Hulkenberg to start third at Le Mans

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg will join an elite club this weekend when he becomes one of only a handful of recent drivers to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours race midway through a Formula One world championship campaign.

Hulkenberg lines up third for the epic endurance event, sharing a works Porsche 919 Hybrid with British driver Nick Tandy and New Zealand’s Earl Bamber. Porsche also fill the front row of the grid, with F1 veteran Mark Webber among the men at the wheel.

"I am very pleased the 2015 Formula One calendar allows for it and I'm grateful to my Sahara Force India Formula One Team's generosity to let me go for it,” said Hulkenberg when announcing his Le Mans plans.

Though it was common in the past, the last driver to compete in both Formula One racing and the Le Mans 24 Hours at the same time was Sebastien Bourdais, who raced for Toro Rosso and Peugeot in the respective disciplines in 2009.

Only four drivers in history have won both the Formula One world championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours overall - Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill.