Algarve Pro Racing has moved to replace Mark Patterson, injured in testing at Monza last month, with 37-year-old Olivier Pla for the last four races on the 2019 European Le Mans Series calendar. The Frenchman, who has twelve Le Mans 24 Hours appearances to his name, will team up with John Falb and Andrea Pizzitola.

While turning out for Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK in the FIA World Endurance Championship these last three seasons, Pla has continued to compete in the European Le Mans Series for the likes of IDEC Sport, Racing Engineering and Krohn Racing. He will bring his LMP2 experience to the Portuguese outfit that is currently lying 13th in the LMP2 teams’ standings. The #25 Oreca 07-Gibson finished 14th at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet and 12th at the 4 Hours of Monza. It recently completed the 87th Le Mans 24 Hours in 15th place overall (tenth in LMP2). Pla, meanwhile, shared the wheel of the #66 Ford GT that finished the 24 Hours in 25th place (sixth in the LMGTE Pro rankings). 

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, MONDAY 10 JUNE 2019, SCRUTINEERING. Olivier Pla competed in the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a Ford GT for Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK. He will appear for Portuguese outfit Algarve Pro Racing in the final four rounds of the 2019 European Le Mans Series season.