SMP Racing


SMP Racing is a Russian racing team and driver academy mostly known for competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, FIA [Formula 2 Championship] and FIA Formula 3 Championship with the goal of training and unveiling new talents from Russia. The team was founded in 2013 by Boris Rotenberg, co-founder of the SMP Bank of Russia.
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History

Origins

The team was founded in 2012 by the Russian oligarch Boris Rotenberg, co-founder of SMP Bank and CEO of Russian race car construction company BR Engineering.
They first competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the goal of supporting new talents from Russia and giving them the chance to compete in international motorsport.

Boris Rotenberg

Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia on, Boris Rotenberg is known as the co-founder of SMP Bank and CEO of the largest construction company for gas pipelines and electrical power supply lines in Russia.
In 2001 Boris and his brother founded the SMP Bank of Russia, one of the largest banks in Russia.
Boris is the CEO and founder of a race car construction company called BR Engineering. This company created the BR Engineering BR1 and BR Engineering BR01; both cars achieved podiums in their categories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Current status

On 8 July 2019, SMP announced that it was withdrawing their BR1 LMP1 cars from the FIA World Endurance Championship|2019–20 WEC season] only three weeks ahead of the Prologue pre-season test session. The team said in a statement that it had achieved the best possible results as a privateer LMP1 entry "given the circumstances" after its 3rd place podium result at the 2019 24h of Le Mans ahead of all other privateer entries and only behind two works Toyota TS050 Hybrids. It continued to sponsor the AF Corse GTE Pro cars until the conclusion of the 2019–20 WEC season.
In May 2021, SMP and BR Engineering unveiled the BR03, a prototype sportscar intended for national-level endurance racing. It was first raced on-track at an exhibition race at Moscow Raceway in August 2025, and is planned to race as part of a monoclass in the Russian Circuit Racing Series starting in 2026.
The team went quiet across all of their social media accounts, along with a number of other Russian teams at the time which were competing in international motorsports.
The team also announced they would not return to the FIA World Endurance Championship or the European Le Mans Series.
This was expected to happen, due to the FIA announcing new requirements for Russian drivers and teams competing in international motorsport as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Championships Description

FIA World Endurance Championship

SMP Racing competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship full time between the years of 2014-2016. They made one return for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans and returned later for the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
The team were mildly successful throughout their whole time in the series. Their most successful year in the Championship came in 2015, where the team collected 6 podiums, 3 wins, and finished 1st in the LMGTE AM category.

24 Hours of Le Mans

The team again had another mildly successful career at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by finishing first with Ferrari 458 GT2 in LMGTE category in 2015 and finishing third with BR1 LMP1 prototype in overall category in 2019 only behind two Toyota's, making them the fastest non-factory team.

FIA Formula 2 Championship

SMP Racing never had their own team in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. However they still had a young driver program for young and upcoming Russian drivers such as Robert Shwartzman and Sergey Sirotkin.
The program was cancelled in May 2022 due to the FIA announcing requirements on Russian drivers competing in international motorsport. These rules were announced as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Other championships

List of Drivers

Series Results

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

;Notes

Branding

SMP Racing also was a moniker for these teams, when SMP sponsored them: