Thomas Neubauer

Thomas Neubauer (born 8 June 1999) is a French professional racing driver. He is the reigning champion of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in the Silver Cup category, having also won the Dubai 24 Hour race overall, the Nürburgring 24 Hours in class and the Ferrari Challenge Finali Mondiali all in the same year.

Early career

Lower formulae

After making his single-seater debut at the back end of 2016, scoring a podium in the V de V Challenge Monoplace, Neubauer took part in the Toyota Racing Series during the winter of the following year. He ended up 17th in the standings, taking home a best finish of ninth at Taupo.

Formula Renault

His main campaign during 2017 would lie in the Formula Renault Eurocup, where Neubauer partnered Gabriel Aubry, Thomas Maxwell and Max Fewtrell at Tech 1 Racing. The season proved to be disappointing, as the Frenchman failed to score any points, with his teammates all finishing ahead of him in the championship.

For the 2018 season, Neubauer returned to the French outfit, once again competing in the Eurocup. Two top-ten finishes, which included a sixth place at Monza, were enough to place Neubauer 17th overall at the end of the campaign.

Sportscar career

2019: GT debut and first title

In 2019, Neubauer made a switch to sportscar racing, partnering Nico Bastian in the Silver category of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup with AKKA ASP, whilst also competing in the Ferrari Challenge Europe for the Charles Pozzi – Courage operation. The season in the latter would bear fruit, as Neubauer took three podiums, coupled with a pole position during the opening round, which propelled him to sixth in the standings despite missing the round at the Red Bull Ring. Meanwhile, the Frenchman experienced an even more successful campaign in the Blancpain Sprint Cup, where four class victories, which included an overall win on his GT debut in Brands Hatch at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3, made him and his German teammate Silver Cup champions.

2020: Further victories

Neubauer remained in the Silver Cup in 2020, returning to his old Formula Renault team Tech 1 Racing to perform double duties in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint cups, aboard a Lexus RC F GT3. In the former, a sole podium at the final round in Le Castellet ended up being the highlight of a season that concluded with Neubauer, Timothé Buret and Aurélien Panis taking eighth in the Silver Cup classification. In the latter, the Frenchman finished seventh and last of all full-time Silver Cup entries despite winning Race 2 at Zandvoort and taking two overall pole positions in Misano.

During the same year, Neubauer once again raced in the Ferrari Challenge, taking three victories from as many events.

2021: Focus on Endurance

For 2021, the Frenchman would be restricted to the GTWC Europe Endurance Cup, where he drove for Walkenhorst Motorsport alongside Martin Tomczyk and former F1 driver Timo Glock. Unfortunately for Neubauer, he and his teammates were unable to score any podiums throughout the campaign, which left them with a championship finish of 22nd, albeit as the highest-placed BMW squad. The Ferrari Challenge Europe, where Neubauer once again drove for the team bearing the name of Charles Pozzi, would yield just three podiums, with the French driver competing in three out of seven rounds.

In addition, Neubauer made his debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in the LMGTE Am category for JMW Motorsport. The team retired from the race after 117 laps.

2022: Multiple championship victories

Having begun his 2022 season by winning the Dubai 24 Hour race from pole position, Neubauer was announced to be joining ROFGO Racing with Team WRT, driving an Audi R8 LMS Evo II alongside Benjamin Goethe in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, with the two being partnered by Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer in the Endurance Cup.

The season in the Sprint Cup began disappointingly, with a collision in Race 1 at Brands Hatch being followed by a 16th place the following day. Next came two top-ten finishes in class at Magny-Cours, before Neubauer and Goethe finished third in class at both Zandvoort races, results which also yielded their first points of the overall championship. More success came at the penultimate round in Misano, as the pairing won their class and took an overall podium in the first race, which they followed by scoring another podium in the Silver Cup on Sunday, with a lapped car blocking Neubauer at the safety car restart, costing the team a chance of obtaining a double class victory. The campaign ended with a fourth place and class podium at Valencia, placing Neubauer and Goethe third in the Sprint Cup standings.

Even more glory came in the Endurance Cup, a campaign which Neubauer and his teammates started by taking a class victory in Imola, after which the trio scored a fourth place in the Silver Cup at Le Castellet. Neubauer and the team managed to put together a mistake-free race during the crowning jewel of the calendar, the 24 Hours of Spa, which earned them the Silver Cup win, which the Frenchman called his "most beautiful victory". Third in class at the Hockenheimring proved to be enough for Neubauer, Simmenauer and Goethe to confirm their status as Silver Cup champions. Despite clinching the championship with a race to go, the outfit went on to finish the season in style, winning the season finale in Barcelona.

As well as the victory in Dubai, Neubauer would take two further victories in one-off races during the year, winning the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in the SP10 category, whilst also taking the checkered flag first in the Finali Mondiali of the Ferrari Challenge. Neubauer's performances in the 2022 season earned him an upgrade to gold status in the FIA's driver categorisation for 2023.

2023

2023 saw Neubauer return to Team WRT, joining Simmenauer in the Pro class of the 2023 Sprint Cup.

Personal life

Neubauer was a late starter to racing, coming into contact with the sport of karting at the age of 13. Having been focused on his studies, the Frenchman went on to study sports science at the ''École de management Paris La Défense''.

Racing record

Racing career summary

^† As Neubauer was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

^* Season still in progress.

Complete Toyota Racing Series results

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

Complete Formula Renault Eurocup results

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

Complete GT World Challenge results

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup

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

^* Season still in progress.

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

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

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neubauer, Thomas
1999 births
Living people
French racing drivers
Racing drivers from Paris
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC drivers
Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
Toyota Racing Series drivers
Blancpain Endurance Series drivers
Ferrari Challenge drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
Nürburgring 24 Hours drivers
24H Series drivers
Tech 1 Racing drivers
W Racing Team drivers
Audi Sport drivers
24 Hours of Spa drivers
International GT Open drivers
Motopark Academy drivers