NEWS

Lamborghini Factory Driver Jordan Pepper is a perfect example of perseverance. On more than one occasion during his racing journey, he thought he’d reached the end of the road.

However, motorsport has a funny way of giving back at the most unexpected times and, since finding a place among the official driver roster of Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the South African has developed into one of the world’s finest GT3 drivers.

Like his friends and current rivals Kelvin and Sheldon van der Linde, Pepper’s career path has featured considerable sacrifice. Moving thousands of kilometres away from home to the motorsport hotbed of Europe brought with it hope, anguish, doubt and resurrection.

Having won the GT World Challenge America title with Andrea Caldarelli in 2021, Pepper then became an official factory driver two years later. Now a Spa 24 Hour winner and a DTM title contender with Grasser Racing Team, he’s in the form of his life.

You’ll struggle to find a more passionate and dedicated driver at the top of the GT3 world. But Pepper isn’t finished yet, the fire inside him remains burning.

What are your motorsport origins?
“Well, I grew up around racing because my dad [Ian] raced at quite a high level in South Africa and was a well-known figure in South African motorsport too, so from a very early age, I was involved. I’d be running around the paddock in my diapers, riding my push bike and mixing with people who were a lot older than me. My sister [Tasmin] who is six years older than me raced karts at the time, and all I wanted to do was emulate her. My parents did the best they could to help me start in motorsport, but they never forced me to do it either. So, it was just me, my dad and my sister in the trailer going to and from racetracks; my mum and my other sister were watching from the sidelines. We didn’t have much and certainly didn’t always have the best equipment; we’d have a practice engine and a race engine, which were usually my sister’s old ones from four years prior, whereas everyone else had like 10 or 12 engines, more test days and more tyres. So, it was a humble start, but we progressed somehow, and I got the chance to compete and be successful in South Africa.”

How big was the move to Europe for you?
“It’s kind of well-known that Kelvin van der Linde, who is a good friend of mine, is the same age as me and we raced a lot together. We were, and still are, friends, but when we compete against each other, we really want to beat each other. He started in cars one year earlier and we raced in a one-make championship in South Africa before moving to Europe at the same time. I think it was important that we both went on this crazy adventure together, you know two kids from South Africa travelling so far away from home, it was always quite daunting, but we made it work. We lived quite close to each other as well in Germany, so we helped each other settle in a lot. We both sacrificed a lot; we didn’t have the kind of adolescence that most teenagers or young adults have, and I don’t have a huge friendship group back home, but I don’t think that I lost out in life experience as a result of moving away so young.”

What makes South African drivers so good in GT racing?
“I think we have that kind of grit and determination, especially through adversity. You see it in a lot of our sports, you see it our rugby team our cricket team and also with the three of us, in South Africa you are representing your family, your country and there is always that extra layer of motivation because we are so far from home. It comes from the sacrifice, because we have given up so much in life and we didn’t have a plan B. It’s a bit different in Europe where there is this culture of motorsport, there is the proximity of family, you’re not 4000km away from home, so it’s all relative. In tough times, you lean a lot on your family, and while they are always just a phone call away, you can’t give them a hug in that moment, it's tough. We’ve had to deal with it, figure it all out and basically grow up quicker than most. There have been so many times when I thought my career was ending; I had a factory deal with Audi, with Bentley that ended, but I’ve been able to come through.”

How have you developed as a driver since becoming a Lamborghini Factory Driver?
“So much, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs in my career and, initially, I wasn’t interested in taking another factory contract following the Bentley deal. I wanted to see what other brands were like and see what my options were at the time. I was contracted with K-PAX for 2021 in GTWC America, and together with Andrea [Caldarelli], we dominated and won the title, I finished second in 2022. And then for 2023, I got an amazing offer from Lamborghini, which has felt like a family since day one, and it has allowed me to become a better driver. To be competing in the best championships with the top teams has been incredible, winning the Spa 24 Hours with Mirko [Bortolotti] and Luca [Engstler] was honestly a dream come true as well. I’ve been lucky enough to have won some big races in my career, but Spa was truly special, especially given all the years of near-misses and disappointment for Lamborghini, to finally give them a victory in the biggest GT3 race was great. And then to be in contention for the DTM title, winning my first race and being at the sharp end has also given me so much more confidence.”

How do you disconnect from racing?
“I am addicted to golf and probably have the same passion for golf as I do for racing. Whenever I get the chance to go out on the golf course I do. When I was younger, I really wanted to become a professional golfer. Apart from that, I’m also really into padel, and I play quite a lot with the other Lamborghini Factory Drivers before and during race weekends. But the thing that really allows me to disconnect from racing is getting back home to South Africa to see my friends and family. I’m incredibly lucky to have been born in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and there’s nothing like being home in the off-season, even if it’s two weeks or a month, the nature and lifestyle back home is amazing, so I really try to make the most of my time in South Africa.”