Lucas Ordoñez and Markus Palttala will compete for Bentley Team M-Sport for the first time in next weekend’s California 8 Hours.

The pair were announced as new signings for the British brand last month, and were originally slated to just drive one of the additional cars at the Total 24 Hours of Spa.

Ordoñez and Palttala will join Maxime Soulet in the No. 108 Bentley Continental GT3 for the second round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli on March 30.

They replace Vincent Abril, who left the manufacturer following the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, and Andy Soucek.

The second car will remain to be shared by Steven Kane, Jordan Pepper and Jules Gounon.

“Racing for a legendary brand such as Bentley is undoubtedly a privilege, even more so in its Centenary year,” said Ordoñez.

“Making my debut at Laguna Seca, a circuit that is steeped in so much history, will just make this experience even more exciting, and I am looking forward to working with the fantastic Bentley team and my fellow drivers to try to deliver the best result.”

Brian Gush, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, added: “Last year’s campaign was largely developmental, but now it is time to really step up our game.

“Success is an expectation rather than hope, so we want to be fighting for wins at every round.

“I am confident that both Lucas and Markus will settle into the challenge ahead. Giving each of our drivers solid race time behind the wheel is essential, and Laguna Seca is an ideal venue to start that process.

“At the same time, we’re looking forward to engaging with our US Bentley fanbase and showing them up-close the performance that this latest generation GT3 is already becoming known for.”