Legend Grand Prix: the new one-make championship envisioned by Jean-Philippe Dayraut

When you look at the career of Jean-Philippe Dayraut, it quickly becomes clear that the Legend Grand Prix isn’t just another whim, but the logical continuation of a lifelong journey dedicated to racing. Driver, car builder, championship and car creator, entrepreneur… he has been involved in every aspect where passion, engineering, and competition meet. His new project, the Legend Grand Prix, feels like a synthesis of all that: a single-seater with the look of a 1970s Formula 1, a single-make championship designed for drivers, controlled running costs, and a €100,000 prize fund at the end of the season, with the exact distribution yet to be defined 😋

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But before talking about the car and the budgets, let’s first talk a bit about the man behind the project 👇

Jean-Philippe Dayraut, a versatile driver crowned everywhere he went

Born in 1970 in Toulouse, Jean-Philippe Dayraut grew up around motorsport, though he didn’t start with cars. As a child, he first shone in BMX, becoming French vice-champion within Max Commencal’s Team Sunn. He later switched to four wheels, progressing quickly: Formula France Junior Champion in 1999, French Supertourisme Champion in 2001, followed by a world title on ice racing in 2003 and victory in the Peugeot RC Cup in 2004 🏆

But it’s on ice where his name truly made history. Starting in 2000, he became a staple of the Trophée Andros, ultimately earning the nickname “Mr. Andros” after securing six titles — 2009, 2010, 2011, then 2013, 2014, and 2015. In this championship, he built a reputation as an aggressive yet extremely precise driver.

At the same time, Dayraut didn’t limit himself to ice racing. He competed in GT racing, including the International GT Open and the French FFSA GT Championship, entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the FFSA, and even took on the legendary Pikes Peak hill climb, earning a podium finish with a prototype styled as a Dacia Duster before returning with other projects. Clearly, he fits the profile of a driver-engineer: someone who understands a car both from behind the wheel and from under the lift 👌

The entrepreneur: Mitjet, simulators, Devinci, Albi circuit…

Alongside his driving career, Jean-Philippe Dayraut built a true galaxy of projects around motorsport. He founded and managed VIP Challenge, a structure that organizes private races and, above all, the Mitjet series. The Mitjet 2L and Mitjet Supertourisme have expanded to many countries: France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Russia, the United States… The idea always remains the same: a relatively simple race car, a single-make rulebook, and a championship that puts the driver at the center.

See also: "Mitjet: brand, cars, championships"

He also developed OTO Simulator, an ultra-realistic driving simulator fine-tuned by himself, with faithfully reproduced circuits and a wide range of cars. Once again, we find the same guiding principle: making “serious” driving accessible to more people — whether it’s on ice, on a circuit, or behind a virtual steering wheel.

In 2017, he launched an even more unusual project: Devinci Cars. The concept was to build small electric barchettas styled after 1930s Grand Prix cars, entirely handcrafted near Toulouse. The first Devinci cars made a strong impression at the Rétromobile Show: tubular chassis, bodywork inspired by interwar racers, meticulous detailing, noble materials… Despite the limited power due to heavy quadricycle regulations, the most exclusive models sold for several hundred thousand euros, and all units planned for the first year found buyers. The brand was later hit hard by the Covid crisis. Devinci was taken over by a new entity, DB Concept, under the holding company Berlié Finance. Today, Jean-Philippe Dayraut remains marketing and technical director of Devinci Cars, ensuring the continuity of the project and its original philosophy, even after the company’s acquisition.

He is also involved in managing the Albi circuit alongside Didier Sirgue, with the ambition to develop new motorsport and event activities on site. In short, he’s been designing cars, championships, simulators, and race formats for over twenty years. The Legend Grand Prix is one more piece of that puzzle: a radical car, a single-make rulebook, and a turnkey championship 👍

Legend Grand Prix: a drivers' championship inspired by 1970s Formula 1

With the Legend Grand Prix, Jean-Philippe Dayraut isn’t trying to launch yet another GT cup. His goal is to recreate the atmosphere of the Grand Prix races of the 1960s and 1970s, but with a modern platform in terms of reliability, safety, and cost. The concept is simple: a single car, the Dominica 01, identical for everyone, with complete freedom in livery and decoration so each driver or team can express their visual identity, but very limited technical freedom to avoid an arms race 💸

The championship is conceived as a true "drivers' championship": no aerodynamic development in wind tunnels, no factory simulators, no armies of engineers. The idea is to come and drive a lightweight, powerful, and spectacular car with a naturally aspirated V6 that loves to rev, on real circuits, in short, intense races repeated throughout the weekend 💪

The other strong pillar of the project is its development structure. The Legend Grand Prix isn’t just for gentlemen drivers looking for fun: the championship is divided into four categories, with four separate classifications and podiums:

• a 16–18 years old category,
• a 19–49 years old category,
• a 50–99 years old category,
• and a women drivers classification.

At the end of the season, a total prize pool of €100,000, distributed through parts discounts and/or sporting rewards (details yet to be finalized), will be shared among these different categories.

The Dominica 01: a “retro F1” weighing 700 kg, with a naturally aspirated V6 engine

At the heart of the project lies the Dominica 01, a single-make barchetta that looks much more like a 1970s Formula 1 car than a modern GT. Its silhouette is unmistakable: a long, narrow nose, open cockpit, slim sidepods, vertical fins, and compact proportions. Visually, it’s far closer to a 1970s Grand Prix single-seater than to a Mitjet or a touring car.

See also: "BOSS GP Racing Series: keeping yesterday's fastest single-seaters alive"

Technically, the car is built around a tubular chassis and designed from the start for racing. The Dominica 01s are assembled by GCK Performance in Issoire, a well-known company specializing in motorsport engineering and competition vehicles. The fiberglass bodywork is made up of several removable sections to make repairs easier after contact. The car measures about 4.46 meters long by 1.85 meters wide, and above all, it weighs around 700 kg dry. For a car with this level of power, that’s very light — promising a power-to-weight ratio much closer to a single-seater than to a GT 🔥

Under the hood, Dayraut made a choice consistent with his philosophy: a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6 from a production engine, reworked for racing. The claimed maximum power is around 320 horsepower, but the car is usually run in 260 or 300 hp configuration to preserve reliability and reduce overhaul costs. The engine revs up to 7,000 rpm, ensuring a true mechanical character — no turbo, no hybrid system, no complicated electronics. Top speed is around 250 km/h. The gearbox is a 6-speed SADEV sequential unit operated via paddles, with a mechanical limited-slip differential. Once again, it’s pure “simple race car” spirit: maximum feel, no driving aids 😋

The suspension setup features adjustable Öhlins coilovers, with a deliberately limited range of adjustments to prevent technical escalation. Braking is handled by 310 mm ventilated discs with four-piston calipers, designed to offer consistency and endurance in sprint races. The 18-inch wheels are fitted with wide tires — even wider at the rear — and the number of tires allowed per event is capped to prevent tire budget inflation 🥵

Finally, safety is ensured through a roll cage, reinforced cockpit, and a 35-liter fuel cell housed in a safety tank. This isn’t a modern FIA F1 car, but it’s far from a homemade barchetta: it’s been designed from the outset to withstand a full season of racing, built to solid structural standards.

ℹ️ From a regulatory standpoint, the Dominica 01 will have a one-make series technical passport, ensuring a common base, clear oversight, and simplified management for both teams and drivers.

[Video] The first Dominica 01 tests at Val de Vienne (Turn up the volume! 🥰)

A Legend Grand Prix season: plenty of track time, sprint format

The Legend Grand Prix is structured around a Sprint Season, held on several French circuits and a few across nearby borders, with a deliberately dense format. During a typical weekend, you don’t just come to “run two heats and go home”: generally, the program takes place over two days (Saturday / Sunday) with 2 x 30-minute free practice sessions to get to grips with the car and the track, followed by 2 x 15-minute qualifying sessions to set the starting grids ⏱️

Then comes the heart of the weekend: four 20-minute sprint races. In practice, that means four standing starts, lots of race situations, and a real amount of seat time for each driver. To keep budgets manageable, drivers can compete alone or share a car. Those who share a car score 100% of the points, while solo drivers score 50%, allowing each to adapt their commitment and budget without unbalancing the championship.

In the end, this results in a very compact yet track-time-rich format, designed to maximize the budget-to-track-time ratio — whether for a young driver seeking mileage or a gentleman driver looking to truly enjoy their weekend 🥳

Additionally, the championship offers a Training Season, made up of several supervised track days on different circuits. The idea is to allow drivers to familiarize themselves with the Dominica 01, refine their reference points and setups without the pressure of timing — either as preparation before joining the championship or as a standalone program for those who simply want to drive, learn, and progress 📈

ℹ️ It’s also possible to discover the Dominica 01 in short test sessions. Test runs of a few laps are available for around €300, allowing interested drivers to get a first taste of the sensations before committing to the series.

The cars remain strictly identical, with limited adjustment options (ride height, camber, toe, front and rear wings, and damper setup). Most of the performance comes down to the driver’s skill in exploiting a lightweight chassis, a naturally aspirated engine, and tightly regulated tires (12 Yokohama Neova slicks allowed for the season, plus 4 wet tires).

The goal is clearly to create a grid of enthusiasts: young drivers looking to get noticed, gentlemen drivers seeking fun in an accessible, high-performing car, and teams able to manage several single-seaters without needing an army of engineers.

ℹ️ The Legend Grand Prix organization has mentioned the possibility of a 6-hour endurance race in 2026, but no endurance championship has been confirmed at this stage. According to the information shared by the series, a 6-hour event could be organized in November or December 2026, depending on sufficient driver interest. A survey will be conducted among drivers in July 2026 to assess demand and decide whether this event will take place. For now, it remains a project under consideration, separate from the Sprint Season and the Training Season.

📅 Official Legend Grand Prix 2026 Calendar

For its 2026 season, the Legend Grand Prix offers a compact yet prestigious calendar, combining historic circuits, technical layouts, and European destinations. Five events are scheduled between May and November, alternating between festivals, Grands Prix, and special events.

What is the budget to race in the Legend Grand Prix? (purchase, leasing, rental, and running costs)

One of the most interesting aspects of the Legend Grand Prix is its budget transparency (see details on the official series website).

The Dominica 01 is offered at an introductory price of around €65,000 excl. VAT for the first entrants. For those who prefer not to pay the full amount upfront, a leasing/financing option is available — approximately €22,000 excl. VAT per year over three years — allowing the cost of the car to be spread over the duration of a full racing program. Compared to a GT4 or a modern F4, it remains a very reasonable initial investment for a car with this level of performance 👍

See also: "Formula 4 France: technical specifications and budget"

The entry fee for the championship (Sprint Season) is set at €14,900 excl. VAT for the full season. For those who prefer to race without purchasing a car, rental options are available: a full weekend (including four races) is listed at around €12,000 excl. VAT, depending on the chosen package and included services.

ℹ️ These costs can be cut in half if the car is shared between two drivers.

Dayraut also emphasizes the cost of spare parts. The philosophy is to offer body panels, suspension components, and consumables at “reasonable” prices so that even minor race contact doesn’t turn into a financial disaster. A nose cone, sidepod, or aero element isn’t priced like one from a factory GT car; suspension arms and other components are designed and priced as “race consumables,” and engine overhauls are scheduled at intervals compatible with a serious amateur program.

ℹ️ For example, a new 3.3L V6 engine is listed around €9,500 excl. VAT, while an adjustable rear wing costs about €650 excl. VAT. Body parts like a front bonnet also remain below €1,000 excl. VAT, illustrating the intent to keep repair costs reasonable in case of race contact.

A very “Dayraut” project: radical, (relatively) accessible, and coherent

On paper, the Legend Grand Prix looks like a faithful reflection of Jean-Philippe Dayraut’s approach. The car has a strong visual personality, promises raw sensations with a naturally aspirated V6 and lightweight chassis, the technical concept is deliberately simple and controlled, and the budgets — while still significant — are calibrated to remain appealing given the level of performance offered.

The positioning is clever: more exclusive and radical than a single-make touring car, yet simpler and more affordable than an F3 or F4 single-seater. For a gentleman driver, it’s a chance to drive a “fake 1970s F1” with a modern package. For a young driver, it’s an opportunity to gain exposure and learn to handle a lightweight, non-assisted car with real power 😋

As with all new series, it remains to be seen how the grids will fill, how consistent the team support will be, and how stable the running costs will stay over time. But fundamentally, the project is coherent and very much in Dayraut’s DNA: a clear format, transparent numbers, a driver-focused philosophy, and a highly visual way to bring some “old-school Grand Prix” flavor back to modern paddocks. One to watch! 🙂

[VIDEO] Legend Grand Prix: a new CHAMPIONSHIP inspired by 1970s F1