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Sean Gelael

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Sean Gelael
Born
Muhammad Sean Ricardo Gelael

(1996-11-01) November 1, 1996 (age 30)
Indonesia
OccupationRacing driver
Years active2005–present
Known forFIA World Endurance Championship competitor, FIA Formula 2 Championship driver

Muhammad Sean Ricardo Gelael (born 1 November 1996) is an Indonesian professional racing driver who currently competes for United Autosports in the FIA World Endurance Championship. As a silver-ranked competitor, he has earned two class podiums at Le Mans: second place with Jota in the LMP2 category during the 2021 event, and another runner-up finish with WRT in the 2024 LMGT3 division.

Early career

Gelael's motorsport journey started in 2005 when he served as co-driver to his father, , at the Rally of Indonesia. Two years later, at just 10 years old, he was recognized by the MURI as the youngest rally navigator on record.

Karting

In 2011, Gelael took part in the Asian Karting Open Championship – Formula 125 Senior Open category, where he secured a third-place overall finish.

Lower formulae

He launched his single-seater career in Asia by competing in the 2012 Formula Pilota China series, concluding the season fourth overall and second within the "Best Asian Trophy" classification. Additionally, he appeared for BVM in the final round of the 2012 Formula Abarth championship held at Monza.

2013

For the 2013 season, Gelael joined Double R Racing to contest the FIA European Formula 3 Championship. He also entered the Masters of Formula 3 event but retired before completing the race.

2014

The following year, Gelael signed with Carlin Motorsport to continue in the FIA European Formula 3 series. On 10 May, he earned his first championship point by finishing tenth at the Pau Grand Prix. He wrapped up the campaign ranked eighteenth with a total of 25 points.

British Formula 3 Championship

In 2013, Gelael competed in the British Formula 3 International Series driving for Double R Racing alongside Antonio Giovinazzi. He achieved his inaugural podium by finishing third at Silverstone and ended the season eighth in the overall standings.

Formula Renault 3.5 Series

January 2015 saw Gelael join Carlin to compete in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, partnering with Tom Dillmann. He completed the season placed nineteenth in the championship.

2015

Gelael made his GP2 Series debut with Carlin at the Hungaroring during the 2015 season, finishing eighteenth in the feature race and twentieth in the sprint race.

2016

In 2016, Gelael participated full-time in GP2 with Campos Racing, sharing a team with Mitch Evans. At Catalunya, he crossed the line nineteenth in the feature race after starting from twenty-second on the grid. He earned his first podium at the Red Bull Ring, securing second place behind teammate Evans.

2017

With GP2 rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship, Gelael joined Pertamina Arden for the 2017 season, partnering with Norman Nato. He scored points in only four races and finished behind his teammate in the final standings.

2018

For the 2018 season, Gelael switched to Prema Racing, teaming up with Dutch driver Nyck de Vries. He achieved a podium finish by placing second in Monaco’s feature race but was unable to add further points throughout the year, ending fifteenth overall with twenty-nine points.

2019

During the 2019 season, Gelael continued his partnership with Prema, racing alongside Mick Schumacher. He concluded the year 17th in the overall driver rankings, accumulating points in five events but finishing behind his teammate.

2020

For the 2020 season, Gelael switched teams, leaving Prema to join DAMS, the reigning FIA Formula 2 titleholders, taking over from Sérgio Sette Câmara. His teammate was Dan Ticktum, a two-time winner of the Macau Grand Prix and a member of the Williams Driver Academy. Gelael earned points in both races during the second round at the Red Bull Ring, placing tenth and seventh respectively. Unfortunately, he sustained a vertebra fracture in the feature race at Barcelona, which forced him to miss the sprint race. As a result, Jüri Vips, affiliated with the Red Bull Junior Team, stepped in for four rounds. By the time of his injury, Gelael had secured three points, while Ticktum had amassed 61.

FIA Formula 2 departure

After experiencing numerous crashes, mechanical setbacks, and limited success in scoring points within FIA Formula 2, Gelael’s father Ricardo revealed that Sean would not pursue further competition in Formula 2 beyond the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Formula One

Gelael made his initial foray into Formula One by piloting the Toro Rosso STR12 during post-2017 Bahrain Grand Prix testing, completing a total of 78 laps. Throughout that season, he took part in testing sessions at both the Hungaroring and Yas Marina Circuit, as well as participating in Friday practice at the Singapore, Malaysia, United States, and Mexico Grands Prix. In , he maintained his testing role with Toro Rosso across Spain, Hungary, and Abu Dhabi, additionally appearing in Friday practice at the United States Grand Prix. In 2019, Gelael was involved in Toro Rosso’s post-season tyre evaluation held in Abu Dhabi.

2016: Debut success

Gelael ventured into endurance racing by joining the Asian Le Mans Series during the latter part of the 2015–16 season. Competing for Jagonya Ayam with Eurasia alongside teammate Antonio Giovinazzi, they triumphed in both races they entered and secured third place overall.

That same year marked his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he competed with Extreme Speed Motorsports in the final three rounds of the series.

2021: Title Challenges

Following the conclusion of his tenure in the Formula 2, Gelael resumed competition in the Asian Le Mans Series, undertaking the full 2021 season with Jota Sport. He shared the LMP2 cockpit with Formula E racers Stoffel Vandoorne and Tom Blomqvist. Gelael achieved a second and fifth place in Dubai and triumphed in both races held in Abu Dhabi, ultimately finishing as the runner-up overall.

Gelael's main concentration was on the World Endurance Championship, where he again teamed up with Vandoorne and Blomqvist under Jota Sport. Early successes included podium finishes that contributed to a second-place class result at the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite securing two additional podiums during the season, Jota was narrowly edged out by Team WRT, who captured the last three events and claimed the LMP2 championship, leaving Jota in second place overall. Reflecting on the season, Gelael described it as "really good" but expressed regret over some lost chances.

Additionally, Gelael made a one-off appearance at the 4 Hours of Monza representing Jota, where he finished third alongside fellow Malaysian driver Jazeman Jaafar.

2022: Securing Wins

During 2022, Gelael competed in the World Endurance Championship as part of the defending champions, WRT, partnering with Robin Frijns and René Rast. After placing second at the rain-affected Sebring, he earned his first class victory at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. At the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, although starting from pole position courtesy of Frijns’ qualifying lap, their race ended prematurely due to a late crash. A radiator failure at the Monza round led to a twelfth-place finish, marking consecutive races without points. Nonetheless, Gelael, Frijns, and substitute driver Dries Vanthoor secured a win at the penultimate event held at Fuji, fending off strong competition from Jota. Another triumph followed at the final round, the 8 Hours of Bahrain, but despite these victories, WRT concluded the season 21 points behind Jota, missing out on retaining the championship.

2023: Introduction to GT3

At the beginning of 2023, Gelael teamed up with Valentino Rossi and three additional drivers to compete in the Dubai 24 Hour race, piloting a BMW M4 GT3 for W Racing Team (WRT). The squad achieved a double podium finish, securing third place overall. For the third year running, Gelael concentrated on the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with WRT, alongside teammates Robin Frijns and Ferdinand Habsburg. The campaign proved difficult, as the #31 entry ended fourth in the team rankings, impacted by suspension troubles at Le Mans and an engine failure that denied them victory at Monza.

2024: Complete GT3 Campaign

Following the removal of LMP2 from the WEC, Gelael and WRT transitioned to the newly introduced LMGT3 category for the 2024 season. Partnered with BMW factory driver Augusto Farfus and bronze-rated Darren Leung, Gelael secured his inaugural class victory at Imola. He also emerged unscathed from a severe collision caused by Earl Bamber at Spa-Francorchamps. The team bounced back impressively at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where their #31 BMW was the sole competitor to avoid significant setbacks, ultimately finishing second in their class.

2025: Transition to United Autosports

On 3 January 2025, United Autosports revealed that Gelael and former WRT teammate Darren Leung would join their lineup for the 2025 season. They will compete alongside Marino Sato in the No. 95 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

Personal life

Gelael is the only son of Indonesia’s franchise owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken and ex-rally driver , as well as the youngest child of actress . He is related to Indonesian tennis athlete Justin Barki. His late grandfather Dick Gelael was the founder of and Multi Food Indonesia.

Karting career summary

Season Series Team Position
2010 CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific Championship — KF2 Sean GP 19th
Bridgestone Cup European Final — KF2 26th
2011 Trofeo Grifone — KF2 Sean GP 4th
Trofeo Andrea Margutti — KF2 32nd
Coppa Del Vesuvio — KF2 8th
WSK Euro Series — KF2 49th
CIK-FIA European Championship — KF2 7th
CIK-FIA World Championship — KF2 NC
WSK Master Series — KF2 NC
Asian Karting Open Championship — Formula 125 Senior 3rd
Bridgestone Cup European Final — KF2 NC
CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific Championship — KF1 14th
2012 Indonesia Kart Prix — KF2 Sean GP 16th
WSK Master Series — KF2 70th
Trofeo Andrea Margutti — KF2 50th
WSK Euro Series — KF2 82nd
CIK-FIA World Karting Championship — KF1 43rd


Summary of Racing Career

Season Series Team Races Victories Pole Positions Fastest Laps Podiums Points Final Standing
2012 Formula Pilota China Eurasia Motorsport 18 1 1 2 6 132 4th place
Formula Abarth BVM 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship Double R Racing 30 0 0 0 0 0 28th place
British Formula 3 Championship 12 0 0 1 3 78 8th place
Masters of Formula 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship Jagonya Ayam with Carlin 33 0 0 0 0

25

18th

British Formula 3 Championship Carlin '3' '0' '0' '0'

'3'

'0'

NC†

2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series Jagonya Ayam with Carlin '17' '0' '0' '0' '0' '7' '19th'
GP2 Series Carlin '9' '0' '0' '0' '0' '0' '30th'
2015–16 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2 Jagonya Ayam with Eurasia '2' '2' '1' '0' '2' '51' 3rd
2016 GP2 Series Pertamina Campos Racing '22' '0' '0' '0' '1' '24' '15th'
European Le Mans Series - LMP2 SMP Racing '1' '0' '0' '0' '0' '10' '24th'
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Extreme Speed Motorsports '3' '0' '0' '0' '1' '40' '12th'
2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship Pertamina Arden '22' '0' '0' '0' '0' '17' '15th'
Formula One Test driver
2018 "FIA Formula 2 Championship" "Pertamina Prema Theodore Racing" "23" "0" "0" "0" "1" "29" "15th"
"Formula One" "Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda" colspan="7"|Test driver
2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship Prema Racing "20" "0" "0" "0" "0" "15" "17th"
Formula One Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda colspan="7"|Test driver
2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship DAMS "14" "0" "0" "0" "0" "3" "21st"
2021 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Jota Sport "6" "0" "0" "0" "5" "131" 2nd"
Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2 "4" "2" "0" "0" "3" "78" 2nd"
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 "1" "0" "0" "0" "1"

"|N/A"

2nd"
European Le Mans Series - LMP2 "1" "0" "0" "0" "1"

"'NC†'"

2022

"'align=left'"| "FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2"

"'rowspan="2"' align="left" | "WRT"

"'6'"

"'3'"

"'0'"

"'1'"

"'4'"

"'116'"

"'style="background:#DFDFDF;" '| 2nd"

"'align=left'"| "24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2"

"'1'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'N/A'"

"'DNF'"

2022–23

"'align=left'" | "Middle East Trophy - GT3"

"'align=left'" | "Monster VR46 with Team WRT "

"'1'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'1'"

"'0'"

"'NC†'"

2023

"'align=left'" | "FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2"

"'rowspan="2"' align="left" | "Team WRT "

"'7'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'0'"

"'2'"

"'94'"

"'4th'"

"'align=left'" | "2023 24 Hours of Le Mans  - LMP2   "

"'1'"

"'  '"

"'  '"
"'1'"
"'  '"
"N/A "
"5th "
"'align = left ' " |
"Asia-Pacific Rally Championship - Asia Rally Cup  "
"'align = left ' " |
"Jagonya Ayam "
"'2'"
"'1'"
"N/A "
"N/A "
"'1'"
"'43'"
"'style = background:#DFDFDF;' " 2nd
2023–24
"2023–24 Asian Le Mans Series - GT  "
"'align = left ' " |
"Project 1 Motorsport  "
"'2'"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
"'12'"
"'19th'"
"Saintéloc Racing  "
"'1'"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
" "
"2023–24 Middle East Trophy - GT3  "
"Century Motorsport  "
"'1'"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
"' '"
"'NC†'"
2024
"2024 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGT3  "
"W Racing Team  "
"'8'" "'1'" "' '" "' '" "'2'" "'85'" "'4th'"
"2024 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup  "
'2' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 'NC'
"2024 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup - Silver Cup  "
' ' ' ' ' ' '1' '18' '14th'
2025
"2025 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGT3  "
"United Autosports  "
'5' ' ' '1' ' ' ' ' '14' '23rd*'
"2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup  "
"Paradine Competition  "

† As a guest entrant, Gelael was not eligible to score points. * The season is ongoing.

Full Formula Pilota China results

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole position) (Races shown in italics denote fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Final Position Points Earned
2012 Eurasia Motorsport SHI
1

7
SHI
2

5
SHI
3

7
ORD1
1

4
ORD1
2

7
ORD1
3

3
ORD2
1

2
ORD2
2

2
ORD2
3

Ret
GUA
1

4
GUA
2

4
GUA
3

3
SEP1
1

7
SEP1
2

4
SEP1
3

9
SEP2
1

Ret
SEP2
2

3
SEP2
3

1
4th place 132 points

Full British Formula Three Championship results

(key) (Pole positions are shown in bold, fastest laps in italics)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Final Standing Points Scored
2013 Double R Racing SIL < br >1 < br > 4 SIL < br >2 < br > 3 SIL < br >3 < br > 8 SPA < br >1 < br > 3 SPA < br >2 < br > 5 SPA < br >3 < br > 8 BRH < br >1 < br > Ret BRH < br >2 < br > 6 BRH < br >3 < br > 6 NÜR < br />1 < br > 7 NÜR < br >2 < br > 7 NÜR < br >3 < br > 11 8th place 78 points
2014 Carlin Motorsport
style = " background :#CFCFFF ;" 
style = " background :#CFCFFF ;"
style = " background :#CFCFFF ;"
Not Classified† 0 points

† Since Gelael participated as a guest competitor, he was not eligible to accumulate points.

Full FIA Formula 3 European Championship Results

(key) (Entries in bold denote pole positions) (Entries in italics signify fastest laps)

</tbody>
Year Team 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 32 33 Final Position Points
2013 Double R Racing MNZ
1

14
MNZ
2

16
MNZ
3

17
SIL
1

24
SIL
2

16
SIL
3

18†
HOC
1

21
HOC
2

27
HOC
3

Ret
BRH
1

23
BRH
2

22
BRH
3

Ret
RBR
1

22
RBR
2

17
RBR
3

20†
NOR
1

Ret
NOR
2

21
NOR
3

15
NÜR
1

20
NÜR
2

18
NÜR
3

13
ZAN
1

17
ZAN
2

20
ZAN
3

20
VAL
1

Ret
VAL
2

21
VAL
3

Ret
HOC
1

25
HOC
2

24
HOC
3

13
28th 0
2014 Jagonya Ayam with Carlin SIL
1

15
SIL
2

20
SIL
3

NC
HOC
1

13
HOC
2

20
HOC
3

22
PAU
1

10
style="background:#EFCFFF;" >PAU
2

Template:Small Ret

                                               

style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Moscow Raceway #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ MSC  ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Moscow Raceway #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ MSC  ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Moscow Raceway #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ MSC  ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Red Bull Ring #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ RBR  ] ] style = " background : # D F F F D F ; " > [ [ Red Bull Ring #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ RBR  ] ] style = " background : # D F F F D F ; " > [ [ Red Bull Ring #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ RBR  ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Nürburgring #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ NÜR ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Nürburgring #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ NÜR ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Nürburgring #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ NÜR ] ] style = " background : # D F F F D F ; " > [ [ Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ IMO ] ] style = " background : # C F C F F ; " > [ [ Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari #2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship season _ IMO ] ] style = " background : # E F C F F F ; " > Ret style = small > Ret

† Driver did not finish but was classified, having completed over ninety percent of the race distance.

Full Formula Renault 3.5 Series Results

(key) (Entries in bold represent pole positions) (Entries in italics indicate fastest laps)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Position Points
2015 Jagonya Ayam with Carlin ALC
1

Ret
ALC
2

15
MON
1

8
SPA
1

15
style="background:#CFCFFF;"* [[Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps SPA
2]]
Template:Small*12

... (remaining table entries follow the same pattern) ...

Full GP2 Series/FIA Formula 2 Championship Results

([[:Template:Motorsport driver results legend]|key]]) (bold indicates pole position; italics show fastest lap)

... (table continues with consistent formatting) ...
-- Table headers --

Complete European Le Mans Series Records

Year Team Category Chassis Engine ... race rounds ... -- Final standing --

2016 European Le Mans Series

nowrap| SMP Racing

LMP2

nowrap| BR Engineering BR01

nowrap| Nissan VK45DE V8, 4.5 L

style="background:#DFFFDF;"

Silverstone Circuit
5

Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari

Red Bull Ring

Circuit Paul Ricard

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Autódromo do Estoril

24th

10

2021 European Le Mans Series

nowrap| Jota Sport

LMP2

nowrap| Oreca 07

nowrap| Gibson GK428, V8, 4.2 L

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Red Bull Ring

Circuit Paul Ricard

style="background:#FFDF9F;"

Autodromo Nazionale Monza
3

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Algarve International Circuit

NC†

0†

† Participation as a guest driver rendered him ineligible for points.

Full FIA World Endurance Championship Results

... (complete table entries continue similarly)
-- Headers --

Full Asian Le Mans Series Results

... (entries continue in the same format)
-- Headers --

Complete Formula One Appearances

([[:Template:F1 driver results legend_2]|key]]) (bold denotes pole position; italics indicate fastest lap)

... (table follows consistent structure)
-- Headers --


Full 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Category Laps Completed Pos. Class
Pos.
2021 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jota Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tom Blomqvist
Template:Country data BELTemplate:Namespace detect showall Stoffel Vandoorne
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 363 7th place 2nd place
2022 Template:Country data BELTemplate:Namespace detect showall Team WRT Template:Country data NLDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Robin Frijns
Germany René Rast
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 285 Did Not Finish (DNF) Did Not Finish (DNF)
2023 Template:Country data BELTemplate:Namespace detect showall Team WRT Template:Country data NLDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Robin Frijns
Template:Country data AUTTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ferdinand Habsburg
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 327 13th place 5th place
2024 Template:Country data BELTemplate:Namespace detect showall Team WRT Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Augusto Farfus
Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Darren Leung
BMW M4 GT3 LMGT3 280 28th place 2nd place
2025 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall United Autosports Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Darren Leung
Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Marino Sato
McLaren 720S GT3 Evo LMGT3 80 Did Not Finish (DNF) Did Not Finish (DNF)

Full 24H GT Series Results

Year Team Co-Drivers Vehicle Category 1st Round 2nd Round 3rd Round 4th Round 5th Round 6th Round 7th Round 8th Round 9th Round Pos. Class
Pos.
2023 Template:Country data ITATemplate:Namespace detect showall KFC VR46 with Team WRT (Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi, Tim Whale, Max Hesse) (BMW M4 GT3) 'Pro'

style="background:#FFDF9F;" | DUB
3rd

style="background:#ffdf9f;" | 3rd

style="background:#ffdf9f;" | 3rd

Full GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Results

Year Team Vehicle Category Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 Race 7 Race 8 Race 9 Race 10 Overall Position Points Accumulated
2024 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Silver BRH
1st race
BRH
2nd race
MIS
1st race
MIS
2nd race
HOC
1st race
HOC
2nd race
MAG
1st race
MAG
2nd race
CAT
1st race

15th
CAT
2nd race

14th
14th overall 18 points


External links