After finishing second in the 1993 Formula Renault Eurocup, Minassian moved into the French Formula Three Championship, where he was runner-up to Laurent Redon in 1995 at his second attempt in the series. He then transferred to the British Formula Three series, forming a successful partnership with the Promatecme outfit and Renault UK. That combination produced a fourth-place finish in 1996 and a second-place result in 1997, establishing him as one of the leading European single-seater talents of his generation.
Minassian stepped up to International Formula 3000 with West Competition for 1998, but struggled to match teammate Nick Heidfeld, who mounted a serious title challenge that year. A move to Kid Jensen Racing in 1999 brought improved results, highlighted by a dominant lights-to-flag victory at Silverstone. For the 2000 season he joined the prominent Super Nova Racing team and finished second in the championship, cementing his reputation as a front-runner. Despite promising tests for Williams and BAR Honda, a Formula One seat never materialised — an outcome that later earned him a place on Autosport's 2013 list of the top fifty drivers who never raced in Formula One.
In 2001, Minassian crossed the Atlantic to compete in CART with Target Chip Ganassi Racing alongside former Formula 3000 rival Bruno Junqueira, including a start at the Indianapolis 500. He was released from the team during the season. In 2002 he won the ASCAR oval racing series for RML Group, demonstrating adaptability across very different racing disciplines before returning to European endurance competition.
Returning to long-distance racing, Minassian drove for teams including Creation Autosportif and Pescarolo Sport. His career reached a new peak in 2007 when Peugeot appointed him as a factory driver for the 908 HDi FAP diesel LMP1 prototype in the Le Mans Series. He competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot through to 2011, scoring two overall podiums and recording a fastest lap, contributing to one of the most competitive LMP1 programmes of that era. After Peugeot withdrew from top-level endurance competition, Minassian continued racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship's LMP2 class, representing the AF Corse-run PeCom and SMP Racing teams.
In 2018 Minassian transitioned to team management, taking the role of sporting director at the LMP2 outfit IDEC Sport. He guided the team to the 2019 European Le Mans Series title before being promoted to team principal in 2021. Alongside his team management work, Minassian co-founded Bullet Sports Management in 2019 with former racing colleague Jamie Campbell-Walter and María Catarineu. The agency represents a range of single-seater and endurance talents, including Ferdinand Habsburg, Franco Colapinto, Oliver Goethe, and Rui Andrade.
Minassian's trajectory — from front-running Formula 3000 contender to Peugeot factory driver to European Le Mans Series championship-winning team boss — illustrates a career that found its most enduring expression in sports car racing. His recognition by Autosport as one of the fifty best drivers never to have reached Formula One reflects both the quality of his single-seater form and the narrowness of the path to motorsport's top tier.
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