Neel Jani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neel Jani |
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Jani at the 2025 6 Hours of São Paulo
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| Nationality |  Swiss |
| Born | 8 December 1983 Rorschach, Switzerland |
| FIA World Endurance Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2011 (ILMC) |
| Current team | Proton Competition |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car no. | 99 |
| Previous series | |
| 1998–2000 2000 2001–2002 2003–2004 2005–2006 2005–2009 2007 2010 |
Karting Formula Lista Junior Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup Formula Renault V6 Eurocup GP2 Series A1 Grand Prix Champ Car World Series Le Mans Series |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 2009–2019 |
| Teams | Speedy Racing Team Sebah, Rebellion Racing, Porsche Team |
| Best finish | 1st (2016) |
| Class wins | 1 |
Neel Jani (born December 8, 1983) is a professional race car driver from Switzerland. He is famous for winning one of the world's most difficult races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 2016.
Jani has raced in many different types of motorsports. He drove for Porsche in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he won his Le Mans title. He also won a championship for A1 Team Switzerland in the A1 Grand Prix series.
Besides sports cars, Jani has raced in single-seater cars. He competed in the Champ Car series in North America and was a race winner in the GP2 Series. He also worked as a test driver in Formula One. More recently, he raced in the all-electric Formula E series for Porsche.
Contents
Racing Career
How It All Started
Neel Jani was born in Rorschach, Switzerland. His father is from India and his mother is Swiss. He began his racing journey in 1998 with karting, which is how most professional drivers start.
After two years in karts, he moved up to faster cars in Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup. He raced in different Formula Renault series for a few years. In 2003, he finished second in the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup championship, showing he had great talent.
GP2 and A1 Grand Prix
In 2005, Jani joined the GP2 Series, a championship that helps drivers get to Formula One. He won two races that year, one at the Hungaroring in Hungary and another at Monza in Italy.
Jani also raced in the A1 Grand Prix, where drivers represented their home countries. Driving for A1 Team Switzerland, he had a lot of success. In the first season (2005-06), he helped his team finish second overall.
In the 2007-08 season, Jani was the star driver for Switzerland. He won four races and helped the team win the A1 Grand Prix championship. The team finished second again in the 2008-09 season with Jani behind the wheel.
Formula One Experience
While Jani never raced in a Formula One Grand Prix, he was very close to it. In 2006, he was the third driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. This meant he helped test and develop the car.
He was also a test driver for the Sauber and Red Bull Racing teams. In 2023, Jani joined Audi as a simulator driver. He helps them develop their car for when they join Formula 1 in 2026.
Racing in America
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In 2007, Jani moved to North America to race in the Champ Car World Series. He drove for the PKV Racing team. He had a good season, finishing on the podium three times and ending up ninth in the championship.
Sports Car Racing Success
Joining Rebellion and Porsche
In 2010, Jani began racing sports cars with the Swiss team Rebellion Racing. He competed in long-distance races called endurance races, including the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
His big break came in 2014 when he joined the official Porsche team. He raced their high-tech LMP1 car in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). He won his first race with Porsche that year in Brazil and finished third in the championship.
Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2016 season was the best of Jani's career. He started the year with a win at Silverstone and a second place at Spa. Then came the biggest race of all: the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Jani and his teammates were in second place for most of the race. The leading Toyota car looked sure to win. But in a shocking turn of events, the Toyota broke down on the very last lap. Jani's Porsche swept past to take an incredible victory. This win helped him and his teammates become the WEC world champions that year.
Formula E and Recent Years
In 2017, Jani decided to try Formula E, the racing series for electric cars. He joined the Dragon Racing team but left after just two races to focus on his sports car career with Rebellion Racing.
He returned to Formula E for the 2019-20 season, this time with the new Porsche team. After one season, he became their reserve driver.
Since then, Jani has continued to race in various sports car championships. He has competed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in America and the European Le Mans Series. He continues to be a top driver for the Proton Competition team in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Personal Life
Neel Jani is married to his wife, Lauren. They have a son together.
See also
In Spanish: Neel Jani para niños
