F1 stars join Novak Djokovic in Le Mans team takeover

Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo laugh together with microphones — Photo: © IMAGO

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Former F1 stars join Novak Djokovic in Le Mans team takeover

Ex-F1 drivers latest in star-studded line-up of Le Mans FC investors

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 10 August 2025 22:56

Ex F1 stars Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen have joined tennis legend Novak Djokovic in the financial takeover of Le Mans FC.

Former Ferrari star Massa fell short of championship success during his stint in F1, famously losing out to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 drivers' championship, when the British icon earned his maiden championship.

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Magnussen previously drove for McLaren, Renault and finally Haas before the American F1 outfit opted for the brand new line-up of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman for 2025.

Since leaving the pinnacle of motorsport last season, the 32-year-old has continued racing, competing as an endurance driver with BMW in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the World Endurance Championship.

Both Massa and Magnussen have now turned their attention to French football team Le Mans FC however, with an announcement via Instagram revealing: "Georgios Frangulis, founder and CEO of OAKBERRY, and Brazilian investment firm OutField are acquiring French Ligue 2 club Le Mans FC. They’ll be joined by tennis legend Novak Djokovic, along with F1 veterans Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen, as investors and advisors. ⁠ "Their vision: tap into the city’s deep motorsport heritage. Le Mans is home to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the Le Mans Classic and MotoGP. The new ownership group sees a rare opportunity to fuse soccer with one of the world’s most iconic racing cities - and build a club brand unlike any other in Europe.⁠

Tennis star Novak Djokovic previously attended the 2024 Qatar GP with McLaren

Le Mans looks to expand rich sporting culture

The city in northwestern France is situated on the Sarthe River and is most famous for being the home of the most iconic round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Back in June, Magnussen headed to the iconic home of endurance racing, but unfortunately his chance at excelling with BMW in the Hypercar class was sabotaged by cooling issues, which forced his team into the garage only two hours before the chequered flag was waved.

As a result, his BMW M Team WRT outfit now sits fifth in the Hypercar standings with just three rounds of the campaign to go.

Nevertheless, Magnussen's experience of racing and visiting Le Mans, and the fact his father Jan is a four-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, makes him an ideal candidate to help boost the status of Le Mans FC.

Magnussen, Massa and 24-time grand slam winner Djokovic all share vital experience of competing and succeeding in some of the world's toughest sporting series, with the trio's mental resilience all key to developing the French club and its reputation.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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