New vdS Panis Racing driver for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Complete. Two months before the event, vdS Panis Racing has just confirmed its lineup for the Le Mans classic. Olivier Panis’s team could already rely on Oliver Gray and Esteban Masson. Now, the two men can count on Franck Perera.

« With this trio, vdS Panis Racing is betting on a subtle balance between experience and youth to win in the LMP2 category within an extremely competitive field. This new lineup for the Le Mans race follows Charles Milesi’s commitment with Alpine in the Hypercar category », the team states.

At 40, Franck Perera boasts a quite rich career in motorsport: between single-seaters, endurance, and GT. He notably participated in the Formula 3 Euro Series, GP2, and IndyCar. A Lamborghini factory driver since 2018, he discovered Le Mans last year in the GT3 category with Iron Lynx. His versatility, consistency, and thorough knowledge of racing make him a strategic addition for aiming high at Le Mans.

Franck Perera joins vdS Panis Racing for the 2025 24H of Le Mans.
Olivier Panis: ‘We are very proud to be able to field such a well-rounded line-up. Franck Perera brings valuable experience, while Esteban Masson and Oliver Gray are driven by a strong desire to prove themselves. pic.twitter.com/yKe3OV0oLt

— vdS Panis Racing (@vdSPanisRacing) April 17, 2025

The words that come to mind are joy, pride, gratitude, and determination in the face of this unique opportunity to join the vdS Panis Racing car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After having the chance to experience this legendary race in GT with Lamborghini last year, I am ready to take on the challenge in LMP2, where the level is extremely high, announced the Montpellier native.

Olivier Panis and Franck Perera have already collaborated together. In the early 2000s, when Olivier Panis was a driver at Toyota in F1, the latter held a position in the young driver development program.