Jonathan Robert Lester (born 8 December 1989 in Palmerston North) is a racing driver from New Zealand, competing in various GT3 and touring car championships throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

[2] Richard founded the Shell Formula Ford Scholarship in the early 1990s, which launched the career of many drivers including Bathurst winner Greg Murphy.

In 2009, he won both the Hamilton 400 and Taupo A1GP Trophy events, however a brief foray in the 2008 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship was curtailed due to a lack of budget.

Lester won a Porsche Motorsport Talent Factory Scholarship in 2010, after a global shootout of 12 drivers at ACI Vallelunga Circuit, Italy.

He also joined Bernd Schneider for the 12 Hour Merdeka Millennium Endurance (MME) race at Sepang, but retired while leading in the early stages with an engine failure.

[7] Lester's final race with the team ended in controversy, when the TFM Ferrari was disqualified while leading the season-ending Highlands 101 in New Zealand, after pitting outside the compulsory time window.

[8] In the GT Asia Series, he scored GruppeM Racing's first and only podium finish on debut with the team at the Okayama International Circuit, driving a Porsche GT3-R with Englishman Tim Sugden.

[9] In China GT, he was a winner in GTC at Chengdu driving a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with Chinese driver Pan Chao with the local JRM Team.

[10] In the Asian Le Mans Series, he paired with former F1 test driver Fairuz Fauzy of Malaysia, and Australian Liam Talbot in OD Racing's McLaren 650S GT3.

Lester also made his Japanese Super GT debut in 2016, with a one-off drive at the Suzuka 1000 km in a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 with the Direction Racing team.

[12] In Blancpain GT Series Asia, Lester was bought in mid-season to partner Australian Nick Foster at HubAuto Corsa, driving a Ferrari 488.

[14] In the Intercontinental GT Challenge, Lester joined Japanese team D’station Racing for the Suzuka 10 Hours in a Porsche 991 GT3-R. Driving with Tsubasa Kondo and Satoshi Hoshino, they finished many laps down in 28th with multiple unscheduled pit stops to rectify electrical and cooling issues.