorsport.

Boris Rotenberg

Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia on 3 January 1957 (age 68), Boris Rotenberg is known as the co-founder of SMP Bank and CEO of the largest construction company for gas pipelines and electrical power supply lines in Russia (StroyGazMontazh).[ citation needed ]

In 2001 Boris and his brother founded the SMP Bank of Russia, one of the largest banks in Russia.

Boris is the CEO and founder of a race car construction company called BR Engineering. This company created the BR Engineering BR1 and BR Engineering BR01; both cars achieved podiums in their categories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Current status

The team went quiet across all of their social media accounts, along with a number of other Russian teams at the time which were competing in international motorsports.

The team also announced they would not return to the FIA World Endurance Championship or the European Le Mans Series.

This was expected to happen, due to the FIA announcing new requirements for Russian drivers and teams competing in international motorsport as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[ citation needed ]

Championships Description

FIA World Endurance Championship

SMP Racing competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship full time between the years of 2014-2016. They made one return for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans and returned later for the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The team were mildly successful throughout their whole time in the series. Their most successful year in the Championship came in 2015, where the team collected 6 podiums, 3 wins, and finished 1st in the LMGTE AM category. [2]

24 Hours of Le Mans

BR1 LMP1 Prototype SMP Racing BR Engineering BR1 Orudzhev Silverstone 2018.jpg
BR1 LMP1 Prototype

The team again had another mildly successful career at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by finishing first with Ferrari 458 GT2 in LMGTE category in 2015 and finishing third with BR1 LMP1 prototype in overall category in 2019 only behind two Toyota's, making them the fastest non-factory team. [3]

FIA Formula 2 Championship

SMP Racing never had their own team in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. However they still had a young driver program for young and upcoming Russian drivers such as Robert Shwartzman and Sergey Sirotkin.

The program was cancelled in May 2022 due to the FIA announcing requirements on Russian drivers competing in international motorsport. These rules were announced as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[ citation needed ]

Ferrari 488 GT3 of SMP Racing at Monza. Blancpain Gt Series Endurance Cup - Autodromo Nazionale di Monza - 23-04-2017 - Super Trofeo Lamborghini - Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup (33420100234).jpg
Ferrari 488 GT3 of SMP Racing at Monza.
BR Engineering BR01 of SMP Racing at Le Mans. BR01 - Nissan - SMP Racing - 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016.jpg
BR Engineering BR01 of SMP Racing at Le Mans.
Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 of SMP Racing at Le Mans at night. Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 - SMP Racing.jpg
Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 of SMP Racing at Le Mans at night.

Other championships

List of Drivers

Series Results

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship Results

YearClassDriversNo.123456789T.C.Points
2014 LMP2 Flag of Russia.svg Sergey Zlobin
Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Mediani
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
Flag of Russia.svg Anton Ladygin
Flag of Finland.svg Mika Salo
27 SIL
3
SPA
4
LMS
1
COA
2
FUJ
3
SHA
2
BHR
Ret
SÃO
2
1st146
Flag of Russia.svg Kirill Ladygin
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
Flag of Russia.svg Anton Ladygin
Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Mediani
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
37 SIL
Ret
SPA
3
LMS
Ret
COA
Ret
FUJ
4
SHA
3
BHR
2
SÃO
Ret
4th60
2015 LMGTE
AM
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
Flag of Russia.svg Aleksey Basov
Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Bertolini
72 SIL
3
SPA
3
LMS
1
NÜR
1
COA
1
FUJ
6
SHA
3
BHR
5
1st165
2016 LMP2 Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Mediani
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
Flag of Russia.svg David Markozov
Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
27 SIL
9
SPA
Ret
LMS
5
NÜR
8
MEX
6
COA
4
FUJ
8
SHA
6
BHR
8
8th62
Flag of Russia.svg Vitaly Petrov
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
Flag of Russia.svg Kirill Ladygin
37 SIL
7
SPA
7
LMS
3
NÜR
6
MEX
Ret
COA
6
FUJ
10
SHA
7
BHR
7
6th71
2018–19 LMP1 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
Flag of Russia.svg Vitaly Petrov
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jenson Button
Flag of New Zealand.svg Brendon Hartley
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stoffel Vandoorne
11 SPA
5
LMS
Ret
SIL
Ret
FUJ
4
SHA
3
SEB
3
SPA
3
LMS
3
4th94
Flag of France.svg Stéphane Sarrazin
Flag of Russia.svg Egor Orudzhev
Flag of Russia.svg Matevos Isaakyan
Flag of Russia.svg Sergey Sirotkin
17 SPA
Ret
LMS
Ret
SIL
3
FUJ
Ret
SHA
Ret
SEB
NC
SPA
4
LMS
Ret
14th27

European Le Mans Series

24 Hours of Le Mans

YearEntrantNo.CarDriversClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2014 Flag of Russia.svg SMP Racing27 Oreca 03R-Nissan Flag of Russia.svg Anton Ladygin
Flag of Finland.svg Mika Salo
Flag of Russia.svg Sergey Zlobin
LMP230337th12th
37 Flag of Russia.svg Kirill Ladygin
Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Mediani
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
9DNFDNF
72 Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 Flag of Russia.svg Aleksey Basov
Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Bertolini
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
LMGTE Am196DNFDNF
2015 Flag of Russia.svg SMP Racing27 BR Engineering BR01-Nissan Flag of Russia.svg David Markozov
Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Mediani
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
LMP234014th6th
37 Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
Flag of Russia.svg Anton Ladygin
Flag of Russia.svg Kirill Ladygin
32233rd13th
72 Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 Flag of Russia.svg Aleksey Basov
Flag of Italy.svg Andrea Bertolini
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
LMGTE Am33220th1st
2016 Flag of Russia.svg SMP Racing27 BR Engineering BR01-Nissan Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
Flag of Italy.svg Maurizio Mediani
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Minassian
LMP234711th7th
37 Flag of Russia.svg Kirill Ladygin
Flag of Russia.svg Vitaly Petrov
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
3537th3rd
2017 Flag of Russia.svg SMP Racing27 Dallara P217-Gibson Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
Flag of Russia.svg Sergey Sirotkin
LMP233033rd16th
2018 Flag of Russia.svg SMP Racing11 BR Engineering BR1-AER Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jenson Button
Flag of Russia.svg Vitaly Petrov
LMP1315DNFDNF
17 Flag of Russia.svg Matevos Isaakyan
Flag of Russia.svg Egor Orudzhev
Flag of France.svg Stéphane Sarrazin
123DNFDNF
35 Dallara P217-Gibson Flag of France.svg Norman Nato
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Harrison Newey
Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Shaytar
LMP234514th10th
2019 Flag of Russia.svg SMP Racing11 BR Engineering BR1-AER Flag of Russia.svg Mikhail Aleshin
Flag of Russia.svg Vitaly Petrov
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stoffel Vandoorne
LMP13793rd3rd
17 Flag of Russia.svg Egor Orudzhev
Flag of France.svg Stéphane Sarrazin
Flag of Russia.svg Sergey Sirotkin
163DNFDNF

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

YearCarDriversNo.1234T.C.Points
2020 Ferrari 488 GTE Flag of Russia.svg Sergey Sirotkin (All) [5]
Flag of Spain.svg Miguel Molina (Rd. 1-3) [6]
Flag of Italy.svg Davide Rigon(Rd. 1-3) [7]
Flag of Italy.svg Antonio Fuoco (Rd. 4) [8]
Flag of Finland.svg Toni Vilander (Rd. 4) [9]
72 IMO
20
SPA
14
NUR
19
LEC
7
1st [a] 80
Notes
  1. While SMP was awarded the teams championship, the number 51 AF Corse Ferrari scored all the points.

Branding

SMP Racing also was a moniker for these teams, when SMP sponsored them:

See also

References

  1. Laurent Mercier (9 May 2014). "The present and future of SMP Racing". Motorsport.com.
  2. 1 2 "About the program". smpracing.ru. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  3. "Track Record". 24h-lemans.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
  4. "List of series which SMP compete in on official website".
  5. Sergey Sirontkin GTWC stats page
  6. Miguel Monilana gtwc page
  7. davide rigon GTWC stats page
  8. antonio fuoco GTWC page
  9. Toni Vilander GTWC stats page