Former Toyota LMP1 driver Lapierre joins TDS Racing for ELMS finale
Former Toyota LMP1 driver Nicolas Lapierre will replace Tristan Gommendy in the TDS Racing line-up for the European Le Mans Series finale at Estoril later this month
Lapierre, who took LMP2 honours at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours with the KCMG squad, will share the French team's LMP2 ORECA-Nissan 05 with Pierre Thiriet and Ludovic Badey in Portugal on October 11.
Team boss Xavier Combet explained that the swap ahead of a race TDS starts 10 points off the championship lead was the result of a "combination of factors".
"Tristan has good contacts for next year and will be racing in the Asian Le Mans Series at Fuji [the weekend prior to Estoril] with Eurasia Motorsport," he said.
"The first step for him is in Asia and that could lead to the World Endurance Championship next year, which is something we are not able to offer him."
But Combet hinted that TDS wanted to maximise its chances of beating the Jota Sport and Greaves Motorsport squads, which are respectively 10 and nine points ahead in the standings, to the title.
"It is the team's job to do the best job with the chassis, but also the drivers," he continued.
"Nico has good experience of the ORECA 05 and the championship is very tight.
"We have a good chance with Nico to win the race and get the point for pole position."
Combet admitted that the destination of the championship was "not in the hands" of his team.
"It is a lottery for us, because even if we win we don't necessarily win," he explained.
Jota Sport trio Harry Tincknell, Filipe Albuquerque and Simon Dolan lead the championship on 76 points, while Greaves drivers Jon Lancaster, Bjorn Wirdheim and Gary Hirsch are on 75.
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