Dutch racing driver Mex Jansen will debut in the European Le Mans Series this year. Mentor and endurance champion Nicky Catsburg couldn’t be more proud of the step.

Jansen announced on March 6 that he will join GR Racing in the prestigious endurance championship this season. It marks the next chapter in his impressive career. The 19-year-old is fresh off a title-winning campaign in GT World Challenge Europe.

The rising GT star recently told GT REPORT that he has to thank WEC champion Catsburg for making the deal happen, although he did all the racing himself, of course.

“It’s amazing news,” Catsburg tells this platform. “It’s unique that, in just a few years time, he managed to establish himself like that [in the GT racing world]. He has shown how good he is, and now he managed to secure a great seat in ELMS.”

The young driver will make the switch to a Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo and is eager to mount the Prancing Horse. That will happen soon: the ELMS Prologue is scheduled for April 6 and 7 on Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Jansen praised for steep learning curve

There are plans to expand Jansen’s racing programme: “That’s always the intention, and his talent will definitely boost that. I hope we’ll be able to share some more good news soon. He definitely deserves that.”

Jansen flourished during his time in the BMW M4 GT3 Evo. In 2024 he debuted in GT World Challenge Europe in the Bronze Cup, after which he showed massive improvement. It resulted in a Silver Cup title in 2025, also in a BMW.

“He has really shown himself there. I said to him: as soon as possible, you need to put yourself in a situation in which you can compete with the factory drivers,” Catsburg says.

“He was in that situation last year. If he showed that he could be as fast as those drivers, opportunities will arise. That’s what happened. He absolutely deserves it.”

Our in-depth interview with Mex on his career steps can be found here.