PWC GT champion Parente set for Le Mans return

2016 Pirelli World Challenge champion Alvaro Parente is set to return to the Le Mans 24 Hours this year for the first time since 2014, in Singaporean-outfit Clearwater Racing's second GTE-Am Ferrari 488 GTE.

The Portuguese driver, who competed races with K-PAX Racing in the USA, will race alongside GT Asia regular Richard Wee and Super GT veteran Hiroki Katoh who will make his seventh Le Mans start this year.

“Le Mans is an amazing race with a unique ambience and it’s such a pleasure to be back,” said Parente. "It will be an amazing week and, as always, I’ll give my best to help the team to achieve a good result.”

The Le Mans appearance for Parente is a one-off deal with the team, which is running a separate full-season FIA World Endurance Championship campaign with its lead car. For the rest of the year Parente will focus on his commitments with McLaren GT, which will see him race a 650S GT3 in the PWC season with K-PAX and in the Blancpain Sprint Cup over in Europe with former-WEC team Strakka Racing.

Clearwater's other 488 GTE entered in the French classic is its FIA WEC GTE Am entry, with Irishman Matt Griffin, Kieta Sawa and Clearwater team owner Mok Weng Sun sharing driving duties.

The 2017 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours will take place over the 17th and 18th of June on the world-famous Circuit de la Sarthe.