Danny Watts
Encyclopedia
Danny Watts is a British
racing driver.
Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting
. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins. He also competed in the Formula Palmer Audi
Winter Series, in preparation for running the main Formula Palmer Audi championship the following year.
2000 saw a step up to the British Formula Renault
Championship, when he was team mate to Kimi Räikkönen
. In his third year of Formula Renault, he won the championship with 6 wins.
Watts ascended another tier in 2003, stepping up to the British Formula Three Championship
, with HiTech Racing
. He took his first win in the series the same year in the second race at Castle Combe
, having crashed out of the lead in race one. In 2004 he became the first driver for eleven years to win a round of the British Formula Three Championship whilst not driving a car from the Dallara
company.
2005 saw a mixed year for Watts. Unable to remain in Formula Three, he contested a handful of races in various disciplines. The same occurred in 2006, though he did make a brief return to F3 for the penultimate race of the season, at Thruxton
, for champions Räikkönen Robertson Racing (co-owned by former British FRenault teammate, and now F1
star Kimi Räikkönen
). In that race, Watts led the field and dominated proceedings with a convincing win.
In 2006 he raced in the Porsche Carrera
Cup for the Redline Racing
team. Initially he shared this drive with Richard Westbrook
, only contesting races which clash with Westbrook's Porsche Carrera Cup racing, but after a run of 8 successive victories in the races he started, Richard conceded the drive full-time.
For 2007 Watts drove for Team LNT in the Le Mans Series
in a Panoz Esperante
GT-LM. He was also invited to join A1 Team Great Britain
for the 4th season of the 2007/8 season held in Shanghai
, China
and took part in the rookie sessions.
In 2008 he signed to the SAS Lechner Racing team with team mate Damien Faulkner for the F1 Supporting Porsche Supercup series.
A1 Team Great Britain
announced that Danny Watts would race for A1 Team Great Britain in Chengdu he came 3rd in both the sprint and feature race.
For 2009 he raced for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Ginetta Zytek GZ09s. In the opening round of the Le Mans Series at Barcelona he claimed overall pole on the teams LMP1 debut.
In 2010 he retained his seat for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series however the team moved down to the LMP2 category now using a HPD arx-01c. The car took the class victory at Le Mans finishing 5th overall.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
racing driver.
Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins. He also competed in the Formula Palmer Audi
Formula Palmer Audi
Formula Palmer Audi, officially abbreviated to FPA, and sometimes informally abbreviated to Palmer Audi, was a one-make class of open wheel Formula racing founded in 1998 by former Formula One driver, Jonathan Palmer. It was based in the United Kingdom , and was organised and operated by MotorSport...
Winter Series, in preparation for running the main Formula Palmer Audi championship the following year.
2000 saw a step up to the British Formula Renault
Formula Renault
Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
Championship, when he was team mate to Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
. In his third year of Formula Renault, he won the championship with 6 wins.
Watts ascended another tier in 2003, stepping up to the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
, with HiTech Racing
HiTech Racing
Rapax Team, formerly known as Minardi Piquet Sports or Minardi by Piquet Sports, Piquet Sports and Piquet GP is a motor racing team. The team's history can be traced back to when the GP Racing team was founded in 1997, and also to when Piquet Sports was created in 2000 by triple world champion...
. He took his first win in the series the same year in the second race at Castle Combe
Castle Combe
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was...
, having crashed out of the lead in race one. In 2004 he became the first driver for eleven years to win a round of the British Formula Three Championship whilst not driving a car from the Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
company.
2005 saw a mixed year for Watts. Unable to remain in Formula Three, he contested a handful of races in various disciplines. The same occurred in 2006, though he did make a brief return to F3 for the penultimate race of the season, at Thruxton
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
, for champions Räikkönen Robertson Racing (co-owned by former British FRenault teammate, and now F1
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
star Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
). In that race, Watts led the field and dominated proceedings with a convincing win.
In 2006 he raced in the Porsche Carrera
Porsche Carrera
Carrera is a trademarked name exclusively used by Porsche for its models to honor the company's success in the Carrera Panamericana race.The following vehicles have been called Carrera:* Porsche 356* Porsche 904* Porsche 911...
Cup for the Redline Racing
Redline Racing
Redline Racing is a British racing team that is currently competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.Redline Racing, established in 1995, made its first entry in the arena of motorsport racing in April 1997 by competing in the Michelin Porsche Cup...
team. Initially he shared this drive with Richard Westbrook
Richard Westbrook
Richard Westbrook is an English racing driver from Islington in London notable for his success in racing Porsche cars. As a boy he attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich...
, only contesting races which clash with Westbrook's Porsche Carrera Cup racing, but after a run of 8 successive victories in the races he started, Richard conceded the drive full-time.
For 2007 Watts drove for Team LNT in the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
in a Panoz Esperante
Panoz Esperante
The Esperante is a sports car made by Panoz, an American car manufacturer.There are several models of the Esperante: the base model, the GT, the GTLM, the GTS, and the JRD . Additionally, Panoz is more than willing to work with the buyer to make special modifications to any of the stock models...
GT-LM. He was also invited to join A1 Team Great Britain
A1 Team Great Britain
A1 Team Great Britain is the British team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Great Britain was one of the first six seat holders in the series announced, with chairman John Surtees hosting the event...
for the 4th season of the 2007/8 season held in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and took part in the rookie sessions.
In 2008 he signed to the SAS Lechner Racing team with team mate Damien Faulkner for the F1 Supporting Porsche Supercup series.
A1 Team Great Britain
A1 Team Great Britain
A1 Team Great Britain is the British team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Great Britain was one of the first six seat holders in the series announced, with chairman John Surtees hosting the event...
announced that Danny Watts would race for A1 Team Great Britain in Chengdu he came 3rd in both the sprint and feature race.
For 2009 he raced for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Ginetta Zytek GZ09s. In the opening round of the Le Mans Series at Barcelona he claimed overall pole on the teams LMP1 debut.
In 2010 he retained his seat for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series however the team moved down to the LMP2 category now using a HPD arx-01c. The car took the class victory at Le Mans finishing 5th overall.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Class | No | Tyres | Car | Team | Co-Drivers | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 75th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France from 16–17 June 2007. Four classes of cars raced together, with each class having honors for its highest finishers... |
GT2 | 81 | Panoz Esperante Panoz Esperante The Esperante is a sports car made by Panoz, an American car manufacturer.There are several models of the Esperante: the base model, the GT, the GTLM, the GTS, and the JRD . Additionally, Panoz is more than willing to work with the buyer to make special modifications to any of the stock models... GT-LM Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... (Élan Élan Motorsport Technologies Élan Motorsport Technologies is an umbrella company containing the race car manufacturing companies owned by the Panoz Motor Sports Group. Élan designs and builds Panoz-branded race cars, and have also acquired other manufacturers, including famous Formula Ford builders Van Diemen and IndyCar... ) 5.0L V8 |
 Team LNT |
Tom Kimber-Smith Tom Kimber-Smith Tom Kimber-Smith is a British race car driver.He was the 2003 British Formula Ford Champion. He is the son of Geoff Kimber-Smith.-Career summary:-Complete Formula Three Series results:...  Tom Milner, Jr. |
60 | DNF | DNF | |
| 2009 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, an endurance auto race run over 24 hours. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest over June 13–14, 2009 and was started by Fiat and Ferrari chairman Luca... |
LMP1 | 23 | Ginetta-Zytek Zytek Zytek Group Ltd is an automotive and motorsport company founded in 1981 and based in Fradley and Repton, United Kingdom. Zytek Group has two main division: Zytek Automotive, which is based at Fradley, Staffordshire; and Zytek Engineering, which is based at Repton, Derbyshire.-Zytek Automotive:Zytek... GZ09S Zytek Zytek Zytek Group Ltd is an automotive and motorsport company founded in 1981 and based in Fradley and Repton, United Kingdom. Zytek Group has two main division: Zytek Automotive, which is based at Fradley, Staffordshire; and Zytek Engineering, which is based at Repton, Derbyshire.-Zytek Automotive:Zytek... ZJ458 4.5L V8 |
Strakka Racing Strakka Racing Strakka Racing is a British auto racing team founded by Nick Leventis. The team is based at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. They currently operate a HPD ARX-01C sports car in the Le Mans Series. The team made history at the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring when they became the first team in... |
Nick Leventis Nick Leventis Nick Leventis is a British professional racing driver and founder of Strakka Racing. In 2010, the Strakka team of Leventis, Danny Watts, and Jonny Kane won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category... Peter HardmanPeter Hardman Peter Hardman is an English racing driver.Peter boasts an extensive motor racing history as a multiple race winner and one of Britain’s most experienced international drivers... |
325 | 21st | 14th | |
| 2010 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also known as the Grand Prix of Endurance. The race took place on 12–13 June 2010 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . Fifty-six cars participated in the... |
LMP2 | 42 | HPD ARX-01C HPD Honda Performance Development Honda Performance Development, Inc. is a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. which was establish in 1993 and is based in Santa Clarita, California... AL7R 3.4L V8 |
Strakka Racing Strakka Racing Strakka Racing is a British auto racing team founded by Nick Leventis. The team is based at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. They currently operate a HPD ARX-01C sports car in the Le Mans Series. The team made history at the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring when they became the first team in... |
Nick Leventis Nick Leventis Nick Leventis is a British professional racing driver and founder of Strakka Racing. In 2010, the Strakka team of Leventis, Danny Watts, and Jonny Kane won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category... Jonny KaneJonny Kane Jonny Kane is a racing driver who has competed at various levels of motorsport. He currently drives for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series.Kane, who was born in Comber, Northern Ireland, began his career in karting and Formula Ford... |
367 | 5th | 1st | |
| 2011 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 79th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 11–12 June 2011 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest... |
LMP2 | 42 | HPD ARX-01d HPD Honda Performance Development Honda Performance Development, Inc. is a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. which was establish in 1993 and is based in Santa Clarita, California... HR28TT 2.8L Turbo V6 |
Strakka Racing Strakka Racing Strakka Racing is a British auto racing team founded by Nick Leventis. The team is based at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. They currently operate a HPD ARX-01C sports car in the Le Mans Series. The team made history at the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring when they became the first team in... |
Nick Leventis Nick Leventis Nick Leventis is a British professional racing driver and founder of Strakka Racing. In 2010, the Strakka team of Leventis, Danny Watts, and Jonny Kane won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category... Jonny KaneJonny Kane Jonny Kane is a racing driver who has competed at various levels of motorsport. He currently drives for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series.Kane, who was born in Comber, Northern Ireland, began his career in karting and Formula Ford... |
144 | DNF | DNF | |