Former Renault Formula 1 development driver Ben Hanley is hoping to turn his sporadic World Endurance Championship appearances into a more regular engagement following a successful start to 2017.
Hanley, 32, made his sportscar debut with European Le Mans Series LMP2 outfit DragonSpeed last year, but has also raced in the WEC as a guest driver.
In May, the Brit joined TDS Racing for the 6 Hours of Spa, before making his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut with DragonSpeed.
Last weekend's 6 Hours of the Nurburgring marked his third WEC appearance of the season with a return to the TDS fold, replacing Formula E-tied Alex Lynn behind the wheel of the team’s G-Drive Racing sponsored ORECA 07-Gibson.
Having reverted to karting when his single seater career stalled for financial reasons, Hanley is now looking to push for a full-time career in sportscars.
"Last year I got picked up to do the ELMS, and those performances have helped get me here in the WEC, so it’s been a great 12 to 16 months,” Hanley told Motorsport Week.com.
"With my ELMS campaign, plus Le Mans and Daytona, I’ve had quite a lot of time in the ORECA.”
"I feel very familiar with the car. I’m comfortable with its details and the whole sportscar scene. This car seems to suit me better than last year’s car [ORECA 05], so I'm feeling really positive."
"Of course, it would be good to get a full-time drive. Last year was my first year in sportscars and endurance racing.”
“This year’s been going well and I’ve already had some brilliant opportunities so it’ll be good to continue that form."
“With 90% of the [WEC LMP2] teams choosing ORECA, it’s practically a single-make category. You really do have to be at the top of your game to get the results.”

So far, those results have made for good reading.
In a dozen sportscar races, Hanley has accrued five ELMS podiums including one victory, and was one of the quickest drivers at the Nurburgring in a field that included the likes of Nicolas Lapierre, Oliver Jarvis and Bruno Senna.
He even took pole at the German circuit, although a technical infringement meant he and team-mates Roman Rusinov and Pierre Thiriet had to recover from the back of the pack. With an additional three-minute penalty, the trio finished a respectable sixth.
An unconventional career
Hanley has taken an unusual route to sportscars.
While most drivers seek a transition as soon as the Formula 1 dream becomes untenable, the Manchester native reverted to karting – typically the first step for any budding driver – as a way of continuing his motorsport career.
After success in Formula Renault 2.0 and 3.5, Hanley reached as far as GP2 in 2008 before losing his backing from the Renault Driver Development scheme.
After trying other open wheel championships including Superleague Formula and the F3000 Euroseries, he decided to abandon his plans and pursue the karting route with plenty of success.
In 2013 he finished second in the CIK-FIA World KF Championship, before winning the European title two years later.
The time away from the car racing cockpit meant his FIA driver rating had dropped to silver, but with none of his talent lost he became an ideal target for sportscar teams looking to fill the void for a lower-rated driver.
"Car racing is my priority, but I still love karting and I’m still doing it," Hanley said.
"I’m still learning all the time, even now. Despite competing for so long I still need to be open and willing to learn new things."
"Whether that’s through racing, tyres, or a new car, the principle can be applied to all different types of racing and different styles of driving."
"I’m probably one of the few people to still do both competitively: not many people look at doing karting alongside a car racing career.”
“Physically it’s really tough, and in terms of race craft it’s really useful. Kart races are always super close with cars separated by a tenth or two, so it’s not easy. It’s very good for keeping me alert and busy."
"It's been a while since I raced at some of these [WEC and ELMS] tracks, but the corners and the lines are the same so it only takes a couple of laps to get back into the swing of things."
In terms of where Hanley (now gold-rated) wants to be in the future, the book is open.
LMP1 is a big target for many sportscar drivers despite being one of the most exclusive categories in motorsport, but GT racing has also piqued his interest.
"Anything can happen at the moment, and I’d love to be in the LMP1 class, and tied to a manufacturer if possible,” he said.
“I’m just continuing to work away and get the maximum every time in the car, to see where the work takes me."
"I’d be interested in doing some GT racing, too, especially at races like the Spa 24 Hours. It’s an event that every driver in endurance racing wants to do, and if I had the opportunity then I would definitely do it. I’m not there next weekend, though!”
Hanley still has four ELMS races to run this year, plus a dozen or so karting events, but has no immediate plans to return to the WEC.
However, strong performances to round out the season will only serve to raise his rapidly growing stock, and potentially lead to a permanent home in the world's premier sportscar series.
For now, though, Hanley is maintaining a pragmatic stance until the right opportunity arrives.
"I don’t think it’s right to put too much pressure on a certain event or drive, because then you start to put too much pressure on yourself and mistakes are made," he said.
"I just need to keep my head down and keep pushing, and hopefully something will come along."
Hanley's next race with DragonSpeed is the 4 Hours of the Red Bull Ring, on July 23rd.