United Autosports down to one LMP2 car for Monza ELMS round
United Autosports has withdrawn one of its two LMP2 entries from this weekend's Monza European Le Mans Series round following a positive COVID-19 test for Job van Uitert.
The team has been forced to pull the #32 Oreca 07 shared by van Uitert, Nico Jamin and Manuel Maldonado, leaving it with just the sister #22 car of Jonathan Aberdein, Tom Gamble and Phil Hanson in the top class and its two entries in the LMP3 category.
United revealed on Friday that van Uitert had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday morning in a routine lateral flow test and had gone into isolation, after taking part in both pre-event test sessions on Thursday.
That meant the #32 car sat out Friday morning's first official practice session, and after the crew missed second practice on Saturday morning, the team announced on Twitter that a PCR test for van Uitert had also returned a positive result.
It added the Dutchman's teammates Jamin and Maldonado had both tested negative and were "fit and healthy".
The withdrawal of the #32 machine reduces the size of the LMP2 field at Monza to 18 cars, including three one-off entries from the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Opening practice was topped by Racing Team Turkey substitute Logan Sargeant, while Louis Deletraz led the way in second practice in the championship-leading WRT car.
United has endured a tough start to its ELMS title defence and has yet to win a race so far this season.
The car shared by Aberdein, Gamble and Hanson sit third in the LMP2 teams' standings after three rounds with a best result of second last time at Paul Ricard, while van Uitert, Jamin and Maldonado are down in ninth.
Elsewhere, there has been a last-minute change in the driver line-up for the #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GTE for the Monza round.
Matt Griffin has withdrawn following the death of his father, with Ferrari WEC ace Alessandro Pier Guidi being drafted in to join David Perel and Duncan Cameron in the squad.
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