Viscaal to Stand In for Hawksworth at Aragon

Bent Viscaal will be reunited with Algarve Pro Racing at the upcoming European Le Mans Series round at Motorland Aragon, subbing for the IMSA-tied Jack Hawksworth in the Portuguese squad’s Pro-Am lineup.

The Dutchman, who currently competes with Prema in the FIA World Endurance Championship, will join Bronze-rated driver Fred Poordad and Tristan Vautier in the four-hour night race at the Spanish circuit.

He replaces Hawksworth, who will be unable to take part due to clashing commitments with Vasser Sullivan at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at Virginia International Raceway.

The Briton, together with compatriot Ben Barnicoat, currently leads the GTD Pro championship standings with three rounds remaining, holding a lead of 169 points over Corvette Racing pairing Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor.

Viscaal raced with Algarve Pro’s ELMS squad in his first full season of prototype competition, teaming up with Sophia Floersch and taking an overall podium in the season-opening 4 Hours of Le Castellet.

“My collaboration with Algarve Pro Racing in 2022 was a very good one because I really clicked with both Sam and Stewart [Cox], who 100 per cent helped my transition from formula cars to endurance racing, which is a completely different ballgame,” said Viscaal.

“They definitely know what they’re doing and they give very honest feedback, which is the fastest way forward.

“I’m really happy with how they guided me into the world of sportscars, I’m grateful for the opportunity they gave me and I’ll always try to give something back wherever possible.

“Last year, with the exception of Le Castellet, the results didn’t match our pace and performance. We were unlucky and I feel there’s some unfinished business.

“Being part of a Pro-Am driver line-up is always an interesting dynamic, but it’s helpful when you have an Am like Fred who is keen to learn.

“We had one day of testing at MotorLand Aragon and it was great to get back to the high-downforce ELMS configuration.

“I’m very much looking forward to the race, as driving at night is always brilliant and the circuit’s remote location means it’s pure darkness. It’ll be a tough one.”