24 Hours of Le Mans next on the agenda for United Autosports driver Oliver Jarvis

Oliver Jarvis will contest the Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend as the legendary French sportscar race celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

The 39-year-old, who is based in Burwell, will race an Oreca for Wakefield-based United Autosports in the LMP2 class of the twice-around-the clock encounter, sharing the 200mph sportscar with fellow Briton Tom Blomqvist and Josh Pierson, from North America.

Jarvis, who finished sixth in the world-famous endurance race last year with United, lies fourth in this year’s FIA World Endurance LMP2 Driver’s Championship after three races. He retired when comfortably leading at Sebring (USA), won at Portimão (POR) then claimed second place at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) last month. Le Mans is the fourth race in the seven-event WEC which concludes in November.

Having competed at Le Mans on 11 previous occasions, winning the LMP2 category in 2017 and finishing second overall, Jarvis said: “It would be awesome to win Le Mans again – especially as it’s the 100th anniversary this year.

“This is by far my biggest race of the year and offers double WEC points so it’s also very important in terms of me winning my first WEC LMP2 championship title.”

Free practice got under way on Sunday, allowing teams to fine-tune their cars for the 8.47-mile track with further practice resuming today (Wednesday). Qualifying, to set grid positions for the capacity 62-car field, concludes the following day with the race scheduled to start at 3pm (UK time) on Saturday (June 10).