Jani Makes Series Return with DKR for Portimao Finale

Neel Jani will return to the European Le Mans Series for the first time in two years as he joins DKR Engineering for this weekend’s Portimao season finale.

The 41-year-old FIA World Endurance Championship veteran has been called up to join full-season drivers Georgios Kolovos and Laurents Hoerr aboard the team’s No. 3 Oreca 07 Gibson, which is entered in the LMP2 Pro-Am class.

It marks Jani’s first appearance in the ELMS since the final round of the 2023 season, also held at Portimao, which the Swiss contested with Duqueine.

He replaces Felipe Fraga, who took over the seat vacated by Thomas Laurent for the previous round at Silverstone but is unavailable for this weekend’s curtain-closer owing to a clash with his racing commitments in Brazil.

“I’m looking forward to be back in ELMS after I was last there in 2023, but this time with DKR,” said Jani. “I know Portimao well but it is the first time that I am racing in the Pro-Am category, so I am also looking forward to that.

“I have heard many good things about Kolovos, and Hoerr is somebody I know already as a quick driver from 2023. It looks like they have had a difficult season so would be nice to help them finish on a high.”

Jani replacing Fraga is the only of only two changes across the entire 44-car entry list for Portimao compared to the previous round at Silverstone.

The other concerns the No. 11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P325 Toyota in the LMP3 class, as Miguel Cristovao joins regulars Ian Aguilera and Fabien Michal.