Arthur Pic joins ELMS with Loeb

GP2 race winner Arthur Pic will make his sportscar debut with Sebastien Loeb Racing at this weekend's Paul Ricard round of the European Le Mans Series. The 22-year-old brother of Lotus Formula 1 test driver Charles will race the squad's LMP2 ORECA-Nissan 03R together with another newcomer, Auto GP race winner Andrea Roda, and team regular Vincent Capillaire.

"We are good friends with Arthur and we talked about LMP2," Loeb sporting director Franck Tine said. "I'm not sure he is ready to do a full season in sports cars right now, but he wants a taste of it and this is a good opportunity for that."

Pic graduated to GP2 with Campos Racing this season after three years in Formula Renault 3.5.

"I've always been interested in endurance [racing]; that's why racing for Sebastien Loeb Racing was an opportunity I couldn't miss," he said. "I am already familiar with the Paul Ricard circuit. There's no better place for me to learn prototype racing."

Roda, whose father Gianluca races a GTE Am Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship, explained that he was motivated to sample sportscar racing after seeing his dad race at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

"There are many legendary races in endurance and this is an important opportunity for me. I wish to learn," said Rosa.

Sebastian Loeb Racing, which missed the last round of the ELMS at the Red Bull Ring in July, has not revealed its plans for the Estoril season finale in October.

"This lineup is just for Ricard for now," said Tine. "Everything will depend on what happens this weekend; nothing is decided yet."

Loeb will not run its GTC class Audi R8 LMS ultra, which has been absent since the Silverstone opener in April, this weekend, but Tine said the team was still keen to race a car that is part of its French GT Championship campaign at international level.

Frenchman Nathanael Berthon, who also races in GP2, will return to the Murphy Prototypes line-up at Ricard after driving for the team at the Imola ELMS round and at Le Mans. The Frenchman will share Murphy's ORECA-Nissan with Pipo Derani and a third driver who has yet to be confirmed.