SPORTSCAR

While United Autosports recorded a fine LMP2 top-five in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours that finished this afternoon (17 Jun) the Anglo-American team also endured massive disappointment. Having achieved an amazing fourth in class and sensational fifth overall on its twice-around-the-clock French race début last year, the Leeds-based outfit this time around took the chequered flag in fifth in LMP2 courtesy of Juan Pablo Montoya (COL)/Hugo De Sadeleer (CH)/Will Owen (US) who brought their Ligier JSP217 sports-prototype home ninth overall. But a podium for this car with less than two hours to run had looked a distinct possibility while the “sister” United Ligier of Filipe Albuquerque (POR)/Phil Hanson (GB)/Paul Di Resta (GB) had also seemed destined for a class podium too but crashed out of the race with less than five-hours remaining.