Pescarolo outing for Tappy at Monza

The 23-year-old Briton will drive alongside team boss Martin Short and Vanina Ickx in the opening Le Mans Series round of the season because regular Rollcentre driver Joao Barbosa has a clashing Grand Am commitment in the USA.

Tappy won the Formula Renault UK Championship but has yet to find a full-time drive for this season. He's been A1GP Team Great Britain's rookie driver for the last two rounds in Mexico and China and is still hoping to race in Formula Renault 3.5 this season, but believes the LMP1 opportunity with Rollcentre could lead to a future in sportscars.

"I'm still hoping to pursue single-seaters and I haven't given up on Formula Renault 3.5 yet," he told autosport.com. "But the real aim is to make a career as a driver and I know sportscars is somewhere you can do that.

"This weekend gives me a chance to show what I can do in another arena, in front of some different manufacturers. It can't do anything but help me for the future to have this experience so early in my career.

Short chose Tappy to fill the vacant seat because he wanted to give another young British driver an opportunity after single-seater convert Stuart Hall impressed during his first season in sportscars with the team last year.

"In Joao's absence I wanted to give a young British driver a chance," he said. "I'm a British Racing Drivers' Club member so my first port of call was to BRDC Superstar director Tim Harvey.

"Tim recommended Duncan and he seems to fit what I'm looking for. He's a fighter and he's done it the hard way."

Tappy has had a seat fitting in the Pescarolo but won't drive the car for the first time until practice at Monza.

"It's just like a big single-seater with a shell on it, so hopefully I can adapt to it well, like Stuart did last year. I feel quite good inside the car and I can't wait to get out and drive it now.

"The biggest difference for me will be the amount of time I'll spend in the car. The stints are longer than anything I'm used to and pit stops will be new to me as well, although I'm in good practice working with a team from A1GP.

"To get a call out of the blue to ask if I'd like to do the Monza 1000km in a Pescarolo is pretty amazing. Obviously I said yes straight away and I'm incredibly grateful to Martin and Tim for the opportunity."

Tappy will have another sportscar outing when he makes a guest appearance in the British Porsche Carrera Cup at Thruxton next month.