JOTA finished second and third in the running for the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams last season. It has now put together a trio of top-flight drivers to run one of its two Oreca 07-Gibsons in the FIA WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including former Formula One driver Stoffel Vandoorne. He is already familiar with Endurance racing as in 2019 he competed with SMP Racing, taking third place at the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “To be in the WEC with JOTA is great because they are such an established and respected team in a super competitive environment, which is obviously something I always look to be involved in,” said the Belgian driver. He will be teamed with Tom Blomqvist, who drove with BMW in LMGTE Pro in the 2018-19 season, and Sean Gelael from Indonesia. Their LMP2 season will kick off on 19 March at the 1,000 Miles of Sebring, the first of six rounds in the FIA WEC 2021 season.

JOTA will unveil the livery for its chassis in the coming weeks and confirm its second LMP2 team within the next week or so. It’s worth remembering that JOTA won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. The outfit has also been successful in the Asian Le Mans Series with Jackie Chan DC Racing, taking both the LMP2 and LMP3 titles in 2017-18. The British team has also nurtured a talented generation of Endurance drivers, including Harry Tincknell and Oliver Turvey.

PHOTO: Former Formula One driver Stoffel Vandoorne at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019. He finished third overall with SMP Racing.