Nicolas Minassian (Armenian: ; born 28 February 1973) is a French professional racing driver of Armenian descent.

After finishing second place in the 1993 Formula Renault Eurocup, Marseille-born Minassian graduated to the French Formula Three Championship where he finished runner-up to countryman Laurent Redon at his second attempt in 1995. He then moved to the British series for another two years in a successful partnership with Promatecme and Renault UK that yielded a fourth place in 1996 and second place the following year.

Minassian graduated to Formula 3000 with West Competition for 1998, but failed to impress whilst his teammate Nick Heidfeld mounted a strong challenge for overall honours. The following year, he moved to Kid Jensen Racing where he enjoyed more success, including an emphatic lights-to-flag triumph at Silverstone. He signed for the illustrious Super Nova Racing team in 2000 where he came a strong second in the championship.

Unable to secure a Formula One drive despite promising tests for Williams and BAR Honda, Minassian moved to CART in 2001 for Target Chip Ganassi Racing with F3000 title adversary Bruno Junqueira and competed in the Indianapolis 500 before being released. In 2002, Minassian won the ASCAR oval racing series for RML Group before returning to endurance racing for such teams as Creation Autosportif and Pescarolo Sport.

In 2007, Minassian became a factory driver for the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP diesel LMP1 in the Le Mans Series. He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the brand until 2011, scoring two overall podiums and a fastest lap. After Peugeot's programme ended, Minassian raced in the FIA WEC's LMP2 class for the AF Corse–run PeCom and SMP Racing teams.

In 2013, Minassian was named by Autosport as one of the top 50 drivers who never raced in Formula One.

Other ventures In 2018, Minassian was appointed sporting director of fledgling LMP2 team IDEC Sport, and guided it to the 2019 European Le Mans Series title before stepping up to the role of team principal in 2021.

In 2019, Minassian founded a management company together with his former team-mate Jamie Campbell-Walter and María Catarineu, Bullet Sports Management, which represents the likes of Ferdinand Habsburg, Franco Colapinto, Oliver Goethe and Rui Andrade.

Racing record

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1994 Roland Bassaler Patrick Bourdais Olivier Couvreur Alpa LM-Ford Cosworth LMP1C90 64 DNF DNF 2000 Mopar Team Oreca Yannick Dalmas Jean-Philippe Belloc Reynard 2KQ-LM-Mopar LMP900 1 DNF DNF 2002 PlayStation Team Oreca Stéphane Sarrazin Franck Montagny Dallara SP1-Judd LMP900 359 6th 5th 2003 Pescarolo Sport Éric Hélary Soheil Ayari Courage C60-Peugeot LMP900 352 9th 7th 2004 Pescarolo Sport Sébastien Bourdais Emmanuel Collard Pescarolo C60-Judd LMP1 282 DNF DNF 2005 Creation Autosportif Ltd. Jamie Campbell-Walter Andy Wallace DBA 03S-Judd LMP1 322 14th 7th 2006 Pescarolo Sport Emmanuel Collard Érik Comas Pescarolo C60 Hybrid-Judd LMP1 352 5th 4th 2007 Team Peugeot Total Jacques Villeneuve Marc Gené Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 338 DNF DNF 2008 Team Peugeot Total Jacques Villeneuve Marc Gené Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 381 2nd 2nd 2009 Team Peugeot Total Pedro Lamy Christian Klien Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 369 6th 6th 2010 Team Peugeot Total Stéphane Sarrazin Franck Montagny Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 264 DNF DNF 2011 Peugeot Sport Total Stéphane Sarrazin Franck Montagny Peugeot 908 LMP1 353 3rd 3rd 2012 Pescarolo Team Sébastien Bourdais Seiji Ara Dome S102.5-Judd LMP1 203 NC NC 2013 PeCom Racing Luís Pérez Companc Pierre Kaffer Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 325 10th 4th 2014 SMP Racing Kirill Ladygin Maurizio Mediani Oreca 03R-Nissan LMP2 9 DNF DNF 2015 SMP Racing David Markozov Maurizio Mediani BR Engineering BR01-Nissan LMP2 340 14th 6th 2016 SMP Racing Mikhail Aleshin Maurizio Mediani BR Engineering BR01-Nissan LMP2 347 11th 7th

Complete British Formula Three Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 DC Pts 1996 Promatecme UK Dallara F396 Renault SIL1 SIL2 THR DON BRH1 BRH2 OUL DON SIL THR SNE1 SNE2 PEM1 PEM2 ZAN1 ZAN2 SIL 4th 139 1997 Promatecme UK Dallara F397 Renault DON SIL THR BRH SIL CRO OUL SIL PEM1 PEM2 DON SNE1 SNE2 SPA SIL THR 2nd 183

Complete International Formula 3000 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 DC Points 1998 West Competition OSC IML CAT SIL MON PAU A1 HOC HUN SPA PER NUR 13th 5 1999 Kid Jensen Racing IMO MON CAT MAG SIL A1R HOC HUN SPA NUR 6th 20 2000 D2 Playlife Super Nova IMO SIL CAT NUR MON MAG A1R HOC HUN SPA 2nd 45 2003 Brand Motorsport IMO CAT A1R MON NUR MAG SIL HOC HUN MNZ NC 0

American open–wheel racing results (key)

CART Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rank Points Ref 2001 Chip Ganassi Racing 12 Lola B01/00 Toyota RV8EMTYLBHTXSNHNZRMOTMILDETPORCLETORMISCHIMDOROAVANLAUROCHOULSSRFFON 27th 7

IRL IndyCar Series Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points Ref 2001 Chip Ganassi Racing 49 G-Force Oldsmobile PHX HOM ATL INDY TEX PIK RIR KAN NSH KTY GAT CHI TEX 47th 1

Indy 500 results Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 2001 G-Force Oldsmobile 22 29 Ganassi

Complete V8 Supercar results Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Final pos Points 2003 Team Dynamik Holden VY CommodoreADLPHIECKWINPTHHDVQLDORPSANBATSURPUKECK 44th 152 2012 Brad Jones Racing Holden VE Commodore ADER1 ADER2 SYMR3 SYMR4 HAMR5 HAMR6 PERR7 PERR8 PERR9 PHIR10 PHIR11 HDVR12 HDVR13 TOWR14 TOWR15 QLDR16 QLDR17 SMPR18 SMPR19 SANQ SANR20 BATR21SURR22SURR23 YMCR24 YMCR25 YMCR26 WINR27 WINR28 SYDR29 SYDR30 NC 0 + + Not Eligible for points

Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Car Co-driver Position Laps 2003 Team Dynamik Holden Commodore VY Jan Magnussen 11th 158

Complete American Le Mans Series results Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine Tyres 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Points 2004 Creation Autosportif LMP1 DBA 03S Zytek ZG348 3.4L V8 SEB MID LIM SON POR MOS AME PETovr:Retcls:Ret MONovr:Retcls:Ret NC 0 2006 Creation Autosportif LMP1 Creation CA06/H Judd GV5 S2 5.0L V10 SEB TEX MID LIM UTA POR AME MOS PETovr:4cls:4 MONovr:3cls:3 15th 32 2008 Peugeot Sport Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot HDi 5.5 L V12(Diesel) SEBovr:11cls:4 STP LNB UTA LIM MID AME MOS DET PETovr:2cls:2 MON 9th 46 2009 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot HDI 5.5 L Turbo V12(Diesel) SEBovr:5cls:4 STP LNB UTA LIM MID AME MOS PETovr:2cls:2 MON 15th 46 2010 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot HDI 5.5 L Turbo V12(Diesel) SEBovr:2cls:2 LNB MON UTA LIM MID AME MOS PET NC 0

Complete Le Mans Series results

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine Tyres 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points 2004 Creation Autosportif LMP1 DBA 03S Zytek 3.4 L V8 MONovr:Retcls:Ret NÜRovr:3cls:3 SILovr:Retcls:Ret SPAovr:3cls:3 4th 12 2005 Creation Autosportif LMP1 DBA 03S Zytek 3.4 L V8 SPAovr:Retcls:Ret MONovr:7cls:5 SILovr:2cls:2 NÜRovr:3cls:3 ISTovr:3cls:3 5th 24 2006 Creation Autosportif LMP1 Creation CA06/H Judd 2.5 L V10 ISTovr:Retcls:Ret SPA NÜRovr:2cls:2 DONovr:2cls:2 JARovr:4cls:4 6th 14 2007 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) MONovr:1cls:1 VALovr:Retcls:Ret NÜRovr:2cls:2 SPAovr:Retcls:Ret SILovr:1cls:1 MILovr:1cls:1 3rd 33 2008 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) CATovr:1cls:1 MONovr:5cls:5 SPAovr:1cls:1 NÜRovr:2cls:2 SILovr:Retcls:Ret 2nd 32 2009 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) CAT SPAovr:1cls:1 ALG NÜR SIL 10th 11 2010 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) CAS SPA ALG HUN SILovr:1cls:1 16th 15 2011 Peugeot Sport Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 Peugeot HDI 3.7 L Turbo V8(Diesel) CAS SPAovr:2cls:2 IMO SIL EST NC 0 2012 Sébastien Loeb Racing LMP2 Oreca 03 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 CASovr:2cls:2 DONovr:4cls:4 PET 6th 30

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points 2016 SMP Racing P BR Engineering BR01 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 DAY 24th 52 DragonSpeed Oreca 05 SEB LBH LGA DET WGL MOS ELK COA PET

References

External links Official Website