Lewis Beales takes his regular look at the world of motorsport, this week looking at Norfolk's very own Alex Brundle and his return to a former team
Alex Brundle will be returning to his former championship winning team, United Autosports, with confirmation that he will partner Ryan Cullen in the 2019 European Le Mans Series contesting the LMP2 category.
'Really delighted to announce I am re-joining United Autosports for the ELMS and Le Mans 24 Hour programme,' said the King's Lynn racer.
However, participation in the French classic twice around the clock race will depend upon an entry conformation which will be announced on March 1.
Brundle will be teaming up again with the Yorkshire squad for whom he clinched the ELMS LMP3 title, along with team-mates Mike Gauash and Christian England in 2016.
The trio wrapped up the six-race series with an event remaining, with three victories and two further podium places underlining the strength of the driving squad in 2016.
Brundle also joined the United Autosport squad for their Sebring 12 Hour debut last year, standing in for the unwell Bruno Senna, and with Phil Hanson and former Grand Prix racer Paul Di Resta, finished in a respectable fifth place in the hash American event, which partly takes place on the local airfield.
'I'm very excited and motivated to be racing with United Autosports in LMP2 for 2019, re-joining the team who took me to the championship title in LMP3,' added Brundle.
'I can't wait to get behind the wheel of a Ligier once more, representing a world-class outfit and my long-standing sponsors and friends at Richard Mille.'
The local racer's team-mate will be Ryan Cullen, who raced in the ELMS series last year and has previous experience of competing in the Porsche Supercup and the GP3 championship.
'I'm looking forward to having Alex as a team-mate,' said Cullen. 'Le Mans also excites me, pending an entry of course, as this year will be my first time racing at Le Mans.'
'Alex is no stranger to the team and it is good to welcome him back for the 2019 season. He is a previous champion of ours so hopefully he can replicate his season in 2016 once again,' added team owner and managing director Richard Dean.
'Ryan has impressed us in the four days of testing he has done with us so far so I am hopeful of good things from him throughout the season. I think him and Alex will make a good line-up with their third, as yet undecided, team-mate.'
Brundle will be keen to claim one of the highly-prized Le Mans 24-Hour LMP2 entries as the local racer finished on the podium the last time he raced in the category in the French classic in 2017.
He was part of the two-car Jackie Chan DC Racing squad which not only secured the first two places in the LMP2 category, with Brundle's #37 car beaten into second place, but also made the overall podium after the third-placed car was excluded post-race, after bodywork modifications were deemed to have broken the technical regulations.
'The stuff dreams are made of,' reflected Brundle on his visit to the Le Mans 24 Hour podium two years go and one the King's Lynn racer is more than keen to repeat with the United Autosports team and their Ligier JS P217 sports prototype race car.
Brundle's season will begin with the pre-season test, whcih will be held at the Paul Ricard Circuit in southern France, in early April with the opening race, at the same venue, taking place a few days later.
The series then moves to the historic Italian Monza Circuit in mid May and then on to Barcelona in late July with the British round at Silverstone at the end of August.
Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium is a month later while the season finale will be held in late October at the Portuguese circuit of Portimao with, if their entry is accepted, Le Mans taking place in mid-June.
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