Menezes Could Return to Racing With YouTuber Barseghian

Gustavo Menezes is in the picture for a return to full-time sports car racing for the first time since his exit from the Peugeot Hypercar program as part of a new partnership with YouTuber-turned-racer Edmond Barseghian.

Menezes and Barseghian, who is also known under his online pseudonym Mondi, shared an Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 during last weekend’s post-season FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain.

Barseghian completed 56 laps of the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday, with Menezes putting in five laps to shake down the car for the Bronze-rated driver, who had no prior GT3 experience.

“Edmond is a good friend of mine,” Menezes told Sportscar365. “We’ve known each other for about eight years. Big passionate motorsports aficionado, let’s say.

“He’s been racing now since about COVID time. It was time that he wanted to really submerge himself into a higher level paddock. He’s been doing endurance racing for two years. He did a lot of time with Alex Premat [as his] coach.

“We spoke on the phone and he was like, ‘Look, I want to cut my teeth and try this out.’ And I said, ‘Okay, we can’t just go racing.’ You really need to put your name on the board. You need to see how you feel about it.”

“He is a Bronze, this is a world stage, but I was quite proud to see him progressing at the level he did. He managed the pressure.

“At the end of the day, these rookie tests, you have some junior drivers and other drivers that have been racing for years and years.

“So he came out today and I thought his his level in terms of the Bronze field, having driven just a few days this year, was really, really respectable.

“No mistakes, very clean driving, and I think the team was quite happy with it. We’re going to go home and evaluate what’s the best program for him for next year.”

Barseghian’s most notable previous experience comes from the Western Endurance Racing Championship, racing at circuits like the Utah Motorsports Campus, Willow Springs and Thunderhill in a KTM X-Bow GT2.

Born in Iran with Armenian roots but based out of Los Angeles, Barseghian told Sportscar365 that he is seriously considering a program in ACO-rules endurance sports car racing.

The 38-year-old said that it’s “either this [WEC] or European Le Mans Series,” adding: “This is good, but I do want to win. I saw where I am today. It’s a very good baseline.”

While Barseghian further added that GT3 racing “remains on the table,” he explained that an LMP2 effort in the European series is a serious option after gaining prototype experience racing LMP3 machinery.

“I’ve raced the LMP3, I did one race in that,” said Barseghian.

“It was fun. I love the downforce. So, you know, it might be a better car. It might be a better option for me.”

Menezes, meanwhile, has largely been on the sidelines since he left the Peugeot factory Hypercar program at the end of the 2023 season.

Prior to that, he drove for Glickenhaus, the Rebellion Racing LMP1 effort and enjoyed success in the LMP2 category, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and world title for Signatech Alpine in 2016.

“There’s a good chance you’ll see me with him,” Menezes said.

“There’s a good chance you’ll see me in the paddock hopefully. There’s nothing cooler than doing it with a friend and seeing his progression.”