LE MANS: Lotus Submits LMP2 Entry For WEC

Le Mans / ALMS

LE MANS: Lotus Submits LMP2 Entry For WEC

Colin Kolles re-enters prototype racing with Lola-Lotus LMP2 program...

John Dagys | Posted January 31, 2012 Chicago, IL

Lotus is poised to enter the LMP2 ranks of the FIA World Endurance Championship this year. (Image: Lotus)

With the ACO set to announce its entry selections for the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans later this week, programs for the coming sports car season are quickly falling into place.

The latest comes from Lotus, which confirmed Tuesday that it will be represented on the FIA World Endurance Championship grid with a new effort by former F1 team principal Colin Kolles.

Kolles, who competed in the 2010 European Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans with a pair of customer Audi R10 TDIs, will lead Lotus' new LMP2 effort, with what's believed to be a pair of Lotus-badged, Judd-based Lola B12/80s.

Lotus had announced ambitions of stepping into the cost-capped category with its own self-built prototype, but those plans were reportedly shelved as it focused its resources on the Evora GTE, which debuted last year.

“This is a very exciting step for us, we made no secret of our intention to tackle LMP2 this year but it had to be done in the right way and we’re very happy with the set up with our partners," said Group Lotus Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro.

"More than anything else, we’re looking forward to our return to Le Mans in this capacity after our success with the Evora last year. The engine development is going well but there’s a lot to do over the coming weeks to ensure that the car is prepared for the intensive testing that we must undertake to ensure we’re ready to complete.”

According to Group Lotus, the cars will run in traditional Lotus black and gold livery. Further details are expected to be released following entry confirmation by the ACO on Thursday.

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at

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