Sam founded JOTA back in 2000, with the vision to build a team where its people are front and centre of the organisation. Sam’s strengths lie in his ability to create a collaborative working environment whereby the team and its drivers can grow, thrive and compete at the very top of their class.

The results: 10 podiums at Le Mans and a record-breaking two cars on the podium twice at motorsport’s greatest endurance challenge, speak for themselves. Sam is relentless in his pursuit of perfection and won’t rest until the team has won Le Mans outright.

A serial entrepreneur with a passion for motorsport, David joined Sam Hignett at the helm of JOTA more than 12 years ago. Supporting Sam on the commercial side of the business, London-based David has had a lifelong involvement in both the motorsport and historic car business providing him with an incredible network within both industries.

David’s background as a director of McLaren Cars selling and marketing the F1 road and race car programme, the highlight of their motorsport programme, was winning Le Mans and also the BPR championship in 1995. This was the perfect preparation for his leadership role at one of WEC’s most successful private teams. Driven by a desire to not only create the best-in-class racing team but also maintain a thriving and happy team dynamic at Hertz Team JOTA, David recognises the importance of attracting and retaining the very best talent.

Dieter Gass joined the JOTA family in 2023 ahead of our move into the Hypercar class in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Leading the day-to-day management and direction of the team, Dieter has a wealth of knowledge across several motorsport championships and is a very familiar face in the WEC paddock.

In his previous role as Head of Audi Motorsport from 2017-2020, Dieter was responsible for the German manufacturer’s successful entry into the FIA Formula E World Championship, with highlights that included Audi being crowned the teams’ champion for the 2017/2018 season. Dieter also brings a wealth of experience from working in Formula One with Toyota and Lotus.

With over two decades as part of the JOTA family, Bob is a very familiar and well respected face in the World Endurance Championship paddock. A former race mechanic, Bob grew through the ranks at JOTA to take on the role of Team Manager in 2019.

Bob’s strongest skills lie in his meticulous attention to detail, relentless work ethic and his sense of humour. The embodiment of team spirit, Bob has played a crucial role in developing the incredible team culture that has in turn translated to record-breaking success on-track.

With a diverse motorsport background encompassing mechanical and engineering expertise, Taka joined the JOTA family in 2017. Despite his youth, Taka brings a wealth of experience from technical roles across multiple motorsport disciplines including LMP2, GT1, BTCC and Formula E.

As with the rest of the senior leadership team, Taka’s management style and a proven ability to attract talented individuals has ensured that the best possible group of people are in place to deliver the ultimate Hypercar performance out on track.