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Veteran Formula 3 team T-Sport is working on a return to the category despite its move into the sportscar ranks.

The Brackley squad, which has spent 15 years competing in the British F3 Championship and then the F3 European Championship, has bought a Ligier JSP3 to run in the LMP3 class.

It plans to compete in the new LMP3 Cup in the UK and is also weighing up a programme in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, which supports the European Le Mans Series.

T-Sport has retained its F3 equipment, including the British NBE engine, and is working on a return to the European F3 ranks later this season before competing in the Macau Grand Prix.

Team boss Russell Eacott told Autosport: "We'd like to return to Macau obviously, and we'd like to come back to the FIA championship if we can, but the conditions have to be right."

T-Sport's most recent F3 appearance came in last November's Macau Grand Prix, with Japanese champion Kenta Yamashita playing a starring role on his way to fourth.

The team also ran future Formula 1 drivers including Sergio Perez - who won the 2007 British F3 National Class title with T-Sport - and Karun Chandhok.

Eacott said T-Sport is talking to drivers about the LMP3 Cup and the Michelin Le Mans Cup.

"I'm very pleased to have finally been able to get our hands on a Ligier JSP3," he said.

"I've admired the car for a long time now - the championship and racing prototypes is a new direction for us but we are excited to get going."

Ligier UK importer Richard Dean added: "The LMP3 Cup Championship is aimed at well-run, professional teams like T-Sport so to have them on the grid is fantastic."