WEC: Jota steps up to full-season program

The British Jota Sport LMP2 squad will expand into the World Endurance Championship next season with the new ORECA coupe.

Jota, which took P2 honors at last year's Le Mans 24 Hours, will field a solo Nissan-powered coupe in the full WEC alongside a continued campaign in the European Le Mans Series with its existing open-top Gibson 015S (nee Zytek Z11SN) .

"The time is now right for Jota to step up to a full WEC campaign," Jota partner Sam Hignett, who revealed that the team had ordered a pair of 05s, said. "We were approached about a WEC program and we are confident that we will have something signed next week, after which we will be able to announce a major stakeholder and a driver. After that, we will have to pull the rest of the lineup together and are planning a comprehensive test program around the ORECA."

Hignett explained that the ORECA was chosen with an eye on the introduction of new LMP2 regulations in 2017 when the 05 coupe will be eligible with an upgrade and a new engine.

"It makes sense, because if the ORECA is the car to have in '17 we won't be two years behind teams like KCMG and TDS Racing, who are already running the car," he said.

Hignett confirmed that Jota co-owner Simon Dolan would continue to race in the ELMS with the Gibson.

Jota has contested the WEC rounds at Spa and Le Mans in addition to its ELMS program since joining the prototype ranks in 2012. It claimed P2 honors at Spa in 2012 and '15 to go with last year's Le Mans triumph and three ELMS wins.

Dolan and teammates Harry Tincknell and Filipe Albuquerque lead the ELMS standings by two points going into this weekend's penultimate round of the series at Paul Ricard.

Originally on Autosport.com