G-Drive Announces Tie-Up with Russian Limo Builder AURUS

G-Drive Racing has announced a new partnership with Russian luxury automaker AURUS, which includes a rebranding of the team’s Oreca 07 Gibson prototype.

AURUS currently supplies the Russian presidential limousine but is now also stepping into commercial production with a view to expanding as an international business.

The company currently has two cars in its portfolio: the Senat S600 and the stretched Senat Limousine L700 which both made their European debuts at the Geneva Motor Show last month.

As part of the agreement, G-Drive’s No. 26 European Le Mans Series car will be re-badged as an Aurus 01 Gibson, following approval from the ACO.

The move resembles Alpine’s rebranding of its LMP2-class Oreca as an Alpine A470 Gibson for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Roman Rusinov, Job van Uitert and Jean-Eric Vergne will share driving duties for the season, as previously announced.

The trio is also slated to take part in next month’s WEC round at Spa and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

G-Drive enters the 2019 ELMS as the defending LMP2 teams’ champion while Rusinov returns as the reigning drivers’ champion.