United Autosports
United Autosports is a sports car racing team, founded by American businessman and entrepreneur Zak Brown and former British racing driver Richard Dean.
The team is racing regularly in Europe and North America in 2018. It competes in both LMP2 & LMP3 of the European Le Mans Series with a brace of Ligier JS P217 and Ligier JS P3 sports prototypes. The team will also compete in the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours with a pair of Ligier JS P217 LMP2 cars – a two-car entry for the first time that will also feature Juan Pablo Montoya in its six-driver line-up. Additionally, it is entering three Ligier JS P3s in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, while in North America it will be contesting the four-race Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup.
United Autosports also prepares and races a range of historic race cars in events across the world, such as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the Le Mans and Silverstone Classics.
Since the team's founding in 2009, United Autosports has competed in high profile races across the world, including the Spa 24 Hours, the Bathurst 12 Hour, the Gulf 12 Hours, and the Dubai 24 Hour, along with entering championships such as the British Touring Car Championship, GT Cup, European Supercar Challenge, Ginetta GT4 Supercup, FIA GT3 European Championship, and Blancpain Endurance Series and the British GT Championship. The team has also raced in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, Macau GT Cup, and Petit Le Mans.
In 2016, the team was named as UK agent for French racecar manufacturer Onroak Automotive, creating Ligier UK. The team also acquired a 25% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car and GT team, Walkinshaw Andretti United in 2018.
United Autosports has frequently signed accomplished guest drivers to compete in the team's racecars at key events, including Fernando Alonso, Mark Blundell, David Brabham, Martin Brundle, Eddie Cheever, Paul di Resta, Johnny Herbert, Stefan Johansson, Arie Luyendyk, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bruno Senna and Markus Winkelhock. The squad's driver line-ups have also featured some of the top up-and-coming professional racing drivers, such as Alex Brundle, Brendon Hartley, Alex Lynn and Lando Norris.
History
2010
The team’s best results in 2010 were podium finishes in the 2010 FIA GT3 European Championship, 24 Hours of Spa, 2010 1000 km of Zhuhai and the Macau Grand Prix.2011
The team partnered with Michael Shank Racing for the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, finishing fourth in the Daytona prototype class. The Ford Riley Daytona Prototype was driven by Martin Brundle, Mark Blundell, Mark Patterson and Zak Brown.United Autosports competed in the 2011 British GT Championship with Matt Bell, John Bintcliffe, Jay Palmer and Mike Guasch.
They also contested the FIA GT3 European Championship with Matt Bell, Zak Brown, Joe Osborne and Mark Patterson. That year they also entered 2011 Petit Le Mans, with drivers Mark Patterson, Stefan Johansson and Zak Brown.
2012
In January the team made its début in the Dubai 24 Hours with two Audi R8 LMS cars. The team also became one of the first customers for the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 and raced two examples in the Blancpain Endurance Series for drivers Zak Brown, Mark Blundell, Mark Patterson, Álvaro Parente, Matt Bell and David Brabham. Although still racing the Audi R8 LMS in the 2012 British GT Championship, they switched to McLarens for the final few rounds of the UK national series. United Autosports gave the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 the model's first win at Snetterton in the British GT Championship with Matt Bell and Charles Bateman behind the wheel. Further British GT Championship wins came for Bell and Bateman at Silverstone and also at Donington Park for Zak Brown and Álvaro Parente.2013
In 2013, United Autosports once again entered the British GT Championship with two McLarenultra MP4-12C GT3 cars and their one remaining Audi R8 LMS ultra. Matt Bell and Mark Patterson came second in the championship after scoring three podiums and a win at the final round at Donington Park. They missed out on the title in their Audi by only half a point. However, this was the season when the team won its first championship title, with Jim and Glynn Geddie in their McLaren MP4-12C GT3 as they stormed to victory in the European Supercar Challenge.2014
The new season saw United Autosports branching out into new territory, and contesting the British Touring Car Championship with a pair of Toyota Avensis Touring Cars and drivers James Cole and Glynn Geddie. The team also entered the 2014 Ginetta GT4 Supercup support race with Luke Davenport and Carl Breeze, winning the Team title at the end of the year.United Autosports contested the GT Cup Championship in 2014 and won the overall and GTO Championship with Jim Geddie in his McLaren MP4-12C GT3. They also continued with their Audi R8 LMS ultra in the British GT Championship.
2015
The team returned to the GT Cup Championship in 2015 with the Audi R8 LMS ultra and driver Phil Burgan. They also put plans in place to move into prototype racing with two LMP3 cars in the European Le Mans Series.2016
United Autosports made the team's début in the European Le Mans Series at Silverstone in April with a pair of Ligier JS P3 sports cars and drivers Alex Brundle, Mike Guasch, Christian England, Mark Patterson, Wayne Boyd and Matt Bell. The team won the first three races and scored eight podiums throughout the year, winning both the team and driver championships with one round remaining. The team also entered the inaugural Road to Le Mans race – one of the support races to the Le Mans 24 Hours – with former F1 driver Martin Brundle pairing up with Christian England. Brundle took pole position. American duo Guy Cosmo and Mike Hedlund were behind the wheel of the second Ligier, with Guy Cosmo scoring the fastest lap of the race and setting the LMP3 lap record round the Circuit de la Sarthe.2017
United Autosports made the team's first appearance in LMP2 by entering a Ligier JS P217 in the 2017 European Le Mans Series. Filipe Albuquerque, Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer scored two race wins – three podiums in total - to finish runners-up in the championship standings. In June, the trio also combined to make United Autosport's Le Mans 24 Hours début, finishing fourth in the LMP2 class. The team also returned with their two Ligier JS P3 sports prototypes and successfully defended its LMP3 ELMS title, courtesy of John Falb and Sean Rayhall.The UK-based team also entered a brace of Ligier LMP3 cars in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, while in support of its Ligier UK business, United Autosports also helped to launch and then raced in the Henderson Insurance LMP3 Cup Championship. American drivers C. J. Wilson and Andrew Evans, along with Tony Wells and United regular, Matt Bell raced the team's Ligier JS P3 sports prototypes.
2018
Through a 25% shareholding in Walkinshaw Andretti United, United Autoports entered the 2018 Supercars Championship. The team is co-owned by Ryan Walkinshaw, son of Tom Walkinshaw of Tom Walkinshaw Racing and Michael Andretti's operation Andretti Autosport. The team is led by former Jaguar Formula One test driver James Courtney.The team signed Formula 1 legend and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, 2018 McLaren F1 test and reserve driver Lando Norris and ex-F1 and former DTM champion Paul di Resta for the 2018 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The latter, along with Hugo De Sadeleer, Will Owen and Bruno Senna, finished fourth overall.