WEC: Senna to WEC with Ligier LMP2 effort

Bruno Senna, Filip Albuquerque and Ricardo Gonzalez team up for the 2016 World Endurance Championship in LMP2

04 Feb 2016

Former F1 driver Bruno Senna will return to Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2016 after being named as part of a new Mexican-backed LMP2 effort.

Nephew of the great Ayrton Senna, Bruno has taken in a series of different racing disciplines since exiting F1 in 2012, including Formula E, GT racing and endurance competition, the latter mostly with the Aston Martin factory team.

For 2016, however, Senna will race in LMP2 at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship with the rebranded Morand team, which has been purchased by former champion Ricardo Gonzalez.

Set to race under the Mexican flag under the RGR Sport by Morand banner, the team will enter a Ligier JS P2 with Senna and Gonzalez being joined by former Audi LMP1 driver Filip Albuquerque.

"I'm very excited to come back to the WEC in the super-competitive LMP2 class," said Senna. "It's a fantastic opportunity to race alongside Ricardo Gonzales and Filipe Albuquerque and I'm sure we'll challenge for wins with the Ligier-Nissan prepared by Morand and the first race can't come soon enough!"

"I'm very excited to finally be able to announce this project, which has been in the works for quite a while," added owner/driver Gonzalez. "After the WEC announced that we would have the 6 Hours of Mexico in 2016, starting our own Mexican team was the obvious next choice.

"I want to thank Benoit Morand and Onroak Automotive for making this opportunity possible, I really do believe that we've put together a dream team. With the experience that Bruno and Filipe have, and proven speed of the Ligier JS P2, I have no doubt in my mind that we'll be able to fight for the championship and victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"I'm extremely proud to be carrying the Mexico colors and flag on my car, we will do everything in our power to make sure Mexico is at the top of the podium and that we make our people proud!"

Gonzalez is a previous LMP2 title winner in 2013 with OAK Racing, while Senna has won races in WEC at GTE level and Filip Albuquerque has enjoyed success in European Le Mans LMP2 with JOTA Sport.