An Ascot resident is to take part in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hour race next week, hoping to win the event for the second time.
22-year-old Phil Hanson from Sunningdale has had an impressive two years, becoming the first driver to win the FIA World Endurance Championship (LMP2), European Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hours (LMP2) in the same year during 2020.
Hanson is the youngest driver ever to win a WEC title and the youngest British driver to win LMP2 at Le Mans.
He was the youngest Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 champion (2016-17), the youngest European Le Mans Series outright race winner (2018) and youngest outright Asian Le Mans Series championship winner (2018-19).
First raced back in 1923, the Le Mans 24 Hours is an endurance-based race in which teams of drivers must cover the most distance around the Circuit de la Sarthe in a whole day.
Not only does it test the demands of the car and speed, the ability to run for a day solid must also be taken into consideration.
LMP2, standing for Le Mans Prototype, are only for teams independent of manufacturers and/or engine suppliers.
Mr Hanson is racing for United Autosports, a multi-championship winning team from Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Hanson was racing with the team for his 2020 win, their only win in the historic event.
Driving an Oreca-07 Gibson, the Berkshire star has raced in the vehicle for the last two events. This year he will be sharing the car with long-term racing partner Filipe Albuquerque of Portugal and Will Owen of United States of America.
Having competed in the event on five previous occasions, he commented: “It’s an incredible race – the world’s biggest and most prestigious sportscar race. I’m excited to be racing there again and with United Autosports for the first time there and hope to come away with a top result.”
Le Mans is just one of six races in the FIA World Endurance Championships, which hosts long-distance events in countries such as Italy, Japan, and Belgium.
The current champions are Toyota Gazoo Racing of Japan, with drivers Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez.
Winners for the LMP2 Drivers, Mr Hanson’s classification, are currently Robin Frijns, Ferdinand von Habsburg and Charles Milesi of Team WRT in Belgium.
The 2022 Le Mans 24 Hour is to take place next week, June 11-12, the halfway mark of the FIA Endurance Championship season.
United Autosports set the fastest time in official testing on Sunday, June 6.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here