United Commits to 2023 Asian Program With Two LMP2 Cars

United Autosports has committed to next year’s Asian Le Mans Series with a two-car effort in the top LMP2 category.

The 2018-19 LMP2 championship-winning team has announced that it will field a pair of Oreca 07 Gibsons in the four-round campaign, which is taking place on back-to-back February weekends at Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit in the UAE.

United contested the two four-hour Yas Marina races during this year’s Asian LMS season and took victory in both with its driver pairing of Josh Pierson and Paul di Resta.

The team was unable to do the full season because Pierson only turned the minimum competitor age of 16 on the Monday between the Dubai and Yas Marina events.

United’s last time completing the Asian LMS schedule in LMP2 was its 2018-19 debut season when di Resta and Phil Hanson claimed the title sharing a Ligier JS P2 Nissan.

The driver lineups for the team’s 2023 program will be revealed at a later date.

“We’ve enjoyed great success in the Asian LMS which we entered for the first time in November 2018,” said team co-owner Zak Brown.

“It’s a series we as a team enjoy immensely and look forward to competing in again.

“Over 20 overall or class podiums, including nine wins, have helped earn us team titles in both LMP2 and LMP3 over the years. Staging the 2023 series in February gives drivers the perfect warm-up for the upcoming season in ELMS or WEC.”

United has also left open the option for “multiple” Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 entries with Ligier JS P320 Nissans next year but has not confirmed its involvement in the second-tier prototype class.

United last ran LMP3 cars in the series in 2021 when it operated three Ligiers and won the category title through Wayne Boyd, Manuel Maldonado and Rory Penttinen. 

“The Asian Le Mans Series is a series we enjoy racing in as it sets us up nicely for the start of a new year of racing, with plenty of track time and opportunity to test our cars and drivers,” said team co-owner Richard Dean.

“To return once more to the Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit is a great decision by LMEM and the ACO and we look forward to contesting another championship at the start of 2023.”

United is the first team to announce its Asian LMS intentions for next year after the series organizer ALMEM announced in May that it would be retaining the compact UAE format for a third season.