Merhi to make race return in Asian Le Mans Series
Ex-Formula 1 and FIA World Endurance Championship driver Roberto Merhi will compete with Eurasia Motorsport in the LMP2 class of Asian Le Mans Series this winter, it has been announced.
Merhi will race a Ligier JS P217 alongside Nick Foster and Aiden Read in the 2019/20 season, beginning with this month’s Shanghai curtain-raiser.
It will be the Spanish driver’s first competitive outing since he raced with MP Motorsport in Formula 2 in 2018, when he finished 12th in the standings after missing two rounds.
Merhi’s last LMP2 outing came at the Nurburgring in the 2017 WEC season, when he shared a Manor TRS Racing Oreca 07 with Jonathan Hirschi and Tor Graves.
“I would like to thank Eurasia Motorsport for this opportunity to get back behind the wheel, special thanks also to Dave Madgwick at Bam Motorsports for making this possible,” said Merhi. “I am very excited and looking forward to put on a great race in Shanghai."
Mark Goddard, Eurasia Motorsport Team Principal added: “We are delighted to welcome Roberto to our team, with all his obvious qualities. Adding him to our line-up should put us in contention for victories and a genuine shot at the Championship."
Merhi will be joined on the Asian Le Mans grid with another ex-Manor F1 driver in Rio Haryanto, who will share a T2 Motorsports-run Ferrari 488 GT3 with Italian Christian Colombo.
Other familiar names on the grid include current Aston WEC racer Ross Gunn and recently-crowned Super Formula champion Nick Cassidy, although the latter is expected to miss the Shanghai opener due to a clash with the SUPER GT/DTM 'Dream Race' at Fuji.
#44 Eurasia Motorsport Ligier JSP217 Gibson: Andrea Bertolini, Nic Jönsson, Tracy Krohn
Photo by: Nikolaz Godet
Carlin to expand into Asian Le Mans Series
Van Gisbergen to make prototype debut
Final Le Mans auto-invites awarded for Asian LMS champions
The final batch of auto-invites for this year's Le Mans 24 Hours have been handed out following the conclusion of the Asian Le Mans Series in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Mercedes F1 strategist Vowles to contest Asian Le Mans Series
Mercedes' Formula 1 chief strategist James Vowles will take part in next month's Asian Le Mans Series, driving a McLaren 720S GT3 for Garage 59.
Yifei Ye to make Porsche debut in Asian Le Mans Series
New Porsche driver Yifei Ye will make his debut with the German manufacturer in next month's Asian Le Mans Series ahead of a return to the LMP2 ranks.
Lamborghini world champion Gomez gets Ferrari ALMS chance
Lamborghini Super Trofeo world champion Victor Gomez IV will race in next month’s Asian Le Mans Series in AF Corse’s GT Am-class Ferrari, teaming up with factory driver Alessandro Pier Guidi and Francesco Piovanetti.