Jan.12 (GMM) Giedo van der Garde is putting the Sauber scandal of 2015 behind him as he returns to racing this season.
The Dutchman’s bid to race in formula one last year famously ended in the courts, but now De Telegraaf newspaper said he will contest the fabled 24 hour Le Mans race in 2016.
The 30-year-old former Caterham racer has signed with the Jota team to contest the European Le Mans series including the 24 hour race, in the second-tier LMP2 prototype category.
And the famous race in June will be van der Garde’s first at Le Mans.
“For me it’s the icing on the cake,” he is quoted by the Dutch newspaper.
Van der Garde reportedly wanted to race in the premier world endurance championship (WEC) or Germany’s touring car series DTM this year, but De Telegraaf claims talks did not result in a deal.
The driver said: “I am really happy that I will finally get back to racing with Jota Sport. It is racing that I have done all my life and what makes me happy.
“I also think it can be a good stepping stone for me to be in a factory team in 2017,” van der Garde, who is also a test driver for Pirelli, added.