Brundles pair for Le Mans

Former Le Mans 24 Hours winner Martin Brundle will end a decade-long absence at the French enduro to share a car with son Alex in 2012.

The Brundles will join up in a Zytek-Nissan Z11SN LMP2 prototype (below) entered by the British Greaves Motorsport squad, winners of the P2 crown in this year’s Le Mans Series. Alex, 21, will also contest a full schedule with the team in the renamed European Le Mans Series.

Brundle Sr, who last raced at Le Mans with Bentley in 2001, said: “Racing with your son at Le Mans is obviously a big appeal, but I was also motivated by doing the Daytona 24 Hours this year [he finished fourth in a Riley]. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and that my speed was still there.

“There is probably a small window of opportunity for Alex and I to share a car at Le Mans. He’s 21 and still developing, but I’m heading into my mid-fifties. This is the right time to do it.”

Brundle didn’t rule out racing at Le Mans in future, but said that it would depend on his TV schedule. The new Sky Sports F1 commentator has been freed up to do the 24 Hours because the race weekend and the Test Day two weeks before do not clash with a GP.

The identity of the third driver in the Greaves Zytek has yet to be revealed, but the pro-am rules for LMP2 mean that it has to be a nonprofessional driver.