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

Nicolas Minassian
Minassian at the 2012 6 Hours of Fuji
NationalityFrance French
Armenia Armenian
via dual nationality
Born (1973-02-28) 28 February 1973 (age 51)
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1994, 2000, 2002–2016
TeamsRoland Bassaler, Team Oreca, Pescarolo Sport, Creation Autosportif, Peugeot, SMP Racing.
Best finish2nd (2008)
Class wins0

After finishing 2nd 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 4th place in 1996 and 2nd place the following year.

He 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 2nd in the championship.

Unable to secure a Formula One drive, Minassian drove in 2001 for Target Chip Ganassi Racing with F3000 title adversary Bruno Junqueira in CART and competed in the Indianapolis 500 before being released by the team. In 2002 Minassian won the ASCAR Racing Series oval racing series for RML Group before returning to endurance racing including the 24 Hours of Le Mans for such teams as Creation Autosportif and Pescarolo Sport.

In 2007 he became a factory driver for the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP diesel Le Mans prototype in the European Le Mans Series.

In 2008 he drove the Peugeot 908 diesel Le Mans prototype in the European Le Mans Series. He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Peugeot 908.

Outside racing

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In 2019 Nicolas Minassian founded a management company together with his former team-mate Jamie Campbell-Walter and María Catarineu, Bullet Sports Management,[1] which represents drivers including FIA WEC and ELMS driver Ferdinand Habsburg, ELMS and FRECA driver Franco Colapinto, FRECA driver Oliver Goethe, GT World Challenge Europe driver Benjamin Goethe, and ELMS drivers Rui Andrade and Diego Menchaca.

Racing record

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24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
pos.
1994   Roland Bassaler   Patrick Bourdais
  Olivier Couvreur
Alpa LM-Ford Cosworth LMP1
C90
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 3 results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 DC Pts
1996 Promatecme UK Renault SIL
1

9
SIL
2

8
THR
7
DON
5
BRH
1

2
BRH
2

3
OUL
3
DON
3
SIL
9
THR
Ret
SNE
1

17
SNE
2

C
PEM
1

1
PEM
2

7
ZAN
1

3
ZAN
2

3
SIL
1
4th 139
1997 Promatecme UK Renault DON
4
SIL
1
THR
DSQ
BRH SIL CRO
1
OUL
Ret
SIL
3
PEM
1

Ret
PEM
2

1
DON
1
SNE
1

4
SNE
2

1
SPA
6
SIL
1
THR
1
2nd 183

Complete International Formula 3000 results

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(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
Ret
IML
19
CAT
Ret
SIL
7
MON
9
PAU
7
A1
5
HOC
Ret
HUN
4
SPA
19
PER
19
NUR 13th 5
1999 Kid Jensen Racing IMO
13
MON
Ret
CAT
8
MAG
14
SIL
1
A1R
3
HOC
Ret
HUN
5
SPA
3
NUR
Ret
6th 20
2000 D2 Playlife Super Nova IMO
1
SIL
11
CAT
2
NUR
Ret
MON
5
MAG
1
A1R
1
HOC
7
HUN
4
SPA
3
2nd 45
2003 Brand Motorsport IMO
11
CAT A1R MON NUR MAG SIL HOC HUN MNZ NC 0

American Open-Wheel

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(key)

CART

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Year Team 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 MTY
11
LBH
8
TXS
NH
NZR
18
MOT
15
MIL
19
DET
17
POR CLE TOR MIS CHI MDO ROA VAN LAU ROC HOU LS SRF FON 27th 7 [2]

IRL IndyCar Series

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Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points Ref
2001 Chip Ganassi Racing G-Force 49 Oldsmobile PHX
HOM
ATL
INDY
29
TEX
PIK
RIR
KAN
NSH
KTY
GAT
CHI
TEX
47th 1 [3]

Indy 500 results

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

Complete V8 Supercar results

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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 Commodore ADL PHI ECK WIN PTH HDV QLD ORP SAN
28
BAT
11
SUR PUK ECK 44th 152
2012 Brad Jones Racing Holden VE Commodore ADE
R1
ADE
R2
SYM
R3
SYM
R4
HAM
R5
HAM
R6
PER
R7
PER
R8
PER
R9
PHI
R10
PHI
R11
HDV
R12
HDV
R13
TOW
R14
TOW
R15
QLD
R16
QLD
R17
SMP
R18
SMP
R19
SAN
Q
SAN
R20
BAT
R21
SUR
R22

Ret
SUR
R23

10
YMC
R24
YMC
R25
YMC
R26
WIN
R27
WIN
R28
SYD
R29
SYD
R30
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

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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 D SEB MID LIM SON POR MOS AME PET
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
MON
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
NC 0
2006 Creation Autosportif LMP1 Creation CA06/H Judd GV5 S2 5.0L V10 M SEB TEX MID LIM UTA POR AME MOS PET
ovr:4
cls:4
MON
ovr:3
cls:3
19th 16
2008 Peugeot Sport Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot HDi 5.5 L V12
(Diesel)
M SEB
ovr:11
cls:4
STP LNB UTA LIM MID AME MOS DET PET
ovr:2
cls:2
MON 9th 46
2009 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot HDI 5.5 L Turbo V12
(Diesel)
M SEB
ovr:5
cls:4
STP LNB UTA LIM MID AME MOS PET
ovr:2
cls:2
MON 15th 46
2010 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot HDI 5.5 L Turbo V12
(Diesel)
M SEB
ovr:2
cls:2
LNB MON UTA LIM MID AME MOS PET NC 0

Complete Le Mans Series results

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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 D MON
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
NÜR
ovr:3
cls:3
SIL
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
SPA
ovr:3
cls:3
4th 12
2005 Creation Autosportif LMP1 DBA 03S Zytek 3.4 L V8 M SPA
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
MON
ovr:7
cls:5
SIL
ovr:2
cls:2
NÜR
ovr:3
cls:3
IST
ovr:3
cls:3
5th 25
2006 Creation Autosportif LMP1 Creation CA06/H Judd 2.5 L V10 M IST
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
SPA NÜR DON
ovr:2
cls:2
JAR
ovr:4
cls:4
10th 14
2007 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) M MON
ovr:1
cls:1
Val
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
NÜR
ovr:2
cls:2
SPA
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
SIL
ovr:1
cls:1
MIL
ovr:1
cls:1
4th 33
2008 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) M CAT
ovr:1
cls:1
MON
ovr:5
cls:5
SPA
ovr:1
cls:1
NÜR
ovr:2
cls:2
SIL
ovr:Ret
cls:Ret
3rd 32
2009 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) M CAT SPA
ovr:1
cls:1
ALG NÜR SIL 19th 11
2010 Team Peugeot Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Peugeot 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel) M CAS SPA ALG HUN SIL
ovr:1
cls:1
22nd 15
2011 Peugeot Sport Total LMP1 Peugeot 908 Peugeot HDI 3.7 L Turbo V8
(Diesel)
M CAS SPA
ovr:2
cls:2
IMO SIL EST NC 0
2012 Sébastien Loeb Racing LMP2 Oreca 03 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 D CAS
ovr:2
cls:2
DON
ovr:4
cls:4
PET 6th 30

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

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(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
9
24th 52
DragonSpeed Oreca 05 SEB
4
LBH LGA DET WGL MOS ELK COA PET

References

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  1. ^ "TEAM". Bullet Sports Management.
  2. ^ "Nicolas Minassian – 2001 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Nicolas Minassian – 2001 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by ASCAR Champion
2002
Succeeded by