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06
Jul
The Harrogate driver who won at Le Mans
There are few racetracks as iconic as Le Mans.
Formally known as the Circuit de la Sarthe, the French track hosts the famous 24-hour FIA World Endurance Championship, amongst other tournaments.
One of the drivers that has stood on the course’s podium this year is Max Dodds.
A promising 19-year-old from Harrogate, Dodds started racing go-karts when he was four years old.
His dad, Ollie Dodds, raced in the British championships for the Formula Ford single seater.
This was the same championship that Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button won their first single-seater races in.
In an exclusive interview with the Stray Ferret, Dodds said that his dad’s connections in racing helped him forge his career.
After years of racing in European and world karting championships, at age 15 Max took his first step into car racing, entering the 2021 Ginetta Junior Championship.
In this race, all drivers compete in the Ginetta G40, a specialist racing car.
Picture: @maxwelldodds on Instagram
Dodds' Ginetta G40. Picture: @maxwelldodds on Instagram
However, after contracting long covid in 2021, an already asthmatic Dodds was forced to take a two-and-a-half-year break from racing.
In April 2024, the then-18-year-old made an incredible return to the sport.
Dodds was offered a last-minute deal to join Virtuosi Racing and race in the British F4 Championships.
But things didn’t quite work out for him the way he liked. He said:
Virtuosi knew that given enough time I could compete because I’d done well at a high level in karting.
But I felt so much pressure when I was there because I thought it was the only option for my professional career in racing. It was difficult to process. F4 wasn’t going as I wanted it to and having a big break from the sport definitely didn’t help.
Dodds raced Formula Four cars for Virtuosi Racing. Picture: @maxwelldodds on Instagram
In September 2024, Dodds announced his departure from Virtuosi Racing.
By March 2025, he had signed for ANS Motorsport – a prototype racing company. Dodds said his fortunes “changed quite drastically”.
The organisation entered Dodds and his race partner, Iko Segret, into the Ligier European Series.
A series of hour-long F4 races across different tracks, drivers compete in the Ligier JS P4 - an entry-level prototype race car.
Max Dodds is driving the Ligier JS P4 for the Ligier European Series.
The pair have currently raced in three of the series’ six rounds, in Barcelona, Le Castellet and Le Mans.
Finishing no lower than second in any race, Dodds and Segret currently lead the series.
Dodds spoke of his relief:
It’s massive after last year and feeling a bit hopeless. To prove I can do it to the people who’ve shown trust in me is a great feeling.
Controversy
The proudest moment of his career came when Dodds and Segret won their race at Le Mans.
He said around 50,000 spectators watched on as they stood on the podium, which was suspended above the track — which is unusual.
The driver said it was one of the most ridiculous podiums he’s ever been on.
Max Dodds (centre) celebrates with Iko Segret (left).
During the race, leader Romain Boeckler was handed a five-second time penalty for cutting the track.
The ANS team, who were trailing him, decided to hold back and play safe, not risking any dangerous overtakes.
They knew that Boeckler’s time penalty would prevent him from winning the race.
However, hours after Dodds had stood on the first-place podium, race officials rescinded the time penalty, handing the win to Boeckler.
Dodds said that he couldn’t see how that had anything to do with them, and that they would have had a completely different race plan had the time penalty not been given.
A talented family
It is not just Dodds and his dad that have sporting prowess in their household.
Max’s younger sister, 13-year-old Mila Dodds, has a bright future in golf.
The Stray Ferret recently reported that the 0.8 handicap golfer is looking for a wildcard into the Ladies PGA Tour.
Max told us what it was like growing up together. He said:
She’s probably the most competitive person I’ve ever met. When she was younger and saw what I was doing in racing, you could see that she really wanted to do that in her sport.
Now that we’re older, we’re both super supportive of each other’s careers.
Max and Mila Dodds.
Max said that he would love to be a works driver for a manufacturing company in the future.
He wants to drive for a single company, like Porsche or Ferrari, in different events across the globe.
One thing is for sure – Harrogate’s sporting reputation is in good hands with the Dodds family.
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