Job van Uitert will also compete for Panis Racing in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans next season, as announced in a press release on Friday afternoon. Last season the Dutchman finished second in the championship with the French team with four podiums in six races and in 2023 they hope to take it a step further.
Van Uitert, who is entering his fifth season in the ELMS, is joined at Panis Racing by two new teammates, namely 23-year-old Manuel Maldonado and compatriot Thijmen van der Helm. Together they will look for new victory, which Van Uitert has already succeeded five times. He also took a total of thirteen podium finishes in the endurance championship and won the LMP3 class in his debut season.
‘It gives me great pleasure to announce that I can also drive for Olivier Panis’ team in the upcoming ELMS season’, says Van Uitert. “I feel very comfortable with this team. The atmosphere is great and the results are corresponding. We came second last year and that is of course very strong given the competitiveness of the ELMS, but for this year we want to do even better. Becoming champion is of course the goal.’
GP winner Panis praises ‘reliable’ Van Uitert
Team manager and single Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis is happy that Van Uitert will remain active with his team. “He is a reliable driver, someone who is incredibly fast and maintains a good relationship with the team members,” the Frenchman is full of praise for the 24-year-old driver. Job will lead the team to provide a strong point of reference for his two new teammates.
Panis’ ambition is therefore clear. ‘This year we want to win!. In recent seasons we have shown a stable progression, to the point where we captured the 2022 vice-championship. Our team, which is led by Simon and Sarah Abadie on a daily basis, consists of a group of intelligent engineers, who, under the leadership of Florent Gouin, know exactly how the Oreca 07 works best.’
The new season in the European Le Mans Series starts on Sunday 18 April with the 4 Hours of Barcelona, which takes place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The ELMS season consists of six races, while the 24 Hours of Le Mans is officially a World Endurance Championship race. This is the seventh and therefore extra race for Panis Racing and Van Uitert.
