Le Mans 24-hour success for Wakefield-based United Autosports

Wakefield-based United Autosports claimed its maiden Le Mans 24-Hour race victory on Sunday with a dominant performance which also earned the West Yorkshire team the 2019-20 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 class title with one race remaining.
United Autosports competing at Le MansUnited Autosports competing at Le Mans
United Autosports competing at Le Mans

The win saw United become the first British full privateer team to win a World Endurance Championship title.

British drivers Phil Hanson and Paul Di Resta, along with Portugese racer Filipe Albuquerque, won the annual twice-around-the-clock endurance sportscar race for United by almost 33 seconds.

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Their United Autosports Oreca started from pole-position on Saturday afternoon, putting them well in contention for victory in the world’s oldest active sports endurance car race.

Zak Brown (left) with the winning United Autosports team.Zak Brown (left) with the winning United Autosports team.
Zak Brown (left) with the winning United Autosports team.

The victorious United car ultimately clocked 3,134-miles, at an average speed of 130mph to earn the British team a comfortable LMP2 victory and fifth place overall. Cars are divided into four classes – LMP1, LMP2, GT Endurance Pro and GT Endurance AM, for the race – with United competing in the event for the fourth time. United Autosports formed 10 years ago and is co-owned by Leeds-born Richard Dean and McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown.

United’s prestigious world LMP2 title triumph comes in its first full World Endurance Championship season, having earned five podium finishes in the previous six races, including wins in Bahrain, North America and Belgium. The team has strong Yorkshire roots, with Wakefield-born technical director, Dave Greenwood and Sheffield-born race team operations manager, Max Gregory, who lives in Wakefield.

“To win the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, on only our fourth appearance, and clinch the FIA LMP2 World Endurance Championship title for drivers and teams on our very first attempt with one race still to run, is just amazing,” said Brown.

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“Richard [Dean] has built such a great team over the past 10 years since United started racing.

“Full credit to Phil, Filipe and Paul plus the entire team for earning United an awesome result.”

Co-owner Richard Dean added: “I’m still a bit speechless really. It’s all feeling very surreal at the moment. Huge congratulations to every single member of the team, they have done a fantastic job.

“The three drivers worked so hard and were pushing for the full 24 hours.”

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United’s sister car, driven by Alex Brundle, Will Owen and Job van Uitert, finished 13th after dropping out of contention on Sunday morning due to a fractured oil line

The final round of the eight-race series takes place in Bahrain on 14 November.

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James Mitchinson

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