Tristan Vautier returns to Europe with Algarve

We had lost the habit of seeing Tristan Vautier riding in Europe. A regular in the United States since 2010 where he successively played in Star Mazda Championship (2011 champion), Indy Lights (2012 champion), IndyCar then in IMSA since 2014, the Frenchman has discovered the WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans only in 2022 with ARC Bratislava. If he finally participated alongside Miroslav Konopka and Ben Viscaal in Sarthe, it was with Algave Pro Racing that the Habs were initially supposed to discover the Le Mans classic. 

“I was initially in contact with Stuart Cox for Algarve Pro Racing and was close to riding for them. He needed support after the loss of Russian funding (APR was to be the technical partner of G-Drive in 2022. Editor’s note) and he asked me if I wanted to ride for ARC Bratislava with whom they have a small partnership”, the Isérois entrusted to us on the occasion of the double clock tour in Sarthoise.

It was ultimately only a postponement, because Algarve Pro Racing and Tristan Vautier will collaborate together in 2023 in the European Le Mans Series. The Portuguese team will field the 33-year-old driver in LM P2 alongside Jack Hawksworth and Fred Pourdad. Two other regulars from the United States, who have just distinguished themselves at the 24 Hours of Daytona. In Florida, Jack Hawksworth took third place in GTD Pro with Vasser Sullivan's Lexus RC GT3 while Fred Poordad witnessed the photo-finish victory of his teammate James Allen at the wheel of the Proton Competition LM P2 .

Si Tristan Vautier n’a pas participé à la classique floridienne cette année, il n’est pas exclu de le voir en IMSA cette saison. Pensionnaire de JDC-Miller MotorSports lors des derniers exercices, le Français pourrait s’installer dans la Porsche 963 de l’écurie américaine, quand celle-ci sera livrée.

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