Of German ancestry, hailing from a townin Brazil predominantly made up of second or third generation descendants from Germany, Leist progressed through the normal ranks of karting and Formula 3 before a switch to British Formula 3 in 2015. One year later, he won the title and used that to help facilitate a move to the US and Indy Lights for 2017. He impressed, winning three races, including the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis, before going on to finish fourth in the series. This led to a promotion to Indycar in 2018 and he remained there in 2019. In 2020, he moved into sportscars and the IMSA sportscar championship, but that was his last year of racing and he is now a driver coach to Brazilian drivers based in America.

Biography last updated 18 Dec 2022