Jann Mardenborough is the real life Gran Turismo gamer turned professional race car driver who inspired the film of the same name. If you are unfamiliar with the British celebrity, he was born in Darlington, County Durham, England, and had no experience in competitive motorsport racing prior to 2011. That year, at 19, Mardenborough was given the chance to participate in the GT Academy competition and it changed his life forever.
The GT Academy was a partnership competition between Nissan and Sony Interactive Entertainment to bring Gran Turismo gamers into professional racing. The school existed from 2008 to 2016, and while it took big risks on recruiting players, the program led to more than 20 competitive racers. Those who were selected to enter the program went through a four phase process revolving around qualification, national finals, race camp, and a driver development program.
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Mardenborough’s history consisted of a failed driving test, due to hesitation, and some light go-karting at a friend’s birthday. He was not prepared for a future of racing or driving at 185MPH speeds, but the GT Academy saw his Gran Turismo skills as potential on the racetrack. Mardenborough recognizes most normal people who grow up loving cars, like he did, will never get such an incredible opportunity. The now professional racer brought serious competition to the sport and after winning the GT Academy competition has since won in Formula 3 and signed with Christian Horner on Red Bull’s Formula 1 team.
How Gran Turismo Was a Turning Point in the Mardenborough’s Life
Mardenborough was not conditioned at a young age to be a competitive racecar driver. He was a normal kid living in Ely, Cardiff with parents who disapproved of his obsession with gaming. They would often turn off the internet at times when he would ignore them, while playing Gran Turismo. They feared he was becoming addicted to gaming and that he was potentially on the wrong path. However, everything changed when Mardenborough was selected for the GT Academy competition.
He would have tried to join in 2008, but was still under 18 and did not have a drivers license. The motivation of becoming a professional athlete was enough for him to pass on the second attempt and three years later he was racing. Typically, families will start conditioning their children for racing at age six and put in £200,000 a year to ensure they compete. Mardenborough did not have that opportunity, but he showed the world a normal kid who loves video games could compete with the greatest professional racers in the sport.
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Gran Turismo, the film inspired by the true story premiered in Belgium on July 30, 2023 and is set to release in the United States on August 25, 2023. It depicts the rise of Mardenborough and his experience in the GT Academy. It stars Archie Mademwe as Mardenborough, along with David Harbour as his trainer Jack Salter, and Orlando Bloom as Darren Cox the founder of the competition.
The movie not only shows the incredible journey, but also the danger of professional racing such as a fatal crash involving Mardenborough’s in 2012, that led to the death of a spectator. It is an intensely emotional film and a record of how the Gran Turismo title changed racing on and off the track.
What do you think of Mardenborough’s journey to professional racing? Will you be watching Gran Turismo when it releases to theater’s in your area? Leave a comment and let us know.
Source: The Sun
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