GULF 12H: Lynn, Johansson in United Autosports LMP3

Alex Lynn and Stefan Johansson will race for United Autosports in the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi with a Ligier JS P3 sports prototype on Dec. 17, the team has announced.

Lynn is an official development driver for the Williams F1 team and GP2 race winner, most recently winning the final race in Abu Dhabi, while also completing a partial season in LMP2 for Manor in the World Endurance Championship. He will race alongside his father Shaun Lynn in the Gulf Marine-liveried Ligier, the same car Shaun raced at the inaugural British Prototype Cup round at Snetterton in October. They will be joined for the 12-hour race by Richard Meins, who has raced for the team owned by McLaren boss JZak Brown and driver Richard Dean in the Macau GT Cup and Spa 24 Hours in various GT3 machinery.

“I’m very pleased to be racing with United Autosports again. We had a great time in the Spa 24 Hours when I last raced for them and it will be good to see them all again," said Johansson, a star in F1 in the 1980s before switching to sports cars. "I’ve heard good things about the new LMP3 class and I’m really excited to get behind the wheel of a prototype car again and can’t wait to drive the new Ligier JS P3. Abu Dhabi is a fantastic circuit and the Gulf 12 hours is turning into a great event, I can’t wait to get out there and have a go."

This year's Gulf 12 Hours is the first in the six-year history of the event that LMP3 cars are eligible to race. They will compete alongside GT3, GTX and Porsche Cup cars.

The 12-hour race is split into two six-hour events. There is a total of 17 hours of track time during the race weekend, including four 75-minute practice sessions with three 15-minute qualifying sessions over the course of the weekend.