Vector Sport is a new name to international sportscar racing and the new Silverstone, UK-based effort is starting with lofty ambitions.
The British team has revealed plans to compete with an ORECA 07-Gibson in the LMP2 class of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, with an application for entry already lodged with the WEC.
Leading the driver line up, with special permission from Audi Sport, will be Nico Müller who has most recently been a regular topflight competitor in both the DTM and the FIA Formula E Championship and has already been confirmed as part of the Audi LMDH programme from 2023.
Additional drivers are scheduled to be announced in the coming weeks, together with long-term commercial partnerships.
Vector Sport is led by Team Principal Gary Holland who brings with him a wealth of endurance racing management experience from JOTA Sport, Risi Competizione, Krohn Racing and Ram Racing. In the last 3 years, he has also been Team Manager with Dragon/Penske Autosport in Formula E, working alongside Nico Müller amongst others.
Gary most recently led the Risi Competizione-entered LMP2 effort at the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours, DSC expects more elements of that effort to emerge as part of the Vector Sport programme.
Vector Sport Team Principal Gary Holland commented: “Thanks to the vision and innovative spirit of the ACO and the FIA, endurance racing is on the cusp of an incredibly exciting new era. LMH, LMdH and the new GT3 rules are moving the discipline into the spotlight and what we consider to be the right direction for the future, and this is why we have decided to launch our new team now. Our thanks must go to Audi Sport for allowing Nico to be with us for the 2022 season as his presence is an integral part of our plans.
“Our plans for our LMP2 entry include a really strong driver line up, an experienced and extremely capable engineering team and a proven technical package, but we also have ambitions to expand into different classes in the future. For now, however, we are fully committed to the intensely competitive LMP2 category and really want to be part of that in 2022.”
Nico Müller added: “I’m very excited to be part of this new team, and confident and proud to be going into this new chapter of endurance racing with it. Vector Sport may be a new name, but behind it, there are quite a few people I know from different racing series who are all very capable. There’s a lot of motivation within the group and excitement about the project.
“Looking ahead, it’s a really great time to be part of the WEC and prototype endurance racing, very exciting and positive, and I’m thankful to Audi Sport for letting me have this opportunity to combine my work with them with this new project. We are very lucky to be in this privileged position to be able to participate in this era. With Vector Sport, I think it’s true to say for everyone that we have high goals but all agree that we are racing because we want to win. We hope to have a short and effective learning process so we can challenge for wins and we’re looking forward to getting out there and going after them.”
