Bernhard and Giovinazzi enter Petit Le Mans with ESM

Date clashes give rise to some incredible associations. The weekend of October 12 and 13, the French Olivier Pla and Nicolas lapierre should have participated in the final of theImsa to Small Le Mans (Georgia). However, they will be selected for the World Endurance Championship in Fuji (Japan) after the WEC changed its schedule due to the arrival of Fernando Alonso with Toyota.

The two places remaining vacant at Tequila Patron ESM in DPi will be filled by Timo Bernhard and Antonio Giovinazzi. The first named, despite his exemplary record in Endurance (victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, Nürburgring) never managed to win Petit Le Mans apart from two class successes (LM P2 in 2006 and GT in 2003 and 2004).

We're excited to welcome @Timo_Bernhard and @Anto_Giovinazzi to our team for Petit Le Mans! Story: https://t.co/2pAUo9Kiv2 pic.twitter.com/nlhIlExdJD

— Tequila Patrón ESM (@PatronESM) August 27, 2018

“This will be my 10th appearance at Petit Le Mans and I would like to help ESM achieve a top result, explains Timo Bernhard, who will make common cause with Johannes van Overbeek and Pipo Derani. I know Scott Sharp (the team boss) since the years of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) against whom I fought several times for victory (at the time Timo Bernhard was on a Porsche RS Spyder LM P2, Scott Sharp on an Acura LM P1). »

Antonio Giovinazzi also experienced ESM, but from the inside during the 6 Hours of Fuji (Japan) and Shanghai (China) in 2016 as part of the WEC. The reserve pilot Ferrari en Formula 1 will join Scott Sharp and Ryan Dalziel on the second Nissan Onroak DPi.

“It will be a big challenge for me, estimates the 24-year-old Italian. It's quite simply one of the most prestigious endurance races on the planet and I can't wait to take it on. »