Senna and Montiero will pilot an ORECA 01 in the Algarve. Photo: oreca-racing.com

The Le Mans Series is heading to the Circuito de Portimao in Portugal at the end of July for the first time in its history.

Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM have announced that 2008 GP2 Series runner-up Bruno Senna and current Seat World Touring Car driver Tiago Montiero, will drive an ORECA 01, alongside the regular pairing of Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre who finished the Le Mans 24 Hours in fifth place with Soheil Ayari. 

Team boss, Hughues de Chaunac said he decided to continue ORECA’s relationship with Senna and Montiero at a post Le Mans review.

“When Tiago joined us for Le Mans we already raised the subject of Portimao, and Bruno let us know very quickly that he wanted to continue racing the ORECA 01. We won’t have Stéphane Ortelli for organisational reasons, as the practice is too short to enter a team of three drivers.

And de Chaunac believes Team ORECA will be strong in Portimao; “On Senna’s first appearance in Barcelona he finished on the rostrum with Stéphane Ortelli and ORECA.”

“Bruno’s shown his talent,” said de Chaunac. “He’s an intelligent driver who analyses his performances with absolute objectivity. He’s an honest guy, a value dear to ORECA.

He added; “He gets on well with Tiago who drove a great 24 Hours. In addition, he already knows this circuit on which a lot of our rivals will be racing for the first time. It’ll be a big advantage.”

The team will run two ORECA 01’s in the 1000km of Algarve; Senna and Montiero will be behind the wheel of no. 10 and Panis and Lapierre will drive the no. 11 car.