Sir Chris Hoy has stated his intentions for this weekend’s 4 Hours of Silverstone, the opening round of the European Le Mans Series.
The six time Olympic cycling champion will drive the #3 Team LNT Ginetta-Nissan in the new-for-2015 LMP3 category. He will share the car with Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion and fellow Scot Charlie Robertson.
“I can’t wait to get out on the track and compete against such amazing drivers and cars,” said Hoy. “Compared to the GT3 Nissan I raced last year [in British GT] the LMP3 has more grip and downforce; it is also lighter and has less driver aids. Both are equally fun to drive but both very different.”
Having made his GT3 debut last year, Hoy is now two years into a three year programme that will hopefully result in a drive at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. Hoy will use this season to build his prototype racing experience ahead of a potential move to LMP2 next year.
“My goal this year is to make significant progress with my driving,” he said. “I’m looking to take big steps forward towards my goal of competing at Le Mans in 2016. I want to improve my consistency and pace and be competitive at the sharp end of the grid.”
Five LMP3 cars will line up on the grid for the 4 Hours of Silverstone. A second Team LNT entry will be shared by Mike Simpson and Gaetan Paletou, while SVK by Speed Factory, Lanan Racing and the University of Bolton complete the field.
Hoy begins his European Le Mans Series campaign this Saturday (April 11). The race is scheduled to begin at 14:30 GMT.
