Simon Mann (racing driver) explained

Simon Mann
Nationality: British
American
via dual nationality[1]
Birth Date:10 February 2001
Birth Place:United Kingdom
Racing Licence: FIA Silver
Current Series:FIA World Endurance Championship
First Year:2021
Current Team:Vista AF Corse
Car Number:55
Starts:17 (17 entries)
Wins:0
Podiums:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
Best Finish:12th (LMGTE Am)
Year:2023
Titles:Italian GT Endurance - Pro-Am
Italian GT Sprint - Pro-Am
Title Years:2021
202021

Simon Mann (born 10 February 2001) is a British-American racing driver currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with AF Corse. A mainstay at the Italian team, Mann has tasted success in the Italian GT Championship's Pro-Am class, winning the Sprint title in 2020 and 2021, the same year in which he would triumph in the Endurance championship.[2]

GT3 beginnings

Mann started his career in 2018, competing in the GT3 Light class of the Italian GT Championship with AF Corse. The American-licensed driver returned with the team the following year, driving in the Pro-Am classes of both the Sprint and Endurance series. In the Endurance championship, he and Matteo Cressoni finished 12th in class, whereas the Sprint championship yielded four class podiums, including Mann's first car racing win at Vallelunga; Mann ended up third in the Pro-Am standings. In 2020, he once again raced alongside Cressoni in Italian GT. In the Endurance championship, Mann finished fourth in Pro-Am with two class podiums, though he and Cressoni would attain Sprint success, beating the Easy Race on a dead heat to claim the Pro-Am title.[3]

For the 2021 season, Mann returned to the Sprint and Endurance series, continuing his partnership with AF Corse.[4] Having started the year by competing at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Mann soon showed title-winning form in the Pro-Am class, winning his class at Misano and Imola alongside Toni Vilander and Matteo Cressoni respectively.[5] [6] His Sprint campaign concluded with a pair of overall podiums at Mugello, which earned Mann the Sprint Pro-Am title. In Endurance, Mann also won the Pro-Am championship, attaining class wins at Mugello and the season finale in Monza.[7]

LMGTE career

Having made his LMGTE debut at the 6 Hours of Monza in 2021, Mann moved into the FIA World Endurance Championship the subsequent year, pairing up with Vilander and bronze-ranked Christoph Ulrich in AF Corse's LMGTE Am lineup.[8] The outfit performed unremarkably, taking a best finish of seventh and ending up 11th in the teams' standings.

Mann scored a podium in the Asian Le Mans Series at the start of 2023 before embarking on another season in the WEC, this time driving alongside Ulysse de Pauw and a rotating door of amateur drivers in the third seat.[9] Their campaign started off well, as the #21 crew took fourth place at Sebring and finished fifth in Portimão.[10] However, an early crash for de Pauw at Le Mans changed their fortunes in the second half of the year, as the team missed out on points thrice during the final four races and took home tenth in the overall championship.[11]

Racing record

Racing career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2018Italian GT Championship - GT3 LightAF Corse???????
2019Italian GT Championship Sprint - GT3 Pro-AmAF Corse61014723rd
Italian GT Championship Endurance - GT3 Pro-Am400001712th
2020Italian GT Championship Sprint - GT3 Pro-AmAF Corse82007941st
Italian GT Championship Endurance - GT3 Pro-Am30002274th
2021Italian GT Championship Sprint - GT3 Pro-AmAF Corse83005941st
Italian GT Championship Endurance - GT3 Pro-Am42002521st
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am100000NC†
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD2000024655th
2022FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmAF Corse[12] 600002817th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD40001111920th
2023Asian Le Mans Series - GTAF Corse40001237th
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am700003812th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro2000053719th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD2000033747th
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup100000NC
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/ADNF
2023-24Asian Le Mans Series - GTAF Corse50001328th
2024FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGT3Vista AF Corse4000041*5th*
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTDAF Corse20001485*23rd*
As Mann was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.* Season still in progress.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantClassCarEngine12345678RankPoints
2021AF CorseLMGTE AmFerrari 488 GTE EvoFerrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V8SPAALGMNZ
LMSBHRBHRNC†0
2022AF CorseLMGTE AmFerrari 488 GTE EvoFerrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V8SEB
SPA
LMS
MNZ
FUJ
BHR
17th28
2023AF CorseLMGTE AmFerrari 488 GTE EvoFerrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V8SEB
PRT
SPA
LMS
MNZ
FUJ
BHR
12th38
2024Vista AF CorseLMGT3Ferrari 296 GT3Ferrari F163 3.0 L Turbo V6QAT
IMO
SPA
LMSSÃOCOAFUJBHR8th*21*

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLaps
2022 AF Corse Christoph Ulrich
Toni Vilander
Ferrari 488 GTE EvoGTE
Am
33941st8th
2023 AF Corse Ulysse de Pauw
Julien Piguet
Ferrari 488 GTE EvoGTE
Am
21DNFDNF
2024 Vista AF Corse François Hériau
Alessio Rovera
Ferrari 296 GT3LMGT327933rd6th

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Toni Vilander Set To Return To FIA WEC In 2022 With Christoph Ulrich & Simon Mann. Dailysportscar. Goodwin. Graham. 7 November 2021. 14 February 2024.
  2. Web site: 2021-10-31 . Simon Mann Italian champion in GT3 Pro-Am . 2024-06-19 . Menu dei Motori . en-US.
  3. Web site: 2020-12-06 . Campionato Italiano GT – Mann-Cressoni, Pro-Am champions after win at Vallelunga . 2024-06-19 . Menu dei Motori . en-US.
  4. Web site: Lloyd . Daniel . December 14, 2020 . AF Corse to Tackle Rolex 24 with Italian GT Class Champions . December 14, 2020 . sportscar365.com . John Dagys Media.
  5. Web site: Lloyd . Daniel . December 14, 2020 . AF Corse to Tackle Rolex 24 with Italian GT Class Champions . December 14, 2020 . sportscar365.com . John Dagys Media.
  6. Web site: 2022-02-23 . Season Review 2021 – Simon Mann: My first Daytona . 2024-06-19 . Menu dei Motori . en-US.
  7. Web site: Simon Mann Italian champion in GT3 Pro-Am . 2024-06-18 . www.ferrari.com . en.
  8. Web site: Euwema . Davey . 7 November 2021 . Vilander to return to WEC with AF Corse . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211108102629/https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/11/07/vilander-to-return-to-wec-with-af-corse/ . 8 November 2021 . 8 November 2021 . Motorsport Week.
  9. Web site: FIA WEC Reveal 38 Car Full Season Entry, 13 Hypercars For Breakthrough Season dailysportscar.com . 2023-01-12 . www.dailysportscar.com.
  10. Web site: 2023-04-16 . WEC GTE – Second season podium for Ferrari in FIA WEC LMGTE Am . 2024-06-19 . Menu dei Motori . en-US.
  11. Web site: Little . Martin . O'Connell . RJ . 10 June 2023 . 2023 LM24, Hour 2: Heaven & Hell At Cadillac . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230620085354/https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/06/10/2023-lm24-hour-2-heaven-and-hell-at-cadillac.html . 20 June 2023 . 20 June 2023 . DailySportsCar.
  12. Web site: Dagys . John . January 3, 2022 . AF Corse Confirms Single-Car Ferrari GTD Entry for Rolex 24 . January 3, 2022 . sportscar365.com . John Dagys Media.