Although it is not common for movies to be made on sim racing drivers, Jann Mardenborough is far from ordinary. The Briton transitioned from virtual driving to IRL driving with aplomb. So much so that he made a successful motor racing career out of it. The inspirational journey captured the attention of Hollywood.
Mardenborough was born into a family of limited means with dreams of becoming a professional racing driver. Realizing the exorbitant requirements of the profession and the inability to gather the required funds, he put his passion on the back burner.
The love for racing, however, continued through PlayStation. He carried the mastery of virtual racing to the online time trials for GT Academy. Nailing the trial, he managed selection among the top 20 out of 90,000 participants.
That is where Mardenborough’s journey in IRL racing began. He then soon registered his name among the elites of different disciplines, including the coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans. Sadly, that success never converted into an F1 ticket. It did, however, inspire a Hollywood movie called Gran Turismo.
Mardenborough finished third in Le Mans on his debut in the LMP2 class in 2013. Later that year, he once again finished third in Pro-Am class in the Spa 24 Hours.
Driving the Nissan GT-R, he set the fastest time at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Come 2016, he got the Japan Super GT invitation where he competed until 2020. His association with open-wheel racing, however, remained limited to F3 and GP3 participation in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Given how rare it is to see a driver coming from limited means reach such a high level of motorsport, Mardenborough’s journey and the heights he reached are undoubtedly inspirational. What is rarer is a switch from virtual racing to IRL racing and that makes his story all the more heartwarming.
Jann Mardenborough and his on-screen depiction in Gran Turismo
Jann Mardenborough joined the Gran Turismo film crew as a co-producer. Given how such depictions require subject matter expertise and supervision, his involvement was a no-brainer.
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell promptly provided the F1 star power. Given that she is the wife of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, the movie made a great buzz among the F1 fans as well. Geri played the character of Mardenborough’s mother in the movie.
Geri’s casting was a surprise to Mardenborough as well. “Everyone knows Geri Halliwell, the pop sensation. But her as my mum? It’s as crazy as it sounds! It’s wild, surreal, but in the best possible way,” Mardenborough said, as per The Sun.
After the completion of the film’s shooting, Mardenborough returned to racing. He raced in the Super Taikyu Series at the Fuji 24 Hours earlier this year. The 32-year-old secured the pole position but owing to brake issues, finished P4.
