(Reuters) – Russian ex-Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat will race with an Italian licence after signing with Lamborghini for next year’s world endurance championship, the Italian marque said.
The 28-year-old, who last drove in Formula One with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri in 2020, joins French former F1 racer Romain Grosjean in Lamborghini’s stable of factory drivers.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the standout race in the endurance championship.
Russian drivers must compete as neutrals in FIA championships, unless licensed by another country, and sign a commitment not to express support for the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kvyat moved to Italy with his family early in his career and speaks fluent Italian.
“Lamborghini is a very well-known Italian brand with a great history in the automotive world and, having grown up in Italy, this is an additional source of pride for me,” he said.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)