Lamborghini announces Midrand star as an official factory driver
The young South African factory driver joins Romain Grosjean on the Lamborghini Squadra Corse team.
Midrand-raised Jordan Pepper (26) has been unveiled as the latest addition to the Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory driver line-up ahead of the 2023 racing season.
He will join existing members Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, Marco Mapelli, Sandy Mitchell and Franck Perera as well as fellow newcomers Leonardo Pulcini and Romain Grosjean as an official driver.
Pepper’s family moved to Blue Valley in 2003 when he was six years old until he left to race overseas in 2017 and since then he has never looked back.
He will become the first Lamborghini factory driver hailing from SA and will make his debut as a factory driver alongside Grosjean, Caldarelli, and Bortolotti as part of the Iron Lynx squad for the 24 Hours at Daytona later this month.
“I’m very excited to be joining the Lamborghini Squadra Corse family for the 2023 season and beyond,” said Pepper.
“Stepping away from another factory programme at the end of 2020 gave me an opportunity to explore and see what I would like to do with my future. I was very privileged to be able to drive a Lamborghini for K-PAX Racing in America for the previous two titles.”
He said that experience, the title in the debut season and second last year, along with the Spa 24 Hours alongside Andrea and Mirko gave him an insight into how the factory worked.
Pepper arrived at Lamborghini at the start of the 2021 season, joining Caldarelli as part of the K-PAX Racing outfit which dominated the GT World Challenge America series.
He was crowned drivers’ champion alongside Caldarelli and contested the first two rounds of the 2022 season in the same car before moving across to the sister car, teaming up with Misha Goikhberg.
He said the biggest challenge to following any dream for local children was being able to accept that they needed to be willing to step out of their comfort zone to have a chance of making it happen.
“You will miss 100% of the opportunities you did not take, so make sure you give it your all and do not be afraid to follow your dreams. If you have enough passion and drive, you will find the means to make it work, during the good and the bad times.”
Lamborghini’s head of motorsport Giorgio Sanna said since Pepper joined Lamborghini, he had shown himself to be very fast and reliable and was happy to welcome him to the Lamborghini roster of factory drivers.
“His professional attitude and determination will also be a good fit with the rest of the factory drivers this year and I am looking forward to seeing what he can achieve with us, starting with the Daytona 24 Hours at the end of this month.”
Related Article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/316358/young-star-desires-a-great-season/
