Senna joins Di Resta for Daytona 24 07 | 12 | 2017
BATHGATE’S PAUL DI RESTA will be partnered by World Endurance Championship LMP2 champ Bruno Senna (pictured above) when he makes his sportscar debut in next month’s Daytona 24-Hours. (Related: Paul di Resta completes first LMP2 test)
Williams F1 reserve driver Di Resta (pictured below) and Senna will be joined by team regulars Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer in their United Autosport Ligier-Gibson JSP217 P2s. (Video: Paul di Resta talks of his United Autosports first drive)
The team’s second car will be driven by double Formula 1 world champ Fernando Alonso, in tandem with Formula 3 European champion Lando Norris and Phil Hanson.
"I'm very excited to join United Autosports on this challenge for Daytona, Senna, who contested the four IMSA enduros in 2017 with the Extreme Speed Motorsports Nissan Daytona Prototype international squad, said.
"It's an incredibly accomplished team and with the experience from 2017, great technical talent, as well as the incredibly strong driver line-up, we should be up for a good fight right from the start."
Senna’s inclusion in the team was welcomed by United managing director Richard Dean.
"Bruno will be great added value to the team because he has prototype and Daytona experience,” Dean said. "We've taken our time to put the right line-ups together for both cars, and I think we have a great balance of speed, skill and experience to head to Daytona ready for the challenge."
United Autosports team owner and chairman Zak Brown was also delighted to have completed the team’s Daytona line-up.
"I'm thrilled we have completed our Rolex 24 At Daytona line up and that Bruno will be joining the team,” he stated. “He's a fantastic driver and a proven race and championship winner, so will be a great asset to our team."
The Brazilian’s racing career began in karts, before he moved to racing single seaters in Formula Three. From 2007-2008 he raced in GP2, before racing in the Le Mans Series, including his first Le Mans 24 Hours entry in 2009.
Senna then embarked on a career in F1, competing from 2010-2012, before heading down the sportscar route, entering the WEC in 2013. He has also raced in the Formula E Championship, the Blancpain Endurance Series and in 2015 was named as a McLaren GT factory driver.
Senna has race experience of the previous-generation Ligier. Although he raced an ORECA-Gibson 07 for Rebellion in the WEC, he piloted a Ligier in the world championship with the OAK Racing-run RGR Sport squad in 2016.
Di Resta had his first outing in the United Autosports Ligier at latest last month at Paul Ricard. The team’s Daytona line-ups will come together for the first time at the official pre-race test, known as the 'Roar’, on January 5-7. The 24hr race is held two weeks later on January 26-27.
Related: Di Resta tests Williams F1 car
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Jim McGill