Drivers News

Ex-Formula 1 racer Daniil Kvyat will move into sportscar racing for the first time this year with an attack on the FIA World Endurance Championship with G-Drive Racing.

The former Red Bull and Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri F1 driver was announced on Monday as part of G-Drive's single-car WEC LMP2 assault alongside Rene Binder and James Allen at the same time as the Russian entrant revealed a second Oreca LMP2 has been entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Should the entry be accepted, it would be driven by G-Drive team principal Roman Rusinov and Sophia Floersch, who has switched from the Signatech-run Richard Mille Racing WEC team.

Rusinov and Floersch will also contest the 2021 European Le Mans Series in this car, with the third driver yet to be confirmed for the programme.

Kvyat, 27, is moving into sportscars following a season as Alpine's F1 reserve after losing his AlphaTauri race seat to Yuki Tsunoda.

"There are few categories and championships that are more competitive than racing in prototypes and in the WEC," said the Russian driver.

"I am looking forward to making my debut with G-Drive Racing, a team that is at the very top of endurance racing and to race for victory in the WEC and, of course, at Le Mans.”

Rusinov described fellow countryman Kvyat as "one of the biggest Russian sports personalities" and his signing by G-Drive "as incredibly significant".

"I've been following Daniil's career since he was in GP3 and have always kept in touch," Rusinov told Motorsport.com. "I consider him to be extremely talented and like his style.

"I wanted to give him the opportunity to win Le Mans, but I am sure his F1 career is far from over."

Rusinov explained that he had been trying to get Kvyat into the team for some time, revealing that he had been close to bringing Kvyat into the G-Drive fold for the team's 2018 ELMS assault prior to his signing for Ferrari as an F1 reserve and development driver.

He added that he is confident the WEC line-up will challenge for class victories as it attempts to repeat its 2015 WEC LMP2 title triumph on its full-time return to the series for the first time since 2017.

“Daniil joins James and Rene, forming a very strong partnership that has the speed and the experience you need to fight at the front, and to win,” Rusinov said.

Rusinov also stressed the importance of having two cars fighting for the overall LMP2 win at Le Mans as G-Drive bids for its first class victory in what will be its 10th assault on the French enduro.

“We’ve had great speed at Le Mans, but fortune has not been on our side these last few years," he explained.

"But I am very confident that, if our second overall contender in LMP2 is accepted, we will have two exceptionally strong teams and have an opportunity to race for the class win again — we are definitely prepared.”

Kvyat got his first taste of an Oreca P2 car when he tested for G-Drive at Estoril late last year.

G-Drive is maintaining its technical partnership with the Portuguese-based Algarve Pro Racing squad into the 2022 season.

The WEC entry and the Oreca to be driven by Rusinov and Floersch in the ELMS will be fielded under the G-Drive Racing flag.

A second ELMS entry in the P2 pro/am class, to be driven by Allen, Alex Peroni and John Falb, will carry the G-Drive Racing by APR team name.