IMSA
Following the ACO’s announcement that LMP2 will no longer be in the WEC, United Autosports can now lift the curtain on plans for next year. From IMSA to Le Mans, there are familiar series and fresh new challenges in the 2024 blueprint which, together, promise an exhilarating season of racing around the world.
IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship
It’s the biggest sportscar championship in the States, but one that United Autosports – a team co-owned by Californian native Zak Brown - has never raced in for a full season. Next year, that will change when the Anglo-American team field two ORECA 07s in the IMSA LMP2 class.
From the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona to the Petit Le Mans finale, IMSA delivers an action-packed schedule of prestigious endurance race events spanning the length and breadth of the United States – with trackside entertainment, huge crowds and the All-American atmosphere that makes US sport so exciting.
It’s a significant challenge with new tracks, different regulations and a roaring grid of highly experienced teams. It will require an expanded base in the States, trans-Atlantic logistical plans and fiery determination in a competitive field - but it’s a step United Autosports are ready to take.
24 Hours of Le Mans
While there is a bigger focus stateside, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the pinnacle of the World Endurance Championship and a thrill United Autosports will never stop chasing.
This year, the team are laser-focused on reclaiming their 2020 LMP2 title (and with a strong start to the season, the #22 and #23 cars are definite contenders) but already the vision for 2024 is clear – two United Autosports LMP2 ORECA 07s lining up on the historic Le Mans grid with a gruelling 24-hour challenge ahead.
European Le Mans Series (ELMS)
United Autosports also plan to continue their European ventures next year. It would mark the team’s eighth consecutive season in the ELMS, with a continued focus on LMP2.
Since making their ELMS debut in 2016 - securing a spectacular 1-2 finish in the LMP3 category at the opening race of the season in Silverstone - the team have racked up an impressive list of accolades in the European series.
United are the most successful team in ELMS LMP3 history with 11 wins, 9 poles, 3 championship titles and a grand total of 871 points – more than any other team since the category began in 2015.
Making the step up to LMP2 in 2017, the Yorkshire-based team continued their campaign of domination with the most poles (7), points (650) and wins (11) of any team since they entered the category – plus the championship win in 2020.
Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS)
It’s a staple event on the endurance racing calendar - two weeks, four races and one golden ticket to Le Mans - and United Autosports intend to race in the ALMS once again in 2024.
The team have enjoyed great success in the standalone series with a clean sweep of poles, wins and fastest laps in Abu Dhabi for Paul Di Resta and Josh Pierson in 2022; a historic full podium lockout in 2021 when the LMP3 trio secured P1, P2 and P3 in the championship standings; and the LMP2 championship win for duo Phil Hanson and Di Resta in 2018-19.
Next year, the plan is to field two LMP2 ORECA 07s and two LMP3 Ligier JS P320s in pursuit of the double championship win.
There’s a long way to go in the 2023 season - races to be won, trophies to be claimed, champagne to be sprayed. There’s a lot of hard work ahead. But in the background, the wheels are in motion and excitement is stirring for a landmark 2024 season.
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John Doonan, IMSA President: “Since confirming that LMP2 will remain eligible in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship through the end of 2025, we have been delighted by the interest we’ve received from world class race teams in joining our series on a full-time basis. United Autosports clearly fits into that category. LMP2 has come a long way in the WeatherTech Championship over the past couple of seasons and we believe the best is yet to come in 2024 and beyond.”
Zak Brown, United Autosports Chairman: “Our first full season in IMSA – this is going to be great. Of course, I love racing in my home country – but more than that, it’s an evolutionary step for United Autosports. We’re an Anglo-American team with our headquarters in the UK and now, an opportunity to grow our base and brand in the US … all while continuing to compete around the world at the forefront of European and Asian endurance racing. It’s an exciting challenge and a great opportunity for the whole team.”
Richard Dean, United Autosports CEO: “We have reacted quickly to redirect our entire WEC LMP2 team to IMSA for the foreseeable future. This will see United set up a new US base this year in a preparation for a fully focused effort. While it is a shame for the LMP2 category to lose the WEC, it is as a direct result of the success of Hypercar, which for the sport as a whole can only be a good thing. This change provides an exciting new challenge for our team, we have raced in IMSA before but never for a full season and we have always had ambitions to take on and win in the IMSA series. The racing in IMSA is as pure as it gets, the drivers love it, the fans love it and we will do everything we can to rise to the challenge.”