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Oliver Jarvis will pick up his sportscar career with Bentley at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour from February 3-5.
Bentley announced its driver combinations for its two-pronged M-Sport-prepared Continental GT3s with Jarvis joining Guy Smith and Steven Kane in the #7 machine.
Jarvis was snapped up by the Crewe manufacturer after becoming a free agent following the end of Audi’s highly successful 18-year tenure in LMP1.
The Brit had was an integral member of the R18 e-tron quattro attack in WEC alongside Lucas di Grassi and Loic Duval.
The other change to Bentley’s Bathurst line-up will see Vince Abril move into the #8 alongside incumbents Andy Soucek and Maxime Soulet.
Final driver confirmation on Bentley’s new customer team, Heretic Motorsport is expected to be revealed in the near future.
“We’re delighted to welcome Oliver to the Bentley Motorsport team,” Bentley’s Director of Motorsport Brian Gush said.
“He is a quick, confident and well-rounded driver who is easy to work with, which means he will fit-in well immediately.
“He has a wealth of experience in various machinery and I think he will bring a lot to the team, now and in the future. We’re looking forward to welcoming him at our season-opener in Australia.”
Jarvis revealed that he had accepted the Bentley offer while mulling over various opportunities since his Audi factory drive came to an end.
“After nine years with Audi, its time for a new start and a new challenge,” Jarvis said.
“I had a few offers on the table but this was the right choice and I couldn’t be happier to be joining Bentley as a Works driver.
“Having followed closely what they have achieved on-track in GT racing since returning to motorsport, I can’t wait to put the overalls on for the first time and become one of the “Bentley Boys”.
“The brand’s heritage in motorsport is certainly not lost on me and the 2003 Le Mans-winning car is still one of my favourite race cars of all-time,” he continued.
“After speaking to Brian Gush and hearing about their motorsport ambitions I knew that Bentley would be a great fit for me. To be able to start this new and exciting chapter in my life at Bathurst 12 Hour will also be something very special, as it’s a race I’ve been looking forward to tackling for several years.”
Bentley Motorsport returned to racing in 2014 and has since taken multiple race wins, won major international championships and has stood on the podium in all of the series it contests with its multiple customer and partner teams.
