Rinat Salikhov

Rinat Salikhov (; born 15 December 1985) is a Russian racing driver competing for Winward Racing in GT World Challenge Europe.

A prolific gentleman driver in the Blancpain Endurance Series, Salikhov raced for Ferrari-affiliated Rinaldi Racing between 2014 and 2019, scoring a shock overall podium at Monza and a Spa 24 Hours class win. He then won the Gulf 12 Hours overall in 2019 for Audi team Attempto Racing. Salikhov returned to top-level sports car racing in 2025, driving a Mercedes-AMG for Winward Racing in GT World Challenge Europe.

Career Salikhov made his racing debut in 2013, competing part-time for Rinaldi Racing in the V de V Michelin Endurance Series. The following year, Salikhov made his full-time racing debut, competing for Sportec Motorsport in Porsche Carrera Cup Italy, taking four points finishes and ending the year 14th overall. In parallel, Salikhov also competed in the first four rounds of the Blancpain Endurance Series for GT Corse by Rinaldi, sharing a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 alongside Marco Seefried and Vadim Kogay.

Salikhov secured an overall podium in his Pro-Am car at Monza during the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series.

Continuing with Rinaldi for 2015, Salikhov and Norbert Siedler finished a historic second overall at Monza—also a Pro-Am win—in a season in which he went back and forth between the Pro and Pro-Am classes, ultimately finishing 12th in the latter's standings. After being downgraded to FIA Bronze ahead of 2016, Salikhov continued in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, dabbling between the Pro and Am classes, and scoring two podiums in the latter class at Spa and the Nürburgring. During 2016, Salikhov also made his Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup debut with the team at Barcelona, winning the main race in Pro-Am. Remaining in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup the following year, Salikhov made his full-season debut in Pro-Am, scoring a lone podium at Barcelona to finish 10th in points. During 2017, Salikhov also made one-off appearances with the team in International GT Open and the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, as well as finishing second overall at the Gulf 12 Hours.

Joining Alexander Mattschull for their second full-time season in Pro-Am the following year, Salikhov took class wins at Monza and the 24 Hours of Spa to secure a third-place points finish in class. During 2018, Salikhov also raced with Rinaldi for the majority of the International GT Open season, as well as making another one-off appearance in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup at the Nürburgring, winning the main race in Pro-Am. At the end of the year, Salikhov also represented Russia in the FIA GT Nations Cup alongside Denis Bulatov, finishing fourth in the only edition of the race. In 2019, Salikhov continued with Rinaldi for a dual programme in both the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe. Racing in the Silver Cup in the former, Salikhov scored a lone podium at Barcelona to take seventh in points, whereas in the latter, he and David Perel clinched three Pro-Am wins and two other podiums to secure runner-up honours in the class standings. During 2019, Salikhov also represented Russia at the FIA Motorsport Games GT Cup discipline, and won the Gulf 12 Hours overall for Attempto Racing together with Audi factory drivers Christopher Mies and Dries Vanthoor.

In 2020, Salikhov was set to return to Rinaldi for another dual campaign in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups, but the campaign was called off when an unspecified driver picked up an injury before the season and Rinaldi withdrew its No. 888 Ferrari. Returning to racing in 2022, Salikhov raced in SMP GT4 Russia for Yadro Motorsport, finishing sixth in the standings on his debut year before clinching the series title the following year with three wins to his name. At the beginning of 2024, Salikhov joined Porsche-fielding Proton Huber Competition to compete at the Dubai 24 Hour, a race in which he finished second overall alongside Sergei Borisov, Sven Müller and Viktor Shaytar. Salikhov then returned to SMP GT4 Russia for most of the year, before reuniting with Rinaldi Racing to race in the Gulf 12 Hours. At the end of the year, Salikhov joined Mercedes outfit Winward Racing to compete in the 2024–25 Asian Le Mans Series alongside Gabriele Piana. In his first season in the series, Salikhov won race two at Sepang and scored maximum points at Dubai to secure a third-place points finish.

At the beginning of 2025, Salikhov also raced with Winward in the Middle East Trophy, securing two GT3 Pro-Am podiums en route to runner-up honours in points. For the rest of the year, Salikhov stuck with the German-American team for a full return to the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups as a Bronze Cup entry. In the Endurance Cup, Salikhov scored a pair of second-place finishes at Monza and at the 24 Hours of Spa en route to a fourth-place points finish on his return to the series. In the Sprint Cup, Salikhov scored a Bronze Cup win at Magny-Cours and three other podiums to also end the season fourth in the standings. At the end of the year, Salikhov continued with the team to race at the Gulf 12 Hours, in which he finished fifth overall with Marvin Dienst and Piana.

The following year, Salikhov returned to Winward for the UAE leg of the 24H Series Middle East, as well as making a one-off appearance for BMW-affiliated Team WRT at the Abu Dhabi finale of the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series, finishing second in race one. For the rest of 2026, Salikhov continued with Winward for another dual campaign in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups. At Monza, Salikhov was on course for a repeat of 2015, the No. 87 Mercedes running second overall when Dienst was taken out in a late crash.

Racing record Racing career summary

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points 2016 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Pro-Am MISQR MISCR BRHQR BRHCR NÜRQR NÜRCR HUNQR HUNCR CATQR CATCR 5th 31 2017 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Pro-AmMISQRMISCRBRHQRBRHCRZOLQRZOLCRHUNQRHUNCRNÜRQRNÜRCR 8th 16 2018 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Pro-AmZOLQRZOLCRBRHQRBRHCRMISQRMISCRHUNQRHUNCRNÜRQRNÜRCR 5th 16.5 2019 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Pro-Am BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NÜR1 NÜR2 HUN1 HUN2 2nd 102.5 2025 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Bronze ZAN1 ZAN2 MIS1 MIS2 MAG1 MAG2 VAL1 VAL2 4th 63 2026 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Bronze MIS1 MIS2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 CAT1 CAT2 1st* 47*

Complete Asian Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)