Roberto Lacorte Set To Replace Injured Francois Heriau In Graff Oreca

Cetilar Racing Team Owner Roberto Lacorte looks likely to be officially named tomorrow as a replacement driver in the #39 Graff Racing Oreca for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Bronze-ranked Italian, who is set to make his 6th start at Le Mans, will join Giedo van der Garde and Patrick Pilet for what will be his first race in an Oreca after a career spent thus far in Dallara LMP2 and Ferrari GTE and GT3 machinery.

The change comes after a testing accident for Francois Heriau left him unable to take up his assigned seat, the Frenchman suffering a back injury.

It is the second time in 3 years that the luckless Heriau has been forced out of a Le Mans drive by injury after the 2021 race where he stepped back from a seat in the SRT 41 ‘Innovative car’ effort after suffering a shoulder injury when training.

There are more changes to come in the entry with confirmation that the initially planned crew in the #88 Proton Porsche will not now be racing, Brendon Iribe pulled out some weeks ago and his regular Silver-ranked partner Ollie Millroy too is unlikely therefore to race either.

There is no news yet of the nominees for the entry with Harry Tincknell currently named for what would be his 10th consecutive start at Le Mans