Panis Aligns With TDS; Overhauls Driver Lineup

Panis Racing has announced a new partnership with TDS Racing to support its European Le Mans Series effort, while at the same timing overhauling its lineup and bringing in Alpine Hypercar driver Charles Milesi.

Milesi will pilot the No. 65 Oreca 07 Gibson alongside Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc and Manuel Maldonado.

Notably, the French squad will part ways with longtime operational partner Tech1 Racing, bringing an end to a multi-year partnership that saw the team become a regular threat for podiums and victories in ELMS.

“We’ve shared a wonderful adventure with Tech1 Racing, Sarah and Simon Abadie,” said team principal Olivier Panis.

“We’ve had some great moments, with good results in the ELMS and podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“We are proud of what we have achieved together, always with passion and ambition. It will go down as an important and unique period in the team’s history.

“We would like to extend our warmest thanks to Sarah and Simon for everything that has been achieved.”

In addition to operating the Panis entry, TDS Racing will also field a Richard Mille-backed Oreca in the Pro-Am class for Mathias Beche, Gregoire Saucy and Rodrigo Sales.

“This is a new step for TDS Racing and we are delighted to be embarking on this new chapter with Olivier and the Panis Racing team, which boasts some quality members,” said TDS boss Xavier Combet.

“We will be contributing our expertise to this ambitious project. All the pieces of the jigsaw are in place to achieve great things in the LMP2 Pro category, alongside our LMP2 Pro-Am programs in ELMS and IMSA.”

Along with the new partnership comes an overhaul of the team’s driver crew, with Job van Uitert joining IDEC Sport and Tijmen van der Helm racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with JDC-Miller Motorsports.

In their place come Milesi as well as Leclerc, the younger brother of current Ferrari Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc.

The 23-year-old will be making his sports car racing debut and is set to dovetail his commitments with a program in the Italian GT Championship.

 “I’m delighted to be joining Panis Racing for the ELMS,” Leclerc said.

“I’m unfamiliar with the LMP2 category and I can’t wait to start working, to discover both the team and the car, and to succeed in performing well.

“The aim is to win the championship, but right now I’m concentrating on getting to know the discipline and familiarizing myself with this new environment, so that I can be as effective as possible as quickly as possible.

“Manuel and Charles already have a great deal of experience of LMP2 and it’s great to be able to count on two drivers who have such a thorough knowledge of the category.”