United Autosports to Run Two Orecas at Spa

Photo: United Autosports

United Autosports has made the switch to all-Oreca LMP2 machinery for this weekend’s European Le Mans Series round at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Anglo-American squad, which entered a single Oreca 07 Gibson for Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hansson alongside a Ligier JS P217 Gibson for Ryan Cullen, Alex Brundle and Will Owen in the recent 4 Hours of Silverstone, has fully transitioned to Oreca chassis for the fifth round of the season.

The team is known to have purchased three Oreca chassis in the build-up to its FIA World Endurance Championship program, when the initial decision was made to swap its Ligier entry in the WEC for an Oreca.

It was confirmed in the 38-car entry list for Spa that sees several other changes, mainly driver-related.

Cool Racing is set to run as a two-driver lineup, with Alexandre Coigny, who sustained injuries in an accident at Silverstone not currently listed alongside Nico Lapeirre and Antonin Borga in the No. 37 Oreca.

Willliam Cavaihes has replaced Patrice Lafargue at the wheel of the No. 27 IDEC Sport Ligier, which is one of only three non-ORECAs in the 17-car LMP2 grid.

Leonard Hoogenboom, meanwhile, is absent from the No. 24 Panis Barthez Competition Ligier, which looks set to run as a two-driver lineup only.

Inter Europol Competition will also have an adjusted lineup for its Ligier, with Sam Dejonghe joining Jakub Smiechowski.

As previously reported, Carlin will not take part this weekend due to the ongoing recovery of Jack Manchester, who broke several ribs in an accident at Silverstone.

A total of 14 LMP3 cars are listed, with Andrew Bentley set to sub for Mike Guash in the No. 3 United Autosports Ligier JSP3 Nissan, also due to an injury.

No changes have been made to the GTE grid, meanwhile, although Thomas Preining’s co-drivers in the No. 88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR remain to-be-determined.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John