While the championship battles in all four classes are heating up heading into the second half of the ELMS season, the LMP2 Pro/Am title race stands out as we look ahead to the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.
Up front Richard Mille by TDS’s ORECA of Mathias Beche, Rodrigo Sales and Gregoire Saucy leads the way by just three points over the 2023 title-winning AF Corse ORECA of Francois Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Alessio Rovera. It’s a duel that has looked destined to go down to the wire since the season opener in Barcelona.
But a dark horse has emerged. With a victory last time out in Imola the #20 Algarve Pro Racing 07 is now up to third, just 13 points back.
Richard Bradley, Kriton Lentoudis and Alex Quinn have been making progress each weekend since the season began and with a strong finish on Sunday, they can make it a three-way fight with two races remaining.
Bronze-ranked Lentoudis – now the first Greek race winner in ELMS history – is adapting well to life in prototypes, Bradley needs no introduction as a highly-skilled P2 driver with a Le Mans class win under his belt and Quinn is beginning to stand out as one of the series’ many rising stars.
Quinn in particular deserves his fair share of attention during what is shaping up to be a highly successful second season competing in a P2 car. And with a first ELMS win now under his belt, he is finely poised to take the next step and join the pool of drivers that factories are keeping tabs on for the future.
Across the weekend in Imola, he shone. He set the fastest lap of the weekend in Pro/Am during Free Practice 1 and soaked up a huge amount of pressure in the closing stages of the race when he was tasked with bringing the car home. It was a head-turning performance, which led to a win that he described as “extra special” in the context of his career.
“I’ve had a few podiums but to get that first win felt so good,” the 23-year-old from Truro told DSC after the race. “It was all about traffic management and making no mistakes while fighting with AF Corse and Richard Mille by TDS. We all deserved it.
“It’s been a crazy journey,” he continued. “When my single-seater career (which included stints in Formula Renault Eurocup, British F4 and Formula Regional) came to a close, it was a simple story: I was running out of money.
“But, I was lucky. I was introduced to some Bronze drivers and decided that working with them was my chance to carry on.”
His first prototype drive came with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports last year when he joined Ben Keating for an Endurance Cup programme in IMSA. It was a campaign that included podium finishes at Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans.
“I was very lucky to get in a seat with Ben! It was a really good experience and my career has taken off a bit more since my first IMSA start.”
A tough off-season followed though for Quinn. Originally he was signed up for a second campaign with Ben Keating, who has taken his talents to United Autosports for the 2024 season. But a change to his driver grade from Silver to Gold caught everyone by surprise and made him ineligible to take the seat.
He had to move quickly to find another programme. Thankfully, he landed on his feet, securing a drive with reigning ELMS LMP2 champion Algarve Pro Racing in the ELMS and two guest appearances with AO Racing at the Rolex 24 and Le Mans.
“It was a tricky winter,” he admitted. “Having my IMSA seat confirmed and signed and then taken away was tough. But it’s worked out well, I’m with a great team for the full season in the ELMS, they’re champions, and they’ve given me and my teammates the tools to win races.”
The ELMS in recent years has become a hotbed of talent, as the current generation LMP2 cars have proven to be the perfect platform for young, hungry drivers looking to climb the sportscar ladder. And with sportscar racing currently booming, the ladder now leads to a huge number of works seats in the top classes of IMSA and the FIA WEC.
This year’s LMP2 field reflects the recent uptick in factory prototype programmes. It features a number of drivers with recent high-level single-seater experience all looking to make an impression, including the likes of Arthur Leclerc, Fred Vesti, Clement Novalak, Felipe Drugovich and Gregoire Saucy.
Quinn is relishing the opportunity to showcase what he can do in such a high-quality field. And competing in LMP2 Pro/Am, he feels, only adds to the challenge and opportunity.
“It’s so tough, because the Bronze drivers are all learning so much,” he explained. “The gaps between them are often quite big, so when the pro drivers get in it’s a dogfight to close gaps and work on strategy. It gives teams and engineers strategy options.”
With the summer break in the rearview mirror, teams and drivers are beginning to firm up plans for 2025. But Quinn remains focused on the task at hand first and foremost, his priority is the championship he now finds himself fighting for.
“I have no long-term plan or goal, I am taking this day by day and let my driving do the talking,” Quinn said. “I’ve had a really strong couple of years and I know that the main thing is to enjoy it, if you enjoy it, results and opportunities will come.”
