#32 Ligier JS P217 – Gibson (LMP2)

Co-owners: Richard Dean and Zak Brown
Team Manager: Trevor Foster
Engineer: Gautier Bouteiller
Location:  Leeds (UK)
Website: unitedautosports.com

2016 ELMS classification: LMP3 Teams Championship, 1st (109.5 points, 3 wins) and 4th (59 points)

2017 ELMS results

4 Hours of Silverstone:  1st, Albuquerque/De Sadeleer/Owen (POR/CHE/GBR), #32 Ligier JS P217 - Gibson

11th (1st in LMP3), Falb/Rayhall (USA/USA), #2 Ligier JS P3 - Nissan

13th (3rd in LMP3), Patterson/Boyd/England (ZAF/GBR/GBR), #3 Ligier JS P3 - Nissan

4 Hours of Monza: 6th, Albuquerque/De Sadeleer/Owen (POR/CHE/GBR), #32 Ligier JS P217 - Gibson

14th (4th in LMP3), Patterson/Boyd/England (ZAF/GBR/GBR), #3 Ligier JS P3 - Nissan

19th (9th in LMP3), Falb/Rayhall (USA/USA), #2 Ligier JS P3 - Nissan

United Autosports is an American team founded in 2009 by Zak Brown (new Executive Director of McLaren Technology Group) and Richard Dean. Over the last eight years, the team has competed in many championships, such as the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC), the Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT, the Henderson Insurance LMP3 Cup and the European Le Mans Series. Its driver line-ups have featured prestigious names such as Le Mans winners Mark Blundell (1992), Martin Brundle (1990), Johnny Herbert (1991), Stefan Johansson (2005), Eddie Cheever and Arie Luyendyk (Indianapolis 500 winner). In addition to its contemporary racing activities, United Autosports restores and maintains historic vehicles such as a 1977 McLaren F1 (James Hunt) and a 1986 Lotus Renault F1 (Ayrton Senna).

United Autosports made its competition début in the 2010 FIA GT3 European Championship with an Audi R8 LMS for Michael Guasch, Mark Patterson, Matthew Bell and Zak Brown. The same year, the team contested the final round of the ILMC season – the 1000 km of Zhuhai – with Henri Richard and Alain Li sharing the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS. The pair finished third in GTC. Earlier that year, the team contested the Macau Grand Prix and entered two cars in the 24 Hours of Spa. The two Audi R8 LMSs placed third (Mark Patterson, Stefan Johansson, Alain Li and Emil Assentato) and fourth (Eddie Cheever, Zak Brown, Richard Dean and Mark Blundell) in the GT3 class.

In 2011, United Autosports joined forces with Michael Shank Racing to contest the Daytona 24 Hours, with the two entities finishing fourth in the Daytona Prototype class with Blundell, Brundle, Patterson and Brown at the wheel. The programme for the season followed two lines: the British GT Championship with two cars and four drivers (Guasch/Bell and Bintcliffe/Palmer) and the FIA GT3 European Championship with the same cars but different driver pairings (Bell/Brown and Osborne/Patterson). United Autosports wrapped up the year by making its LMP2 race début when the American outfit fielded an Oak Pescarolo 01 at Petit Le Mans with Brown, Johansson and Patterson taking the wheel. The race went smoothly and the three drivers finished second in their class. 

The following season was an important one for United Autosports who became the first customer of the McLaren MP4-12C GT3. Two of them were entered in the Blancpain Endurance Series for Brabham/Parente/Bell and Blundell/Patterson/Brown. The team also decided to replace the Audi R8 LMS with a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 for the final rounds of the 2012 British GT Championship season. It proved to be a smart move as Matt Bell and Charles Bateman won at Snetterton and Silverstone, and Zak Brown and Alvaro Parente clinched victory at Donington.

In 2013, the outfit contested the British GT Championship once again with its McLaren MP4-12C GT3s and an Audi R8 LMS ultra. The season’s haul was one win and four podium spots. The following year, United Autosports fielded two Toyota Avensises in the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) – a new competition for the outfit. It also contested the GT Cup and the European Supercar Challenge as well as defending its Ginetta GT4 Supercup title.

In 2016, United Autosports became the official British representative of the French manufacturer, Onroak Automotive, and entered two Ligier JS P3s in the European Le Mans Series. The switch was a successful one as the #2 car (Alex Brundle, Christian England and Michael Guash) claimed three wins at Silverstone, Imola and Red Bull Ring (109.5 points), while the #3 sister car scored 59 points (two second places) for Mark Patterson, Matthew Bell and Wayne Boyd. Enough for the team to clinch the ELMS LMP3 title and, with it, an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2016 also saw United Autosports participate in the Road To Le Mans with two Ligier JS P3s. The car driven by Alex Brundle and Christian England claimed pole position and clocked the best lap time in the race, but had to settle for the runner-up spot. The team ended the season by taking part in the inaugural round of the new British LMP3 championship, the Prototype Cup, at Snetterton.

This year, United Autosports has entered three championships. Firstly, the Henderson Insurance LMP3 Cup with two Ligier JS P3s (Tony Wells/Matt Bell and Christian England/Andrew Evans). The team is also involved in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with two Ligier JS P3s (#22 for James McGuire and Matt Bell, #23 for Richard Meins and Shaun Lynn). These two cars, plus a third one driven by John Falb and Sean Rayhall (#2), will contest Road To Le Mans in June.

Finally, the team is fielding an LMP2-class Ligier JS P217 – Gibson (#22) in ELMS for William Owen, Hugo de Sadeleer and Felipe Albuquerque plus two Ligier JS P3s (#2 Falb/Rayhall and #3 Patterson/Boyd/England). At the opening round at Silverstone, Albuquerque snatched victory in the final lap, while the #2 car took the LMP3 class. A month later at Monza (Italy), however, the Ligier JS P217 suffered against the Orecas and Dallara and could do no better than sixth. After starting the race in pole position, the two Ligier JS P3s placed fourth and ninth in the LMP3 class.

A busy weekend is in store at Le Mans as the Ligier JS P217 will be lining up for the 24 Hours (with the ELMS trio sharing the wheel) as well as the Road To Le Mans contingent. This will be United Autosports’ début appearance at the legendary 24-hour race. However, the two rookies – Owen and de Sadeleer – will be able to bank on the experience of Albuquerque, a former Audi LMP1 driver who already has three appearances under his belt.

Photo: Pascal Saivet, Vision Sport Agency