LE MANS: United Autosports gets Ligier for 2017

United Autosports has acquired an LMP2 Ligier to enable it to take up its invitation to enter the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours.

The UK-based team earned an invitation from race organizer the ACO for winning the European Le Mans Series LMP3 title with Alex Brundle, Michael Guasch and Christian England, and it is considering a full-season LMP2 program alongside its Le Mans attack.

Team owner and chairman Zak Brown said: "I'm thrilled United Autosports will be able to take up the ACO's invitation to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"We have committed to purchasing our own LMP2 car as it is the best way to prepare for such an important race. We are also looking at entering the 2017 ELMS too. We see it as great potential for the team and so we are working on getting a program together and will be testing drivers in the coming weeks and months."

The team is yet to put in place driver or testing plans for its new LMP2 program, and it will remain in LMP3 next season with John Falb, Enzo Potolicchio and Sean Rayhall already confirmed as part of its driver line-up.

Team co-owner and managing director Richard Dean added: "It will be great for Zak and I to bring United Autosports to the Le Mans 24 Hours. It is the most important endurance race in the world and to have our team among the grid will be a fantastic feeling.

"We have committed to our own Ligier JS P217 as it made perfect sense for the direction we want the team to go in. Now comes the task of putting our test program together and finding the perfect driver line-up for the car."

Originally on Autosport.com