# Michael Wainwright (racing driver)

Michael Stuart Wainwright (born 25 July 1973) is a British racing driver and oil businessman who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for GR Racing.
He made his professional career at oil trading company Trafigura from 1996 to 2023. Being the protégé of the company's founder Claude Dauphin, he ultimately served as COO of the group based in Geneva. He is listed among the 300 wealthiest individuals of Switzerland, with an estimated fortune of 300-400 millions swiss francs. In 2022, following a very profitable year on the oil market following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he acquired a property in Geneva for 49.5 million swiss francs.
In December 2023, Wainwright was charged by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court and the US Department of Justice over allegations of bribing public officials in Angola and Brazil, together with two other individuals. In January 2025, he was sentenced to 32 months in prison on charges of bribery, with 20 months being suspended.

## Racing record
### Career summary

| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
| 2010 | 24H Series - A2 | Team First 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2010 | French GT Championship | Team First | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2010 | FIA GT3 European Championship | Gulf Team First | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2011 | Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - LMGTE Am | Gulf AMR Middle East | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2011 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | Gulf AMR Middle East | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| 2011 | American Le Mans Series - GT | Gulf AMR Middle East | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2011 | 24 Hours of Dubai - A6 | Gulf Team First | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 14th |
| 2012 | Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am | Gulf Racing UK | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 2012 | Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro | Gulf Racing UK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27th |
| 2012 | 24 Hours of Dubai - A6 | Gulf Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| 2013 | Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am | Gulf Racing UK | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 2013 | Gulf 12 Hours - GT3 Pro-Am | Gulf Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 5th |
| 2014 | European Le Mans Series - LMGTE | Gulf Racing UK | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 11th |
| 2015 | European Le Mans Series - LMGTE | Gulf Racing UK | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 56 | 4th |
| 2016 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 7th |
| 2016 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 5th |
| 2017 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 7th |
| 2017 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 10th |
| 2018 | European Le Mans Series - LMGTE | Gulf Racing UK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 12th |
| 2018 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 10th |
| 2018–19 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing UK | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 7th |
| 2019 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 8th |
| 2019–20 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 85 | 9th |
| 2020 | European Le Mans Series - GTE | Gulf Racing UK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2020 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | Gulf Racing UK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 5th |
| 2021 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | GR Racing | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 15th |
| 2021 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | GR Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 14th |
| 2022 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | GR Racing | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 10th |
| 2022 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | GR Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 4th |
| 2023 | FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am | GR Racing | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 64 | 6th |
| 2023 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am | GR Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 3rd |
| 2023–24 | Asian Le Mans Series - GT | GR Racing | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25th |
| 2024 | European Le Mans Series - GT3 | GR Racing | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 64 | 5th |
| 2024 | 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT3 | GR Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 12th |
$^†$ As Wainwright was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points. $^*$ Season still in progress.

### Complete European Le Mans Series results

| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Rank | Points |
| 2014 | Gulf Racing UK | GTE | Porsche 911 GT3 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | SIL 9 | IMO 8 | RBR 9 | | | | 11th | 28 |
| 2014 | Gulf Racing UK | GTE | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | | | | LEC 6 | EST 4 | | 11th | 28 |
| 2015 | Gulf Racing UK | GTE | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | SIL 1 | IMO 8 | RBR 7 | LEC 7 | EST 3 | | 4th | 56 |
| 2018 | Gulf Racing | LMGTE | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | LEC Ret | MNZ | RBR | SIL 5 | SPA | ALG | 7th | 10 |
| 2020 | Gulf Racing UK | LMGTE | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | LEC | SPA | LEC | MNZ | ALG Ret | | NC | 0 |
| 2024 | GR Racing | LMGT3 | Ferrari 296 GT3 | Ferrari F163 3.0 L Turbo V6 | CAT 2 | LEC 5 | IMO 7 | SPA 2 | MUG 8 | ALG 6 | 5th | 64 |
| Source: |||||||||||||

### Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Rank | Points |
| 2016 | Gulf Racing | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | SIL Ret | SPA 5 | LMS 3 | NÜR 5 | MEX 4 | COA 4 | FUJ 4 | SHA 6 | BHR 4 | 7th | 106 |
| 2017 | Gulf Racing | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | SIL 4 | SPA Ret | LMS 5 | NÜR 5 | MEX 3 | COA Ret | FUJ 4 | SHA 2 | BHR 5 | 6th | 97 |
| 2018–19 | Gulf Racing UK | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | SPA 7 | LMS 6 | SIL 6 | FUJ 4 | SHA 9 | SEB 4 | SPA 7 | LMS 4 | | 7th | 79 |
| 2019–20 | Gulf Racing | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | SIL 4 | FUJ 8 | SHA 9 | BHR 3 | COA 6 | SPA 10 | LMS 5 | BHR 5 | | 9th | 85 |
| 2021 | GR Racing | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SPA Ret | ALG 8 | MNZ 8 | LMS 9 | BHR 6 | BHR 9 | | | | 15th | 23 |
| 2022 | GR Racing | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEB | SPA 6 | LMS 3 | MNZ 12 | FUJ 12 | BHR 6 | | | | 10th | 50 |
| 2023 | GR Racing | LMGTE Am | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEB 7 | PRT 11 | SPA 12 | LMS 3 | MNZ 3 | FUJ 8 | BHR 8 | | | 6th | 64 |
| Sources: ||||||||||||||||

### Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 2011 | Gulf AMR Middle East | Fabien Giroix Roald Goethe | Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2 | GTE Am | 141 | DNF | DNF |
| 2016 | Gulf Racing | Ben Barker Adam Carroll | Porsche 911 RSR | GTE Am | 328 | 33rd | 5th |
| 2017 | Gulf Racing UK | Ben Barker Nick Foster | Porsche 911 RSR | GTE Am | 328 | 38th | 10th |
| 2018 | Gulf Racing | Ben Barker Alex Davison | Porsche 911 RSR | GTE Am | 283 | 40th | 10th |
| 2019 | Gulf Racing | Ben Barker Thomas Preining | Porsche 911 RSR | GTE Am | 331 | 38th | 8th |
| 2020 | Gulf Racing | Ben Barker Andrew Watson | Porsche 911 RSR | GTE Am | 337 | 29th | 5th |
| 2021 | GR Racing | Ben Barker Tom Gamble | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | GTE Am | 322 | 43rd | 14th |
| 2022 | GR Racing | Ben Barker Riccardo Pera | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | GTE Am | 340 | 37th | 4th |
| 2023 | GR Racing | Ben Barker Riccardo Pera | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | GTE Am | 312 | 29th | 3rd |
| 2024 | GR Racing | Riccardo Pera Daniel Serra | Ferrari 296 GT3 | LMGT3 | 278 | 39th | 12th |
| Sources: ||||||||