Jonas Ried was born on March 14, 1997 in Freiburg im Breisgau and grew up in a family that has always been connected to motorsport. At just eight years old, he sat in a kart for the first time, and it quickly became clear that he possessed a talent that extended far beyond regional club races in southwestern Germany. His fascination with fast corners and tight battles never left him, and what began as a hobby soon became a serious sporting project that the entire family supported.
Ried’s path through the junior categories followed the typical trajectory of an ambitious German driver: after successful years in karting, he moved into formula racing, where he gained important experience in managing downforce and tire management, and eventually found his way into GT3 racing, which opened the door to the great endurance classics. This move proved to be decisive, as the combination of race pace and tactical understanding that he developed in the GT cars became the foundation for his later entry into the FIA WEC.
Among his greatest career achievements to date is the class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023, which he celebrated as part of a drive for a private GTE team and which earned him international recognition. Just a year earlier, in 2022, he had drawn attention with strong results in the European Le Mans Series and thus laid the groundwork for his move to the WEC. These results solidified his reputation as a reliable and fast driver who delivers consistent lap times even under pressure.
In the 2026 season, Jonas Ried takes the start for an established team in the FIA WEC, where he shares the cockpit with an experienced teammate. The goal of the campaign is to build on the strong performances of recent years and regularly compete for podium finishes in the overall standings. For Ried, who has continuously developed over the past years, this marks a season in which he wants to prove that he ranks among the most consistent drivers in his field at the highest international level.
Jonas Ried in the News