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.

Wainwright 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

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition201024H Series - A2Team First 2100000NC†French GT ChampionshipTeam First400000NC†FIA GT3 European ChampionshipGulf Team First100000NC†2011Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - LMGTE AmGulf AMR Middle East500000NC†24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/ADNFAmerican Le Mans Series - GT100000NC†24 Hours of Dubai - A6Gulf Team First10000N/A14th2012Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-AmGulf Racing UK500000NCBlancpain Endurance Series - Pro10000127th24 Hours of Dubai - A6Gulf Racing10000N/ADNF2013Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-AmGulf Racing UK400000NCGulf 12 Hours - GT3 Pro-AmGulf Racing10000N/A5th2014European Le Mans Series - LMGTEGulf Racing UK500002811th2015European Le Mans Series - LMGTEGulf Racing UK51002564th2016FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGulf Racing900001067th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/A5th2017FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGulf Racing70001677th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/A10th2018European Le Mans Series - LMGTEGulf Racing UK200001012th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE AmGulf Racing10000N/A10th2018–19FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGulf Racing UK80000797th201924 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE AmGulf Racing10000N/A8th2019–20FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGulf Racing80001859th2020European Le Mans Series - GTEGulf Racing UK100000NC†24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/A5th2021FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGR Racing600002315th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/A14th2022FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGR Racing500005010th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10000N/A4th2023FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE AmGR Racing70002646th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am10001N/A3rd2023–24 Asian Le Mans Series - GT GR Racing40000625th2024 European Le Mans Series - GT3 GR Racing 6 0 0 0 2 645th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT3 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 12th2025 European Le Mans Series - LMGT3 GR Racing60002448th2026European Le Mans Series - LMGT3GR Racing † As Wainwright was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.* Season still in progress.

Complete European Le Mans Series 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 Rank Points 2014 Gulf Racing UK GTE Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL IMO RBR 11th 28 Porsche 911 RSR LEC EST 2015 Gulf Racing UK GTE Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL IMO RBR LEC EST 4th 56 2018 Gulf Racing LMGTE Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 LEC MNZ RBR SIL SPA ALG 7th 10 2020 Gulf Racing UK LMGTE Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 LEC SPA LEC MNZ ALG NC 0 2024 GR Racing LMGT3 Ferrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 CAT LEC IMO SPA MUG ALG 5th 64 2025 GR Racing LMGT3 Ferrari 296 GT3 Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 CAT LEC IMO SPA SIL ALG 8th 44 2026 GR Racing LMGT3 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo Ferrari F163CE 3.0 L Turbo V6 CAT LEC IMO SPA SIL ALG 5th* 46*Source:

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) YearEntrantClassChassisEngine123456789RankPoints 2016 Gulf Racing LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL SPA LMS NÜR MEX COA FUJ SHA BHR 7th 106 2017 Gulf Racing LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL SPA LMS NÜR MEX COA FUJ SHA BHR 6th 97 2018–19 Gulf Racing UK LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SPA LMS SIL FUJ SHA SEB SPA LMS 7th 79 2019–20 Gulf Racing LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL FUJ SHA BHR COA SPA LMS BHR 9th 85 2021 GR Racing LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR-19 Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 SPA ALG MNZ LMS BHR BHR 15th 23 2022 GR Racing LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR-19 Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 SEB SPA LMS MNZ FUJ BHR 10th 50 2023 GR Racing LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR-19 Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 SEB PRT SPA LMS MNZ FUJ BHR 6th 64Sources:

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2011 Gulf AMR Middle East Fabien Giroix Roald Goethe Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2 GTEAm 141 DNF DNF 2016 Gulf Racing Ben Barker Adam Carroll Porsche 911 RSR GTEAm 328 33rd 5th 2017 Gulf Racing UK Ben Barker Nick Foster Porsche 911 RSR GTEAm 328 38th 10th 2018 Gulf Racing Ben Barker Alex Davison Porsche 911 RSR GTEAm 283 40th 10th 2019 Gulf Racing Ben Barker Thomas Preining Porsche 911 RSR GTEAm 331 38th 8th 2020 Gulf Racing Ben Barker Andrew Watson Porsche 911 RSR GTEAm 337 29th 5th 2021 GR Racing Ben Barker Tom Gamble Porsche 911 RSR-19 GTEAm 322 43rd 14th 2022 GR Racing Ben Barker Riccardo Pera Porsche 911 RSR-19 GTEAm 340 37th 4th 2023 GR Racing Ben Barker Riccardo Pera Porsche 911 RSR-19 GTEAm 312 29th 3rd 2024 GR Racing Riccardo Pera Daniel Serra Ferrari 296 GT3 LMGT3 278 39th 12thSources:

References

External links