Jarvis joins Kolles Audi for Le Mans

The factory Audi driver had his first LMP outing with the same squad in the Asian Le Mans Series races at Okayama last autumn, where he took third and fifth places. He is testing with Kolles at Paul Ricard this week, and will line up with Christian Bakkerud and Christophe Bouchut in the team's #15 R10.

"It will be a huge honour to compete at Le Mans driving an Audi," said Jarvis.

"I raced the Audi R10 TDI for the first and only time in two Asian Le Mans Series races at Okayama last year, finishing third and fifth in the three-hour races, but racing at Le Mans will be a massive challenge for me. It will be a completely new experience because the races in Japan were staged on a short, twisting track which is completely different to the ultra-fast, flowing Le Mans circuit."

He admitted his expectations for the race were moderate, as he believes the Kolles package is unlikely to be a frontrunner.

"My aim for Le Mans will be to finish the race," said Jarvis. "The factory Audi and Peugeot cars have taken a real step forward so it will impossible to fight with them while the petrol engined cars of Aston Martin, ORECA, Acura [Honda] and Rebellion will all be very quick so to make the top 10 will be a very tough challenge although the Kolles Audi cars achieved seventh and ninth positions last year."

Jarvis added that he is interested in a long-term future as part of Audi's hugely successful sportscar programme, and hopes the Kolles Le Mans seat is a step in that direction.

"I'm fully focused on the DTM but in the future the sportscar category, and in particular Le Mans, is what I would like to be involved in so this opportunity, although coming very late in terms of this year's event, will be a valuable experience for the future," he said.

"A number of Audi drivers have done both [DTM and sportscars] including of course Le Mans record race winner, Tom Kristensen, in recent years. I love racing so the more races I can take part in the better.

"Coming through the junior single-seater categories, I didn't follow Le Mans closely but after joining Audi, I soon realised its importance. I went to last year's race as a spectator and that in itself was a great experience but to be racing there this year will be an absolute thrill."