With the European Le Mans Series season at the halfway point, 2018 LMP3 Champion Job Van Uitert has had a successful start to the 2022 season with Panis Racing. The Dutch driver, along with French teammates Nicolas Jamin and Julien Canal, has scored three top four finishes, including two podiums in Le Castellet and Monza.
We caught up with Job to reflect on the season so far, as he prepares for the second half, which begins at the end of August with the 4 Hours of Barcelona.
Q: How has the first part of the ELMS season gone for you? What was the high point and what was the low point of the first three races?
Job Van Uitert: “The first part of the season was actually pretty good for us. At all the races we showed very good pace and scored two podiums. Imola was a hard one to take, the last FCY robbed us from an almost sure second place. However, fighting back in Monza and overtaking Prema on track was definitely the high of the year so far. We are in the mix for the championship!
Q: How have you settled in with your new team Panis Racing?
JVU: “It’s amazing how well Panis have welcomed me, it truly has become a second family for me. Sarah, Simon, Olivier and everyone else did a great job to make me feel at home right away. We have the perfect combination of fun off-track and speed on-track! Everyone is extremely motivated and I’m sure we can beat Prema.”
Q: Looking ahead to the final three races, what are your thoughts on Barcelona, Spa and Portimão? Which is your favourite and why?
JVU: “Barcelona, Spa and Portimão will all be special in their own way. Barcelona will be very hot and will require a lot of tyre management. Spa is a fantastic venue with great history. It’s a track for the brave, which I love. Portimão is a special place for me, I’ve won the LMP3 title there in 2018, and I’m sure we will do it again this year with Panis Racing in LMP2. Panis Racing will be strong in all three events, however Portimão will always remain my favourite.”
