It will be the 25-year-old Austrians first taste of the 13.629-kilometre (8.468-mile) track in the factory Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP, which he will share with ex-Formula One drivers Ricardo Zonta and Frank Montagny for the June 14-15 event.
“I am really looking forward to the challenge of driving at Le Mans for the first time this weekend,” said Klien, “and I know everyone involved in Team Peugeot Total has prepared as well as possible for this moment. The race is only two weeks away, and this test in not only mandatory for new drivers, but also vital for us to evaluate our performance alongside the competition.”
It has been a busy couple of weeks for the former Red Bull racer. Prior to his Monaco reserve duties for BMW Sauber he attended Peugeot Sports training camp. He then left Monte Carlo early for Magny-Cours where he tested his Peugeot on Monday.
He then moved to Italy on Tuesday to undertake further aerodynamic testing for BMW Sauber, before returning home to Switzerland for three days of fitness training and a visit to the Formula One teams headquarters in Hinwil. He heads to Le Mans on Friday evening.
“Balancing my commitments to the BMW Sauber F1 Team and Peugeot Sport has worked out perfectly so far, even during a week like this when I was in Monaco, then testing the Peugeot 908 on Monday and jumping back into the BMW Sauber F1.08 on Tuesday; it is very satisfying to be part of two highly competitive teams in sports car racing and Formula One,” added Klien.
Peugeot are fielding a three-car line-up at Le Mans, with Kliens Formula One counterpart from Honda, Alexander Wurz, among the French teams other drivers.
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