Liechtenstein racing driver
Matthias Kaiser (born 22 January 1991) is a Liechtenstein racing driver currently competing in the European Le Mans Series with Algarve Pro Racing.[1][2]
He is the 2019 champion of the Ultimate Cup Series in the Challenge Proto-LMP3 category.[3]
Parallel to his racing commitments, Kaiser is the head of production and technology at Kaiser Premier in the USA.[4]
Career
Kaiser began his racing journey in the Porsche Super Sports Cup Germany in 2014.[5] He finished second in 2015 before winning the 911 GT3 Cup class title in 2016 and 2017.[6][7][8][9][10] During the latter year, Kaiser also contested the Touring Car Endurance Series in the TCR category, where he and full-time teammate Felix Wimmer finished the season fourth in the standings. The following year would see Kaiser switch to LMP3 prototypes, as he would race in the V de V Endurance Series. With two race victories the Liechtensteiner won the championship for Wimmer Werk Motorsport, beating two-time champion Jakub Śmiechowski amongst others.[11][12] In 2019, Kaiser returned to the now rebranded Ultimate Cup Series with Wimmer Werk, where four wins from six races earned him the championship.[13][14] Additionally, he made his first foray into the Michelin Le Mans Cup, competing at the Road to Le Mans event for Graff Racing alongside Sébastien Page.[15][16]
Kaiser drove for Graff in two races of the Asian Le Mans Series at the beginning of 2020, scoring a podium in Thailand, before embarking on a campaign in the MLMC together with Rory Penttinen, driving a Ligier JS P320 in LMP3.[17][18] With three podiums, which included a second place at Le Castellet, the pair finished third in the standings. They would lose out on a maiden race win at the season finale despite crossing the finish line first, being demoted to seventh for failing to serve a drive-through penalty.[19][20]
During the 2021 winter, Kaiser made his debut in the LMP2 category, driving an Oreca 07 in the AsLMS for Phoenix Racing as the team's bronze-ranked driver.[21][22] With three third-place finshes, Kaiser and Simon Trummer, his only full-time teammate, finished fourth overall in a field containing five cars. Kaiser's focus during the regular season shifted towards the European Le Mans Series, which he contested with Graff, once again partnering Penttinen in LMP3.[23][24] After struggling during the first few races, Kaiser and Penttinen took points three times and finished on the podium at the final round in Portimão, which led them to ninth in the teams' standings – four places below the sister Graff car.[25][26]
For 2022, Kaiser stepped up to contest the ELMS in the LMP2 category after being upgraded to a silver ranking by the FIA, driving together with Thomas Laurent and Ugo de Wilde at Mühlner Motorsport.[27][28] With a season-best third place which came from a strategic gamble at Monza, the team finished 11th in the standings, having retired from the final two races, including due to a crash caused by Kaiser in Portugal.[29][30][31]
The Liechtensteiner stepped into the FIA World Endurance Championship ahead of 2023, partnering Gabriel Aubry and fellow silver Ryan Cullen at Vector Sport.[32][33] The team finished tenth in the standings due to a number of technical issues, but scored their best finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with seventh place in the LMP2 class. After the category was removed from the WEC, Kaiser moved back to the ELMS in 2024, partnering Alex Lynn and Olli Caldwell at Algarve Pro Racing.[34]
Racing record
Racing career summary
† As Kaiser was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.
Complete Ultimate Cup Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Le Mans Cup results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete European Le Mans Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
References
External links
