If you thought that Jann Mardenborough’s rise through motorsport is nothing short of a Hollywood script, then you are right. His incredible story is now the subject of a big screen movie. Jann’s story takes centre stage in the official Gran Turismo movie. 

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This story is an opportunity for the world to witness how a teenager managed to go from playing PlayStation to racing professionally around the world. The Gran Turismo movie is directed by Neill Blomkamp. The South African-born movie maker was responsible for the breakthrough hits District 9 and Chappie.

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But Who Is Jann Mardenborough?

Jann Mardenborough is a British motorsport driver who had a fairly unusual start to his career. While most professional racing drivers start out at the local karting circuit, Jann started in his living room. Without the funds to pursue a career in motorsport, the young Brit mastered racing video games. He then went on to win the PlayStation GT Academy. The prize of this tournament took the top gamer and provide them a seat in a real race team. 

Early Life

Jann Mardenborough was born on the 9th of September 1991 in Darlington, England. The son of English footballer, Steve Mardenborough, spent most of his childhood in Cardiff, Wales. While Jann had a passion for motorsports, funding held him back. However, his passion for racing pushed him to drop out of university to compete in the PlayStation GT Academy.

GT Academy

In 2011, Jann entered the PlayStation GT Academy. GT Academy was designed to bridge the gap between racing games and real-world racing. The first stage of the academy was to pass qualifying on Grand Turismo 6 on PlayStation 3. The second stage saw the top gamers test their speed on real sports cars.

The best-performing gamers then progressed to a race camp that was designed to turn gamers into professional racing drivers. Jann drove a wide range of racing cars to accumulate enough points to earn a professional racing license. His talent was clear for everyone to see. He clinched the GT academy win on the last lap of the final race. 

Professional Career

Winning the GT Academy saw Mardenborough earn a fully-sponsored seat with Nissan’s motorsport team. Jann managed to impress the traditionalists in various motorsport competitions, despite being looked down on as a gamer.

The young British driver took part in the GT4 European Cup, British GT Championship, Formula 3 European Championship and even finished on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013. Jann continued his career and secured a seat in the GP2 Series before moving to Super GT. In 2018, he was appointed the test driver for Nissan’s Formula E team and became the official simulator driver for the team in 2021. 

A Role Model for Gamers

Jann’s background as a gamer has made him stand out in the motorsport world. He has shown that it is possible to make the transition from virtual racing to real-world motorsport. This has inspired a generation of gamers to pursue their dreams of becoming racing drivers. Jann’s success has also led to similar competitions being launched by other manufacturers, including BMW and McLaren.

Simulator driving is an essential part of modern motorsports. F1 teams recruit the best simulator drivers to help them develop and find unique setups for their cars. Check out a brief taste of the Gran Turismo movie in the official trailer below.