LADA Sport is carrying out an extensive mid-season testing programme ahead of the next round of the World Touring Car Championship in Argentina at the beginning of August.
The Russian manufacturer, which took its first wins of the season earlier in the year in Russia, is planning to carry out testing at Magny-Cours in a bid to score further success with its Vesta racer.
Regular driver Nicky Catsburg is unable to make the test, meaning that Dutch compatriot Jaap van Lagen will take over the duties behind the wheel of the test car.
Van Lagen is of course no stranger to the Russian team, having last raced for them in 2015 when he replaced James Thompson part-way through the season. Van Lagen has a long association with LADA in the WTCC which dates back to 2008.
The team’s three race cars are currently being shipped to Termas de Río Hondo, having been loaded in Portugal following the previous round of the championship in Vila Real.
That means the team will be using their test car, which was spared the trip to Argentina thanks to the marque incurring no accident damage on the street circuit last time out.