Calado to Make First Series Start In Ten Years at Ricard
James Calado returns to the European Le Mans Series for the first time since 2015, replacing Daniel Serra at Kessel Racing...
Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI
James Calado will make his first European Le Mans Series start in a decade when he joins Kessel Racing’s LMGT3 crew for this weekend’s 4 Hours of Le Castellet.
Revealed as part of a 44-car entry list for the event at Circuit Paul Ricard, the Ferrari factory driver replaces Daniel Serra aboard the No. 57 Ferrari 296 GT3.
Serra is unable to compete at Paul Ricard due to clashing commitments with the Stock Car Pro Series in Brazil, which hosts its season opener at Interlagos on the same weekend.
Calado is set for only the second ELMS appearance of his career, with his sole previous series start dating back to 2015.
There, he shared a JMW Motorsport Ferrari 458 GT2 with Rory Butcher and Robert Smith at the Estoril season finale, although the car retired after 69 laps.
The only other significant change on the entry list also involves a pair of Ferrari factory drivers, as reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Nicklas Nielsen has been added to the lineup for the No. 83 AF Corse Oreca 07 Gibson in LMP2 Pro-Am.
Nielsen replaces Alessio Rovera, who will be contesting the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup season opener at Brands Hatch.
In LMP3, meanwhile, Eurointernational has not named a third driver for its No. 11 Ligier JS P325 Toyota, with only Fabien Michal and Ian Aguilera listed. Sebastian Gravlund drove for the Italian squad at Barcelona.
