Biography
Sam Hignett’s story is one of remarkable reinvention — from racing driver to the architect of one of motorsport’s most celebrated independent teams.
When Sam couldn’t secure the funding to earn a drive with an established team, he did what any true competitor would do: he built his own. In 2000, he launched JOTA Sport — with himself behind the wheel. By 2005, he was competing at Le Mans, the most gruelling endurance race in the world. It was there, on the Circuit de la Sarthe, that Sam made a defining decision: to step out of the cockpit and channel his ambition into building something truly extraordinary.
The results speak for themselves. Within a decade, JOTA had won its class at Le Mans on a restricted budget, outperforming teams operating at the same cost cap. By 2014, the team finished fifth overall — punching well above their weight against factory giants Porsche and Audi. Then came 2017, the moment JOTA truly stepped into the spotlight, where at one point they were challenging for the overall win against Toyota’s all-conquering factory programme. Eventually finishing 2nd and 3rd overall— a result that proved anything was possible.
Today, Team JOTA competes at the very pinnacle of endurance racing — the Hypercar class — in partnership with Cadillac and long-standing sponsor Hertz. Sam leads the business alongside partner David Clark, a former McLaren man, overseeing a team of over 70 people and a racing operation that commands respect across the global motorsport community.
As a speaker, Sam brings hard-won insight on leadership under pressure, building and sustaining a winning culture, overcoming adversity, and forging the commercial partnerships that turn ambition into achievement.
