Lucas Auer Joins Lotus LMP2 for Bahrain

Photo: FIA F3 European Championship

Rising open-wheel driver Lucas Auer will make his sports car racing debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship season-ending Six Hours of Bahrain.

The 19-year-old Austrian, the nephew of Gerhard Berger, has been confirmed as one of the drivers for Lotus LMP2, which will again field a pair of Lotus T128 Pragas.

Auer finished fourth in this year’s FIA European Formula 3 Championship, while also boasting experience in numerous other single-seater series.

“For me, an endurance race will be an entirely new experience since I only took part in sprint races so far,” Auer said. “Driving a closed-top car is also unknown territory for me and so is having to share the car with team-mates.

“Generally, I think it is a good thing for a racing driver to get new experiences. I am grateful for the chance that I am getting now. However, this doesn’t mean that I am bowing out of single-seater racing.

“It is my aim to race in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship once again next year, but firstly, I am very happy to race with the Lotus Praga LMP2 in the 6 Hours of Bahrain.”

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