Oliver Richard Benjamin Jarvis (born 9 January 1984) is a British professional racing driver currently racing in the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports.
Jarvis was an Audi factory driver in DTM and LMP1, and finished runner-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2016. He later raced for Mazda and Acura in DPi, winning both the IMSA SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2022 with Meyer Shank Racing. He is also a two-time LMP2 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Early life
Born in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, Jarvis was educated at King's Ely.
Early career
Jarvis was first introduced to motorsport from an early age when his father Carl was competing in Formula Ford 1600. Keen to try it for himself, and at just six years old, Jarvis enjoyed his first motocross competition, albeit then two wheels not four.
At the age of eight, Jarvis made the transition to race karts. During his ten years in karts, he achieved notable success in British and European events, as well as in World Karting as one of Tony Kart's Works driver.
Jarvis moved from European Karting when he was 18 to the highly competitive British single seater car championships racing in the Formula Ford category for two successful seasons before moving up to Formula Renault.
2005 proved to be an outstanding year of achievements for Jarvis when he became the 2005 Formula Renault UK Champion having gained five wins, seven podiums, four pole positions and three ELF /Atol Driver of the Day Awards. He was also awarded BRDC Rising Star status.
Jarvis' perfect end to the year was receiving the prestigious McLaren Autosport Young Driver of The Year Award that December, presented to him by Formula One legend Sir Stirling Moss.
2006 saw Jarvis move up to the British F3 International Series, racing for the famous Carlin Motorsport team, run by Trevor Carlin. Jarvis was an instant success, and won two races, beating Bruno Senna (nephew of the late Ayrton) to second in the standings. He went on to dominate the end of season Macau F3 Grand Prix in 2007, leading every lap and looking unchallenged throughout to take the biggest victory of his career.
Jarvis was added to the roster for A1 Team Great Britain in A1 Grand Prix for the 2006-07 season and drove the rounds in China and Mexico.
Jarvis did get his first chance at the Beijing International Streetcircuit in China, the third race weekend of the season. Through a problematic weekend, where problems with the track arose, Jarvis started the Sprint race in eighth, and finished in seventh in a race that saw little racing, following seventh-starting South Africa spinning, bringing out the Safety Car for a majority of the race. In the Feature race, Jarvis therefore started seventh. After controversially making his mandatory pitstop on the lap the Safety Car was deployed (A1GP rules state that cars cannot pit during Safety Car periods), Jarvis ended up running eighth for a majority of the race, an eighth that was actually a net fourth, given the cars in the first four places were yet to pit. After they did, Jarvis moved up to fourth, and looked to be heading for that position, until the leading duo, The Netherlands driver Jeroen Bleekemolen and Germany's Nico Hülkenberg both retired on the same lap, leaving Jarvis to finish second, behind Italy's Enrico Toccacelo.
Jarvis' next outing was at the Mexico round. This time Jarvis went one better, winning the Feature race for Great Britain's first ever A1 Grand Prix victory.
DTM career In 2008, Jarvis progressed to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, racing for Team Phoenix in an Audi A4 DTM 2007. Having finished in the points twice, the Briton ended up 13th in the standings.
The following year, Team Phoenix retained Jarvis in the DTM, where he would partner Alexandre Prémat. A much improved campaign followed, where two podiums, including second at Zandvoort, where he scored his first pole position in the category, elevated Jarvis to ninth overall.
Switching to Abt Sportsline for the 2010 season, five results inside the top six meant that Jarvis would finish ninth in the standings once again.
In 2011, Jarvis remained in the DTM at Abt Sportsline. Despite taking a podium finish at Spielberg, Jarvis ended the season sitting tenth in the championship.
Jarvis would not be retained by Audi for the 2012 DTM season.
Sportscar career
During the Pokka 1000km in Suzuka, Jarvis won the race partnering with Juichi Wakisaka and André Lotterer despite not having to drive throughout the race.Formula 3 – SUPER GT: Rd.6, SUZUKA Race Report
Javis would transition to the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012, driving alongside Frank Stippler for Team WRT. With five podiums across the season, the pairing finished eighth overall. He also competed in that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans for Audi.
In 2013, Jarvis raced for Alex Job Racing with an Audi R8 Grand-Am in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He won the class. He also won the 2013 12 Hours of Sebring and came third at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans in an Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
When Audi pulled out of WEC, Jarvis signed a contract to race in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup for Bentley during 2017. He also raced in the WEC under Jackie Chan DC Racing in LMP2. This led to him getting a class victory at Le Mans 24 Hours and second overall. They went on to score second in the championship standings.
For 2018, Jarvis would race in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Mazda Team Joest.
Jarvis teamed up with Tom Blomqvist at Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for the 2022 season. The pair would end up winning the title, having taken a pair of victories, including one at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Racing record
Racing career summary SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition2002 British Formula Ford Championship Continental Racing1800002167th Formula Ford Winter Series UK400?31113rd2003 British Formula Ford Championship ComTec Racing2001032748th Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series Motaworld Racing400001514th Formula Ford Festival10000N/A5th2004 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship Motaworld Racing1700002538th Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series Manor Motorsport41002993rd2005 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship Manor Motorsport20531124361st Formula Renault 2.0 Netherlands200002120th2006 British Formula 3 International Series Carlin Motorsport22253112502nd Masters of Formula 310000N/A8th Macau Grand Prix10000N/A15th Formula Renault 3.5 Series Victory Engineering20000037th Formula Ford 1600 – Walter Hayes Trophy10000N/A18th2006–07 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Great Britain2000192‡3rd‡2007 Super GT – GT500 Houzan Toyota Team TOM'S110012016th Japanese Formula 3 Championship TOM'S20324162383rd Macau Grand Prix11101N/A1st Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Porsche Motorsport200000NC†2007–08 A1 Grand Prix season A1 Team Great Britain101014126‡3rd‡2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Team Phoenix110000513th2009 Asian Le Mans Series – LMP1 Kolles20001104th Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Team Phoenix100102189th2010 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Abt Sportsline110000189th 24 Hours of Le Mans Kolles10000N/ADNF2011 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Abt Sportsline1000011410th2012 FIA GT1 World Championship Belgian Audi Club Team WRT180025818th Blancpain Endurance Series – Pro Belgian Audi Club WRT100011520th 24 Hours of Le Mans Audi Sport North America10001N/A3rd 24 Hours of Nürburgring – SP9 Speedhunters Team WRT10000N/A14th2013 FIA GT Series – Pro Belgian Audi Club Team WRT200001217th Blancpain Endurance Series – Pro Phoenix Racing500002410th FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1 Audi Sport Team Joest20002459th American Le Mans Series – LMP1110010NC† 24 Hours of Le Mans10001N/A3rd Rolex Sports Car Series – GT Audi Sport customer racing/AJR110013546th2014 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1 Audi Sport Team Joest100000NC 24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/ADNF United SportsCar Championship – GTD Fall-Line Motorsports100001134th Super GT – GT500 Lexus Team SARD800002413th2015 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1 Audi Sport Team Joest80001994th 24 Hours of Le Mans10000N/A4th2016 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1 Audi Sport Team Joest92306147.52nd 24 Hours of Le Mans10001N/A3rd2017 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Bentley Team M-Sport50000242nd Intercontinental GT Challenge20001159th FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2 Jackie Chan DC Racing931161752nd 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP211001N/A1st2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship – Prototype Mazda Team Joest1000122348th Stock Car Brasil Championship Prati-Donaduzzi100000NC† FIA GT World Cup KCMG10000N/A12th2019IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPiMazda Team Joest1013342685th Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup KCMG100000NCIntercontinental GT Challenge500001823rd24H GT Series – Continents'100000NC24 Hours of Le Mans – LMGTE ProRisi Competizione10000N/A11th2019–20FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP1Team LNT100006.522ndFIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2United Autosports100011515th2020IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPiMazda Team Joest100012477thMazda Motorsports80002Intercontinental GT ChallengeBentley Team M-Sport20000220th24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2G-Drive Racing with Algarve10000N/ADNF2021IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPiMazda Motorsports10000632643rdFIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2Risi Competizione200000NC†24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP210000N/ADNF2022IMSA SportsCar Championship – DPiMeyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian10200734321stFIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2United Autosports USA610021133rd24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP210000N/A6th2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – LMP2United Autosports 7 1 3 1 2 92 5th Asian Le Mans Series – LMP2 4 0 0 0 1 38 7th European Le Mans Series – LMP2 6 3 1 0 3 100 2nd 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP210000N/A8th IMSA SportsCar Championship – LMP2 Era Motorsport 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC† 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTD Pro Pfaff Motorsports 10 0 0 0 2 2689 7th European Le Mans Series – LMP2 United Autosports 5 0 0 1 1 39 7th 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 1 0 0 1 N/A 1st 2025 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Pro-Am United Autosports 6 0 0 2 1 62 7th24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 Pro-Am 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 6th IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 United Autosports USA 1 0 0 0 0 770 32ndEra Motorsport 2 0 0 0 1 2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 Intersport Racing 5 0 0 0 0 1182 24thEuropean Le Mans Series - LMP2United Autosports 5 0 0 0 2 44* 8th*24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 Pro-Am 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 7th † As Jarvis was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points. ‡ Teams' standings * Season still in progress.
Complete British Formula 3 International Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 DC Pts 2006 Carlin Motorsport Mugen OUL1 OUL2 DON1 DON2 PAU1 PAU2 MON1 MON2 SNE1 SNE2 SPA1 SPA1 SIL1 SIL2 BRH1 BRH2 MUG1 MUG2 SIL1 SIL2 THR1 THR2 2nd 250
Complete Japanese Formula 3 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Pts 2007 DHG Team TOM'S Toyota FUJ1 FUJ2 SUZ1 SUZ2 MOT1 MOT2 OKA1 OKA2 SUZ1 SUZ2 AUT1 AUT2 AUT3 FUJ1 FUJ2 SEN1 SEN2 SEN3 MOT1 MOT2 3rd 238
Complete A1 Grand Prix results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 DC Points 2006–07 Great Britain NEDSPR NEDFEA CZESPR CZEFEA BEISPR BEIFEA MYSSPR MYSFEA IDNSPR IDNFEA NZLSPR NZLFEA AUSSPR AUSFEA RSASPR RSAFEA MEXSPR MEXFEA SHASPR SHAFEA GBRSPR GBRSPR 3rd 92 2007–08 NEDSPR NEDFEA CZESPR CZEFEA MYSSPR MYSFEA ZHUSPR ZHUFEA NZLSPR NZLFEA AUSSPR AUSFEA RSASPR RSAFEA MEXSPR MEXFEA SHASPR SHAFEA GBRSPR GBRSPR 3rd 126
Complete Super GT results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)