The Le Mans winner with claims to be motorsport's best privateer

It started as a bit of fun in GT3, but now United Autosports is one of the world’s top endurance teams. Having conquered Le Mans in LMP2 and won European, Asian and the World Endurance Championship in LMP2 it has big ambitions to take on the big guns in the Hypercar ranks

Kevin Turner Apr 27, 2023, 11:12 AM

Upd: Apr 28, 2023, 5:43 PM

“I’d like to say it was mapped out and planned, but it wasn’t. We only intended to get a race trailer and GT3 Audi, and have some fun. I sometimes wonder how we ended up here!”

Ex-Formula 3000 and endurance racer Richard Dean is pretty honest about the modest origins of the United Autosports squad he set up with current McLaren boss Zak Brown in 2009. It may only have been intended to allow them to race in GT3, but the team must now be regarded as one of the leading privateers in international motorsport. The 2019-20 World Endurance LMP2 title and class success in the Le Mans 24 Hours top its list of achievements, and United currently sits atop the WEC LMP2 points table after a 1-2 in Portugal earlier this month, against heavyweights WRT and Prema as well as reigning class champion Jota.

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Author Kevin Turner

Kevin Turner is Autosport’s Chief Editor. While studying History at the University of York, Kevin began covering UK club events as a freelance reporter for Autosport and Motorsport News. He joined the Autosport staff as Editorial Assistant on the magazine in 2006, winning what is now known as the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award. He became National Editor in 2008 and over the next few seasons covered a range of international events, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as the British Touring Car Championship and British GT. Kevin became Features Editor before switching to edit Motorsport News in 2014.

He returned to Autosport in 2016 to become editor of the magazine, a dream job that is still part of his role.

He became Chief Editor in 2020, helping to plan content for autosport.com and Autosport’s podcast as well as seeing the magazine through the coronavirus pandemic. Kevin also led work on the special publication celebrating 70 years of Autosport and has been a judge on the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, formerly known as the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, since 2008. He lives in Fleet with his wife and two children.