Juan Pablo Montoya Le Mans Debut with United Autosports

The Colombian racing legend Juan Pablo Montoya, who recently switched from Team Penske’s IndyCar Series programme to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the same team, will compete at 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours with British team United Autosports.

It would be Montoya’s debut in the world’s greatest endurance race and his first attempt to take the Triple Crown of Motorsport, an unofficial award for the winners of Le Mans 24h, F1 Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500. He won Monaco Grand Prix in 2003 with BMW Williams and triumphed two times at Indianapolis 500, in 2000 with Chip Ganassi Racing and in 2015 with Team Penske.

Juan Pablo Montoya is a two-time winner of Indianapolis 500

Montoya has three wins in the 24-hour race, conquering Daytona 24 Hours in 2007, 2008 and 2013. It would be almost impossible to win Le Mans 24h in his first attempt because he will drive the LMP2 prototype, but who knows, the results from 2017 are showing that LMP2 crews also could reach the overall podium. Montoya will share the #32 Ligier JS P217 with Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to experience Le Mans and I’m looking forward to joining United Autosports after they had such a strong finish at Le Mans last year. I’ve always watched the race so I’m very happy to finally be part of it. Hopefully, we can have a shot at a win,” Montoya said.

Montoya won at Monaco Grand Prix in 2003

“Juan Pablo has been around racing for a long time now and he knows what it takes to win. I’m sure he will bring experience and speed to the team, which is exactly what we need for such a demanding race as Le Mans,” said Zak Brown, team owner and Chairman of United Autosports.

“I watched Juan Pablo race against us at Daytona this year and was so impressed by him through the traffic, he definitely hasn’t lost any of his speed or determination. He’s a great character so I have no doubt that he will fit into the team well at Le Mans. Although it will be his first Le Mans venture, he has a vast amount of racing experience, including wins at the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500, meaning this Le Mans venture could be a chance for him to win the triple crown of motorsport. Either way, I’m looking forward to welcoming Juan Pablo to the team,” added Richard Dean, team owner and Managing Director of United Autosports.

Photos: Getty Images,