After a successful campaign with Panis Racing in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), James Allen has been handed a major boost ahead of next year, securing a position with one of Europe’s leading sportscar racing teams.
 
Although an exact championship or series is yet to be locked in, Allen will race for Portuguese outfit, Algarve Pro Racing, in either the FIA World Endurance Championship, ELMS, the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship or all three.
 
The move to Algarve is a major stepping stone for the Victorian, who has enjoyed one of his best seasons to date since making the big move overseas as a teenager in 2013.
 
Unfortunately 2021 couldn’t have had a worse start for Allen after he contracted COVID-19 earlier in the year, forcing him to miss out on the team’s first round for the season.
 
After eventually recovering from the illness, Allen bounced back nicely and along with regular teammates, William Stevens of Great Britain and Frenchman Julien Canal, managed to secure a number of solid results across the season.

 
Throughout the year, Allen showed plenty of talent when behind the wheel, with the 25-year-old and his teammates helping the French team pick up their first ever win in the ELMS – the trio steering the Panis Racing Oreca 07 to a comfortable 4 Hours of Monza win, beating 49 other cars in the process.
 
While the victory was obviously a special one for Allen and the rest of the team, it wasn’t his individual highlight of the year – the most coveted result coming just a month later during the most famous endurance race in the world – the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
 
Allen and Panis Racing crew secured a highly deserved LMP2 class podium thanks to a little luck, but their strategy and good teamwork were undeniably the reasons they were able to claim the podium.
 
“I feel like I had a rough start to the year, catching COVID and all, but overall, it was definitely a good season – possibly my best ever putting aside results,” Allen said.
 
“It was a season full of highs, but I think that Le Mans LMP2 podium was the highlight, mainly due to its significance amongst anyone who competes in it. The race is a highly important event so to have some silverware from it is fantastic.
 
“Everything just clicked that weekend. The race is always a battle of attrition and everyone at Panis played their role. From the mechanics doing pit stops every half an hour to our engineers working overtime – it was a huge team effort and it was a nice reward for all the hard work.
 
“In addition to that podium, I was approached by Algarve about racing with them next year so that kind of capped off a memorable weekend.

“I obviously can’t forget about being involved in the first ever ELMS race win for Panis Racing, as I was a part of history.
 
“So being able to have experiences like that, I can safely say that it was a special year for me.”

Since wrapping up the year with Panis, Allen has completed his official testing sessions with Algarve Pro Racing and left seriously impressed with the team’s quality.
 
“I am highly thankful for the opportunity Panis Racing gave me this year, however when Algarve came knocking, it was very hard to say no to a team of its calibre,” Allen added.
 
“From what I have seen and felt during testing, everything seems really promising and it is definitely the right step to take in my career.
 
“This year gave me the confidence I need for 2022 and I can’t wait to continue the momentum of form from this season into the next.
 
“I am not sure what exactly I will be doing, but I believe that if I were to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship, I could have a serious chance of winning the title as the team’s setup is very nice.
 
“Having a team of Algarve’s quality in your corner and them initiating discussions about poaching you as a driver is a major confidence booster and I can’t wait for 2022.”
 
Allen is likely to confirm his 2022 calendar of events in the coming weeks.