---
title: "Juan Pablo Montoya Will Race at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans"
description: "Montoya, a two-time Indy 500 champion and Monaco F1 GP winner, aims for the motorsport's triple crown."
date: "2018-03-28"
modified: "2018-03-29"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19711/juan-pablo-montoya-will-race-at-the-2018-24-hours-of-le-mans"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "24 Hours of Le Mans"
  - "Endurance Racing"
  - "FIA WEC"
  - "Juan Pablo Montoya"
  - "racing"
  - "Racing News"
  - "Team Penske Acura"
  - "zak brown"
---

# Juan Pablo Montoya Will Race at the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/03/drg_9535.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Juan Pablo Montoya put the world of endurance racing on notice Wednesday when he announced that he will get behind the wheel of an LMP2 racing car at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

You know the saying, you can take the man out of racing but you can't take racing out of the man. Such is the case of the feisty veteran, who despite retiring from IndyCar to concentrate on his son's [rising karting career](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18400/sebastian-montoya-admitted-into-ferrari-driver-academy>), he can't seem to stay away from competing in world-class racing events. First, he joined Roger Penske's Acura team in the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship, and now, the flagship endurance race in the world. Not too bad for a retiree, huh?

United Autosports released a statement confirming that the [42-year-old Colombian](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/14236/the-bugatti-chiron-and-juan-pablo-montoya-just-set-a-ridiculous-speed-record>) will pilot the No. 32 Ligier JS P217 along with American and Swiss racing drivers Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer. While Montoya's participation at Le Mans doesn't come as a huge surprise, his choice of race team does, considering he fared extremely well during a World Endurance Championship test with Porsche in Bahrain back in 2015.

![message-editor%2F1522288125017-screenshot2018-03-28at9.48.14pm.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1522288125017-screenshot2018-03-28at9.48.14pm.png>)
*United Autosports' LMP2 Le Mans contender in 2017., *UA**

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to experience Le Mans and I’m looking forward to joining United Autosports after they had such a strong finish at Le Mans last year," said Montoya. "I’ve always watched the race so I’m very happy to finally be part of it. Hopefully we can have [a shot at a win](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18236/david-coulthard-dominates-the-2018-race-of-champions>).”

Zak Brown, United Autosports team owner and chairman also shared his excitement about Montoya joining the driver lineup. And in case you're wondering, yes, it's the same Zak Brown that's the executive director of the McLaren Technology Group (the F1 team) and the man behind Fernando Alonso's Indy 500 deal with Andretti Autosport.

“Juan Pablo has been around racing for a long time now and he knows what it takes to win," said Brown. "I’m sure he will bring [experience and speed](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/7587/european-formula-one-drivers-are-very-weak-mentally-juan-pablo-montoya-says>) to the team, which is exactly what we need for such a demanding race as Le Mans.”

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)