Kerman & Co advise up-and-coming motor racing driver

30 July 2014

Kerman & Co advised new client Jann Mardenborough on his driver management agreement with GTA, a motorsport agency formed by Nisan and Sony / Gran Turismo.

Jann’s rise into professional motorsport has been remarkable and rapid, from Playstation to real racing car in less than two years. In 2012 he won a place in the GT Academy by winning through a number of “virtual qualifiers” within the Gran Turismo game. The GT Academy is a driver discovery/development program started in 2008 by Sony and Nissan. Online qualifiers are held within Gran Turismo, and the top qualifiers are invited to National Finals in each participating country. Those who pass this final then participate in a Race Camp held at Silverstone, UK, for final selection and the opportunity to pursue a professional career in motorsport.

Having won through, and been given intensive training in the GT Academy, by April 2012 Jann had scored a podium at the Dubai 24 hours race and has since been on the podium at the Le Mans 24 hours, raced in the British GT series and the European Formula Three Championship. He is currently racing for Arden International, Red Bull’s junior driver development team.

In a promising sign of things to come, on the weekend he signed his professional contract, at the Hockenheim racing circuit in Germany, he secured his first GP3 win, a significant milestone. “My first win in international single-seaters – I’m hugely happy”, he commented afterwards. Jann has since secured a second podium place at the next GP3 race at the Hungaroring, Hungary.

Alastair Cotton (Partner) and James Thorndyke (Solicitor) from the Sports & Commercial Department advised Jann Mardenborough on this deal.