Three of the four new-for-2025 LMP3 cars were presented last week at Spa-Francorchamps, giving the teams in the ELMS paddock a chance to get up close and personal with the new-look machinery before their debuts in the ELMS and Le Mans Cup next year.
DSC spoke to the three manufacturers present to get an update on the ongoing developmental work for their chassis ahead of the final homologation deadline. This was originally due to take place this month, but it has been delayed as a result of the teething troubles with the new Toyota-based twin-turbo V6 that DSC previously reported.
There are additional discussions ongoing behind the scenes regarding the new regulations too ahead of the homologation process coming to a close, including a final decision on the minimum weight of the cars. DSC believes this will come in at 1000kg, 50kg heavier than the current V8-powered P3s. This will mean that an additional crash test will be required.
At the time of writing DSC understands that there is no homologation date yet agreed upon, but it is likely to come during September.
DSC’s first stop at the P3 showcase area in the Spa paddock was at Duqueine‘s tent. The French constructor was present with its D09 development chassis which has been out testing over the summer at Motorland Aragon with experienced LMP3 racer Laurens Hörr on testing duty.
Jean-Karl Vernay, the head of customer racing at Duqueine, spoke highly of the aerodynamic changes made to the car, which he says have made an immediate impact on the car’s drivability and speed.
“We have improved the aero package definitely, numbers talk. We were quicker than the older car. The curve is similar in terms of torque and the horsepower is slightly higher so I don’t think it will be a big gain, but still a gain,” he said.
“Our main concern was downforce and adapting the engine to our car to make sure that our car is super thin and easier for gentlemen to drive. Our car is very good on top speed but we have made progress on mechanical grip and reliability.”
He did, however, also point out that a handful of modifications have had to be made since the car’s on-track debut with the V6 powerplant to optimise cooling. Duqueine is also working on developments to the car’s suspension and dampers ahead of its final sign-off.
“We had some issues with the cooling because when we tested in Motorland it was 50 degrees and it was our first time on track,” Vernay said. “The engine has been changed and improved by ORECA, but we had to experiment with changes to our package. I think we have a solution now.”
In mileage terms, the D09 has completed around 1800 kms, with 780 of those at Aragon. And there is plenty more testing to come, including runs planned at Portimao (twice in September), its private test track and straight-line testing on an airstrip before customers sample the car.
Where is Duqueine on customer sales to this point? On paper, while it currently has fewer cars than Ligier in competition at the moment, it does have a presence in both the ELMS and Le Mans Cup, unlike ADESS and Ginetta.
Priority number one is to retain its current customers which include R-ace GP, DKR Engineering, Steller Motorsport and T2 Racing, priority two is to make gains, taking customers from Ligier and attracting teams from outside of the LMP3 marketplace.
Vernay was unable to talk in specifics, but he did give some hints when asked what the size of its customer base would likely be for 2025.
“We have invested a lot into this car to make sure this car is a big step forward,” he said. “We have pretty good customer service, our clients are happy but we can improve. We want to test with customers soon.
“All our teams will continue with us I believe, we have agreements and we think we will have at least two or three more cars racing next year with new customers.”
Next up was Ligier, with its JS P325. In person, the new challenger from the current market leader has a fresh look to it, with the new aerodynamic package for the car impacting the car’s front, side and rear.
The car’s front end receiving attention is notable. The rules state that changes made to the P3 cars for 2025 should be focused solely on accommodating the new engine and its cooling pack. As a result, the front clips on three of the four cars have remained untouched.
Ligier’s on the other hand, does feature new styling via two new panels connecting the headlamps and nose which Ligier told DSC have been added to increase the airflow to the rear rather than improve the car’s aerodynamic efficiency.
What does this mean for current Ligier customers with spare JS P320 front clips already in stock? No additional cost according to its sales manager Adrien de Gail, as current spare clips can be easily modified by attaching the two new panels.
As you might expect, Ligier is bullish about its prospects for the new era, with a huge customer base for the highly successful JS P320 to build on.
Early feedback from testing is positive. The car has completed six test days with an average of 400kms per day at a combination of Magny Cours and Barcelona since the engine became available, with Olivier Pla at the controls.
The new cooling package, according to Pierre Nicolet – Ligier Automotive’s boss – is working as intended and the development chassis seen at Spa is likely to be the final iteration of the car.
“There are no significant issues with the car or the engine now, aside from a couple of issues with downshifts that were not performing very well, so we have worked with ORECA on that.”
With deposits down but final payments pending, Ligier wasn’t able to give any exact up-to-date figures on customer sales. But this shouldn’t be read into as a cause for concern.
Ligier expects to retain its position in the marketplace as the constructor with the most customers as the footprint of the new-gen cars expands over the next two years.
It has ordered 40 engines from ORECA, is “almost sold out” of new cars and upgrade kits for customers looking to race in 2025 and has already taken orders from buyers in the USA, a marketplace that is not likely to adopt the new cars until 2026.
“We have a lot of happy customers and they want to stay happy,” said de Gail. “We have built more than 100 cars for each generation and we expect the same for this.”
Customer deliveries are expected to begin in October, assuming the timeline to final homologation isn’t extended beyond September.
Previously Ligier told DSC it planned to build at least 25 new cars and supply a further 15 update kits to teams.
During Le Mans week back in June, Richard Tur – the COO at Ligier Automotive – confirmed to DSC that it had already taken 12 orders for brand-new cars, and that number is believed to have grown since.
The final stop on DSC’s tour of LMP3 row came at ADESS‘ stand, where its AD25 test chassis was on display.
The Portuguese manufacturer remains as keen as ever to attract customers and reboot its LMP3 business, with Stephane Chosse, the head of ADESS, telling DSC that “positive talks are ongoing” with multiple teams that are keen to sample the car on track soon.
So far in testing the AD25 has hit the 2,000km mark after days spent running at Portimao and Estoril, with 21-year-old TCR regular Quique Bordas entrusted to run the car at this early stage.
Bordas isn’t the only driver set to put the car through its paces before customers get a turn though, as highly experienced LMP3 driver Wayne Boyd is set to test the AD25 in September.
In addition to its testing on track to this point, the car has also been on a six-post rig to test its new dampers. Beyond that straightline testing is planned at an airfield, before two more two-day tests at Portimao.
Up close the AD25 looks the part, with a revamped rear end that appears to feature significant improvements to serviceability. As previously mentioned, ADESS has also brought new dampers to the car from KW which look set to make a difference to the car’s performance on track.
While ADESS is under no illusion that attracting buyers will be a challenge, it remains positive that it will find a way onto the grid in some capacity next year.
“It’s not just about getting a team at all costs,” Chosse said. “It’s about getting the right team, a strong team that will give us a chance and show what our car can do.
“It’s up to us now to convince people, we will put our first potential customers in the car in early September.”
So what about Ginetta? The Yorkshire-based brand opted to forgo the opportunity to show its G61-LT-P3 Evo off at Spa in order to complete more testing in the UK.
So far the G61 Evo has been taken to Ginetta’s Blyton Park test track a number of times, Silverstone once and Donington Park twice. While an exact mileage figure is not available, Ginetta told DSC that the car has completed over 1000 kms ahead of a planned trip to continental Europe next month for some warm weather running with partner team CMR.
Feedback from Mike Simpson – Ginetta’s motorsport director – has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The cooling system for the engine has been working perfectly during running in temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius in the UK, with Ginetta reporting that it has not suffered from the same oil temperature issues caused by a homologated part that two of the other three marques have.
“We have a lot of technical expertise in cooling and developing cars with turbo-charged engines and it shows,” Simpson added.
Like ADESS, Ginetta is not expecting its LMP3 reboot to result in a huge number of sales. “Four to six cars running in the ACO paddock would be good for us,” Simpson explained. “We are not looking for hundreds of cars. This is a halo project for us and we want to give personal service to a handful of teams keen to join us on this journey.”
Ginetta is confident it will have a presence in the ACO paddock next year, but like its competitors, it is not yet able to disclose how many cars it has sold, nor how many teams it is talking to. Simpson did, however, confirm that build slots are still available for teams looking to compete with it next season.
Overall, the fight for customers for these new LMP3 cars is fierce right now, as the four manufacturers in play battle the evolving development timeline and work out how many cars they can and will deliver to teams in time for winter testing and the start of the ELMS and Le Mans Cup seasons next April.
How will it all shake out? We will have to wait a little longer to get the full picture…
A full gallery of the LMP3 Showcase can be found HERE >>>
