After several months of considerations, Yvan Muller has finally confirmed that he will have at least one car in the 2017 ELMS with two French drivers also confirmed as part of the effort:
Antoine Jung
Raced for YMR last season becoming the French Supertourisme Champion with the team in 2016. It will be his first season in the ELMS
“After I won the French Supertourism championship last season, joining the LMP3 category felt like a big step. Yet, I feel no pressure nor stress. I am going to give it all in order to learn as fast as possible. I also know that Yvan and the whole team are by my side. My recent tests in the Ligier JSP3 were encouraging. I am really impatient to see how this is going to work out during races”.
Yvan Muller:
”It is Antoine’s fourth season with our team. Each year, he ended up amongst the top three positions of the championships we were racing in. Heading to LMP3 is a logical move and an important step. We believe he is totally capable.”
Alexandre Cougnaud
It is Alex’s second season with YMR. He won the Road To Le Mans and the Estoril 6 Hours last season.
“We were fast in 2016 but we lacked luck. I totally trust Yvan for offering us the means we need to succeed in 2017. Although I don’t know [all] my team mates, I am confident that we will have an homogeneous driver line-up and that we will be able to aim for the top three championship positions and even the [LMP3] title.”
Yvan Muller:
“I am delighted to have Alex by our side for a second season. We are going to be able to capitalise on our 2016 common experience and to aim for top positions in the ELMS next season. Having him with us for a second season shows his trust and his satisfaction for what was accomplished last year. All this is positive. It is a tribute to the team’s performance.”
The third LMP3 driver might not be Yann Ehrlacher (the nephew of Yvan Muller, son of his racing sister Cathy) as the Frenchman indicated seeking a possible drive in LMP2 / the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Also, it remains unclear whether YMR intends to enter one or two cars in the ELMS (2 cars were testing in Barcelona last December) or whether he intends to race in another series, perhaps the Michelin Le Mans Cup, an option growing in popularity with a number of potential entrants.
