LMP2 driver line-up for Le Mans almost complete
A number of LMP2 teams have announced their drivers for the Le Mans 24 Hours next month, leaving only one line-up in the class undecided.
Among the squads to have firmed up their rosters in recent days are EuroInternational, Algarve Pro Racing, Eurasia Motorsport and Panis Racing, while newcomer outfit Nielsen Racing became the latest to do so on Thursday morning.
Eurasia announced in the wake of its FIA World Endurance Championship outing at Spa that it will maintain its line-up of ex-Formula 1 racer Roberto Merhi, Nick Foster and gentleman racer Nobuya Yamanaka in one of only three Ligier JS P217s in the field at La Sarthe.
EuroInternational is also running a Ligier, which will be shared by the previously-confirmed Adrien Tambay, Erik Maris and historic racer Christophe d'Ansembourg, with ex-Formula 3 driver Niko Kari acting as reserve driver for the squad.
Algarve Pro Racing has chosen IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship regular Matt McMurry to join John Falb and Simon Trummer in its Oreca 07, as their regular European Le Mans Series co-driver Gabriel Aubry will drive for for Jackie Chan DC Racing at Le Mans.
Also at the wheel of the JOTA Sport-run Jackie Chan car will be Will Stevens, who usually drives for Panis Racing in the ELMS. As such, Matthieu Vaxiviere has been selected to partner Stevens' usual teammates Nico Jamin and Julien Canal in the team's Oreca.
Finally, Nielsen Racing - which earned its entry off the back of winning the LMP3 class of the ELMS last year - has announced Canadian driver Garrett Grist will partner British pair Tony Wells and Alex Kapadia, with Colin Noble forced to step down.
It leaves Carlin as the only LMP2 team not to have announced all of its drivers, as the identity of the driver that will partner Ben Barnicoat and Jack Manchester remains unknown.
Carlin, which is due to run one of two Dallara P217s in the 24-car LMP2 field, skipped the opening two rounds of the European Le Mans Series and was absent from the entry list for this month's race at Paul Ricard as well.
The British squad previously admitted its participation at Le Mans is not certain.
Previous article
Merhi stays with Eurasia for Le Mans after WEC return
Next article
Le Mans entry down to 59 cars as Carlin withdraws
About this article
| Series | Le Mans |
| Event | 24 Hours of Le Mans |
| Teams | Algarve Pro Racing Team , Eurointernational , Panis-Barthez Competition , Nielsen Racing |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
1988: The number 2 Jaguar wins Le Mans
Entry list for the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans: Dan Gurney - Le Mans 1967
How an ingenious fix prevented Paul Newman from winning Le Mans
It's one of the great what-if stories in Le Mans history. Paul Newman finished second in the 24 Hours in 1979, but it could easily have been a famous victory were it not for the resourcefulness of the late Manfred Kremer.
Why Ferrari is ending its 50-year top-flight sportscar racing exile
Making a return to top-flight sportscar racing after 50 years away, Ferrari will enter the Le Mans Hypercar ranks in 2023. The Italian marque denies the link with Formula 1's new cost cap that frees up resources, but it's certainly no coincidence...
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The cherished curios kept by motorsport's professionals at home
Keeping trophies and momentos of key triumphs is par for the course for motorsport professionals, but what are the most cherished souvenirs picked up by the drivers and engineers who have seen and done it all?
The Porsche icon that forged sportscar racing's greatest era
Porsche is returning to the top class of Le Mans with an LMDh prototype that it hopes will write its next successful chapter in sportscar racing. But it will have to go some to emulate its 956/962, a car which defines the Group C age more than any other.
How Tom Kristensen forged his ‘Mr Le Mans’ legend
He is synonymous with success at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but Tom Kristensen's sportscar legacy amounts to much more than his record-breaking nine Le Mans wins, as the most successful driver ever at Sebring and a world champion to boot…
Why Audi’s shock return promises a new age for sportscars
OPINION: The news that Audi will return to Le Mans means we'll at last get to see the fight promised in 2012 against Peugeot and Toyota. It also gives LMDh a tangible form, which could open the floodgates for more like-minded marques to follow suit…
