Ex-F1 driver Pastor Maldonado secures WEC LMP2 seat for 2018/19
Ex-Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado will race in the 2018/19 World Endurance Championship for the DragonSpeed team
The Venezuelan, winner of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams, will drive DragonSpeed's LMP2 ORECA-Gibson 07 alongside sometime Champ Car driver Roberto Gonzalez.
Maldonado, 33, is moving into sportscar racing for the first time after two years on the sidelines following his final F1 stint with Lotus.
Team boss Elton Julian told Autosport: "I've been after Pastor for some time and have now been able to offer him the right package.
"It's all about putting together a line-up that can win the championship - that's why I went after him."
Julian said that he hoped to announce the third driver for the superseason, which includes two editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours, imminently.
He had been working on a deal with another ex-F1 driver in Esteban Gutierrez until it fell over when the former Sauber and Haas racer decided to focus on a simulator role with Mercedes.
DragonSpeed's LMP1 Gibson-powered BR Engineering BR1 will be raced in the WEC by Renger van der Zande, Ben Hanley and Henrik Hedman.
Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time F1 world champion, Emerson, will contest the two WEC rounds for which IMSA SportsCar Championship regular van der Zande is unavailable.
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About this article
| Series | WEC |
| Drivers | Pastor Maldonado |
| Author | Gary Watkins |
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