Blundell back for full season in a McLaren

Former grand prix driver Mark Blundell will contest his first full season of racing in 12 years during 2012.

The 45-year-old Briton has signed to drive a United Autosports McLaren MP4-12C GT3 in the six-round Blancpain Endurance Series. It will be the ex-McLaren F1 driver’s first full year of competition since leaving Champ Cars at the end of 2000.

Blundell, who will share the McLaren with team boss Zak Brown and Mark Patterson, explained that he had been motivated to race more regularly after undertaking a handful of starts in 2010-11, including last year’s Daytona 24 Hours.

“Doing those races last year, especially Daytona, made me start to think about a full season,” he said. “Daytona proved the speed was still there, but also that the enjoyment was still there.”

GP3 race winner Alexander Sims will also race a McLaren in 2012. The 23-year-old has joined McLaren’s squad of development drivers and will be placed with one of the customer teams running MP4-12Cs.