Maxime Soulet

Maxime Soulet is a Belgian racing driver who currently serves as one of Bentley Motorsport factory drivers, so-called Bentley Boys. He joined Bentley in 2015, competing mostly in the Blancpain GT Series since then. He was second in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup in 2017.

Earlier in a career, Soulet won several championship titles in Belgium – Belcar GT Championship, Formula Renault or Mini Cooper Challenge.

Maxime Soulet

Two championship titles in one year early in a career

Born in July 1983, Maxime Soulet started his racing career in the Franch Formula Renault in 2002. His first success followed in 2004 when he won two championship titles in one year. He won Belgian Formula Renault and Mini Cooper Challenge Belgium.

The next step in a career was the Formula BMW USA in 2005, in which he scored five podiums to finish 7th in the points.

Victory at Zolder 24 Hours in 2006

In 2005, Soulet experienced his first GT endurance race, driving a Porsche 996 GT3 Cup for BPO racing at Zolder 24 Hours. He didn't finish the race.

A year later, he returned to Zolder in the #1 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, winning the race together with Marc Duez, David Hart and Tom Cloet. In July 2006, Soulet also made a debut at Spa 24 Hours, not finishing the race in a Chevrolet Corvette.

One more victory at Zolder in 2007

In 2007, Soulet expanded his GT racing commitments to several championships with different teams and cars. He raced in Belcar with GPR's Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, repeating a victory at Zolder 24 Hours.

His other competitions were GT4 European Cup, FIA GT3 European Championship, FIA GT Championship, THP Spider Cup or Megane Trophy Eurocup. At Spa 24 Hours, he was 10th in Selleslagh Racing Team's Chevrolet Corvette C5-R.

Soulet had a diverse schedule again in 2008, having the most success in Belcar races, winning three times with GPR's Porsche and finishing third in the points.

Belgian GT champion with Prospeed Competition in 2011

Soulet continued to compete with a variety of cars in 2009 and then joined Prospeed Competition to drive only a Porsche 997 GT3 R. He and Marc Goossens won the Belcar Spa 12 Hours race. At Spa 24 Hours, a part of the FIA GT2 European Cup, Soulet was 15th.

In 2011, Souler raced with Prospeed Competition in the FIA GT3 European Championship but also in the Belgian Endurance Championship (Belcar). He and Marc Goossens became national champions while in the European Championship he was 12th after scoring two wins, at Circuit Paul Ricard and Zandvoort.

Maxime Soulet and Marc Goossens

Daytona 24h debut in a Dodge Viper

In 2012, Soulet started a season at Daytona 24 Hours, driving a Dodge Viper for Racers Edge Motorsports. He didn't finish the race.

Back in Europe, he raced with Prospeed Competition in the Blancpain Endurance Series but also scored one class victory in the European Le Mans Series, winning the 6 Hours of Le Castellet together with Marc Goossens. At Spa 24 Hours, he was 13th.

Combining Porsche, Aston Martin, Chevrolet in 2013 and 2014

Soulet spent one more season with Prospeed Competition in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2013, not scoring wins or podiums in the #75 Porsche 997 GT3 R. On the other side, he joined GPR Racing to drive the #13 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in the International GT Open series. He scored three wins in GTS class to finish fifth in the points.

In 2014, Soulet made three starts with Prospeed's Porsche in the European Le Mans Series and spent a season with Selleslagh Racing Team in the International GT Open, driving the #6 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R. He won to races in a Corvette to finish fourth in the points.

Maxime Soulet is a Bentley Boy since 2015

Maxime is a Bentley Boy since 2015

In 2015, Soulet joined Bentley factory team, operated by M-Sport, to race in the #8 Bentley Continental GT3  in the Blancpain Endurance Series. He was sharing a car with Maxi Buhk and Andy Soucek. Without wins or podiums, they finished 10th in the points. They finished fifth in the non-championship Sepang 12 Hours.

In February 2016, he raced for the first time at Bathurst 12 Hour, finishing 7th in the #31 Bentley. In the 2016 Blancpain Endurance Series season, Soulet was sharing the #8 Bentley with Andy Soucek and Wolfgang Reip. With one podium, the third place at Monza, they were 3rd in the final classification. In 2016, Soulet and Soucek raced also in the Blancpain Sprint Series, winning one race to finish 8th in the points.

Maxime Soulet (left) and his teammates in 2017

Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup vice-champion in 2017

For the 2017 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, Soulet and Soucek stayed in the #8 Bentley Continental GT3, joined by Vincent Abril as the third driver. Soulet scored his first Blancpain endurance victory at Circuit Paul Ricard and finished second at Spa 24 Hours. After five races, they were second in the points, behind GRT Grasser Racing Team's crew.

In the 2017 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, the results were not good for Soulet and Soucek. They scored just four points to finish 25th in the final standings.

Combining European and North American GT racing

In 2018, Soulet stayed with Bentley M-Sport in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup but moved his focus to North American Pirelli World Challenge series, where he was driving a Bentley Continental GT3 for K-Pax Racing to five victories.

Soulet continues with the same schedule in 2019, driving Bentleys in the European-based Blancpain GT Series and Blancpain GT World Challenge America.

In 2018, Maxime Soulet drives Bentley for K-PAX Racing

Photos: Maxime Soulet, Olivier Beroud,