- Gounon added to Risi Le Mans line-up
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Stephen Kilbey | 5 hours ago
Mazda Team Joest DPi driver Oliver Jarvis
(pictured) and Bentley factory man Jules Gounon will complete the roster for Risi Competizione at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. The veterans will join previously announcing Action Express IMSA driver Pipo Derani on the team for this June’s endurance classic.
“Pipo is a fast young driver and has driven the 488 before at Le Mans,” said team principal Guiseppe Risi. “Oliver has driven at Le Mans many times over the past decade and Jules comes from a French racing family and has raced in plenty of endurance races, including an overall win at Spa 24 Hours in 2017.
“We expect good results from our trio. I’m looking forward to the race and wish to thank Jean (Guikas, president of Guikas GTC) for his support in our combined effort.”
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35-year-old Jarvis, who has never raced a GTE car, will be making his seventh start in the event and will look to take a second class win after winning the LMP2 class with Jackie Chan DC Racing in 2017.
“I am delighted to be returning to Le Mans with Risi Competizione, after winning the LMP2 class in 2017 and leading the race outright,” said Jarvis . “Having raced at Le Mans in LMP1 and LMP2 it will be a new challenge for me in GTE Pro, but I am confident with such a strong team behind me that I will be able to get up to speed quickly. I can’t wait to start working with my new team and teammates and return to a race I absolutely love!”
Gounon, son of former F1 driver Jean-Marc Gounon, says racing at Le Mans “is a dream come true.” While the Frenchman also has no races under his belt in a GTE car, he has had plenty of success racing in GT3 machinery, winning the German ADAC GT Masters title in 2017 driving a Callaway Competition Corvette C7 GT3.
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