United Autosports picks Ligier for European Le Mans Series LMP3
The Anglo-American United Autosports team has switched from Ginetta to Ligier chassis for its graduation to LMP3 in the 2016 European Le Mans Series
United, which has assisted the running of the factory Team LNT Ginetta-Nissan LMP3s in this year's ELMS, has decided to buy Ligiers rather than the British chassis to smooth its eventual graduation to the LMP2 ranks and the fulfilment of its ambition to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Team owner Zak Brown said: "The decision to switch to the Ligier JSP3 car was the best one for the team's future plans.
"Our ultimate aim is to be at Le Mans, and with Ligier recently announced as one of the constructors to build LMP2 chassis from 2017, it made total sense to make the switch."
United boss Richard Dean added that it had been a difficult decision given his relationship and friendship with Lawrence Tomlinson, for whom he ran Ginetta Cars from 2005-09.
"Putting the team's best interests first was the only way to go and Lawrence could not have been more accommodating," he explained.
"This is a great opportunity for the team and our drivers who want to race at Le Mans because they can work their way up from LMP3 to P2 with the same team."
United has yet to put a timeframe on its projected graduation to Le Mans.
The team has ordered two of the Nissan-powered Ligier JSP3s and will take delivery of the first shortly before that.
United's move to the ELMS marks a full-time return to international-level sportscar racing for the first time since a campaign in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2011 with the Audi R8 LMS and then a truncated programme in the same championship that began with the McLaren MP4-12C the following year.
The team will continue to assist Team LNT's 2015 P3 programme, which has already yielded the class title for Sir Chris Hoy and Charlie Robertson, at this month's Estoril series finale.
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