Por Jaime Mendoza Waldo | May 2019 The JOTA endurance racing squad today announces a brand-new look for one of its LMP2 OrecaGibson cars that it will race in the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship. The British team has been a mainstay of the WEC for several successful seasons where it has taken eleven LMP2 victories since it entered the world’s biggest endurance competition in 2016. For the new WEC season, which will begin at Silverstone on September 1, an all-new roster of drivers will join the team. Pastor Maldonado, Roberto Gonzalez and Anthony Davidson are set to continue their successful LMP2 class winning partnership. This has seen them become a potent force in the current WEC Super Season which draws to a close at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month. The trio recently scored a maiden LMP2 win at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps to move in to contention for the title alongside the current Jackie Chan DC Racing x JOTA No.38 car crew of Ho-Pin Tung, Gabriel Aubry and Stephane Richelmi. The new trio of drivers to join the team come with significant experience in professional motorsport that spans many racing disciplines. Maldonado enjoyed a successful 14-year career in single-seater competition which saw him take titles in Formula Renault in 2003 and the GP2 series in 2010. Between 2011 and 2015 Maldonado took part in 95 F1 Grand Prix races with the Williams and Lotus F1 teams. The Venezuelan’s F1 career saw him take Williams’ most recent victory at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. Maldonado was an official F1 tyre test driver between 2015-2017 before he made his FIA WEC debut for the DragonSpeed LMP2 team at the 6 Hours of Spa in May 2018. Roberto Gonzalez has been competing in the WEC full-time for the last two seasons and has become one of the most respected silver categorized drivers with previous teams Manor and his current team DragonSpeed. Anthony Davidson has been one of the UK’s top international racing drivers for almost 20 years having competed in Formula Three before he began a Formula One career which spanned 2002 to 2006/7. Davidson took ten LMP1 WEC race wins with Toyota between 2012 and 2017 and was crowned World Endurance Driver champion in 2014. The trio of Maldonado, Gonzalez and Davidson will get their first acquaintance with the JOTA squad at the official FIA WEC Prologue test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on 23/24 July. Quotes: Sam Hignett – Founder and Co-Owner JOTA Sport “We are delighted to welcome Roberto, Pastor and Anthony to JOTA for our next campaign which looks set to be the most exciting for us yet in the WEC. “Recent races have shown all three to have already moulded a potent and race winning combination, so we believe that this can be harnessed to really mount a strong force for the new WEC season.” Roberto Gonzalez »I’m feeling very excited and grateful as this will be my fourth season in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and what better way than to race with a winning team like JOTA. They are a top team with proven results it. We have the expertise and professionalism required to keep up with JOTA’s level. “I would like to thank Sam [Hignett] and [fellow JOTA Co-Owner] David Clark for trusting me and my teammates. As drivers we have shown integration, respect and support for each other and we have earned our spot as one of the most competitive lineups in our category. “We know that together, we will be a major force. I will put all my effort into this new challenge so we can make the most out of this opportunity and get great results and also represent Mexico and Latin America in the best way possible.’ ‘ Pastor Maldonado “It feels super nice to have our programme already fixed in for the 2019/20 WEC season. “I think this will be a great combination between us all after our season together at DragonSpeed which is coming to a close next month at Le Mans. “The JOTA squad are well-known up and down the paddock for being a very professional and successful team so I cannot wait to go racing with them.” Anthony Davidson “I am really looking forward to be heading into a full FIA World Endurance Championship season with JOTA – together with Roberto and Pastor as my teammates. We have enjoyed success together as car crew and hopefully this new partnership will see us fighting for more race wins and the Championship in LMP2.” For any requests regarding today’s announcement please contact Sam Smith on sniffermedia@gmail.com or Marks Granados on marks@drivensportsm.com. For more information on JOTA please go to www.jotasport.com |
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2019-2020 FIA World Endurance
Championship Calendar
23-24 July 2019
Prologe
(Spain) 01 September 2019 4 Hours of Silverstone (Great Britain) 06 October 2019 6 Hours of Fuji (Japan) 10 November 2019 4 Hours of Shanghai (China) 14 December 2019 8 Hours of Bahrain (Bahrain) 01 February 2020 6 Hours of São Paulo (Brazil) 06 March 2020 1000 Miles of Sebring (8 hours) (USA) * 03 May 2020 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 13-14 June 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) *To be confirmed |
JOTA to run Roberto González, Pastor Maldonado and Anthony Davidson in 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship
