The 2024 European Le Mans Series season, with all its twists and turns, was one of the most dramatic and exciting in recent memory.
All six races were action packed and the title races in all four classes went down to the wire last Saturday in Portimão. It really was one for the ages…
So after a few deep breaths, let’s take one final look at this year’s European campaign and celebrate the worthy set of champions it produced.
AO by TF’s mid-season run makes the difference in LMP2
LMP2’s Teams’ and Drivers’ championships went the way of AO by TF and its trio of Jonny Edgar, Louis Deletraz and Robert Kubica, who all enjoyed standout seasons.
AO by TF, one of the hot favourites in the pre-season due to the team’s pedigree and its eye-catching line-up, started the year slowly, with just six points on the board after Barcelona. But that sloppy first outing would prove to be the only true blot on the page by the end of the year. The #14 crew grew into the season race by race, with the highlight run of the year coming at Spa as the title races began to take shape.
Looking back the pole and win for the US-flagged, UK-run outfit in Belgium was a statement of intent. It was proof that this team meant business, racing in a category littered with star power from the 11 teams entered.
The title-deciding 4 Hours of Portimão was no easy ride, the team finishing second after a rather quiet run through race week. But it was a calculated performance, one which demonstrated the team’s patience and the ability of its three drivers.
The aim was clear: finish ahead of Inter Europol’s #43 crew and Panis Racing’s trio in the #65. And it did just that, coming home second, behind only the #37 COOL Racing ORECA, which ironically, looked destined to be the car to beat in 2024 after Malthe Jakobsen, Ritomo Miyata and Lorenzo Fluxa stormed to victory in Spain.
Reflecting on the season, Edgar – a clear star for the future, who in his first year of prototype racing produced multiple standout drivers on both sides of the Atlantic – explained that his expectations were high from the get-go.
“When I got the opportunity to drive with Louis and Robert I knew I would have a good chance to win, and a really good opportunity to learn in my first year in sportscars,” he said. “I’m so happy we managed to finish off the season by winning it all.”
The associated stats speak for themselves. For Edgar, it’s an LMP2 title win in his debut season, a third for Robert Kubica and a fourth for Louis Deletraz, who now boasts three in the ELMS and one in the FIA WEC.
AO by TF’s haul of trophies also added to what has become a historic month for AO Racing, which sealed GTD Pro title honours at Petit Le Mans in IMSA prior to the ELMS’ final race with ‘Rexy’.
Looking elsewhere in the class, it wouldn’t be fair to wrap up the LMP2 season without recognising the efforts of the Charles Milesi-led Panis Racing crew, who pushed to the very end and the Centenary Le Mans LMP2 winner, Inter Europol Competition, which claimed second in the standings.
Like AO By TF, Inter Europol has thrived racing in both IMSA and the ELMS this year and continues to assume the role of an LMP2 ‘Super Team’, which can proudly stand alongside the likes of United Autosports, COOL Racing and Algarve Pro Racing as one of the best in the business.
Heading into Round 6 Sascha Fassbender’s team had eyes on a historic double after clinching the IMSA LMP2 crown the weekend prior. But it wasn’t meant to be in the end, Sebastian Alverez, Vlad Lomko and Tom Dillmann coming home fourth, just four seconds behind the winning COOL ORECA after the tense final hour.
A 10-second time penalty for a VSC infringement – which was rescinded after it was served – cost the team dearly.
“Of course, we’ll never know what could have been, but for sure, without the penalty, we would have had more of a chance,” said Dillmann.
Perrodo’s trophy cabinet swells
It feels like it doesn’t matter what you throw at the Francois Perrodo-AF Corse combination, they’ll win the title anyway.
Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Alessio Rovera were crowned LMP2 Pro/Am champions on the final lap of the final race. They won it all by just two points over the drivers in the #20 Algarve Pro Racing ORECA, which coughed and spluttered its way to the finish line after a failed attempt at what would have been the mother of all fuel-save runs.
Perrodo’s record is truly remarkable at this point. In the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Frenchman has three GTE Am titles and one in the LMP2 Pro/Am Cup since 2016. At Le Mans, he has two class wins. And in the ELMS, with Saturday’s result, he now has two LMP2 Pro/Am championships on the bounce too.
In an era where Bronze drivers are hot property and the level is only getting higher, Perrodo continues to rack up results. He’s never been one to stick his car on pole each weekend, he’s just metronomic behind the wheel during every race, and seemingly always finds a way to lay strong foundations for his teammates to build on towards the end.
Throughout the year the Pro/Am class delivered a number of memorable moments and performances.
Giorgio Roda – the Qualifying king – continues to improve behind the wheel of an LMP2 car, Rodrigo Sales, Mathias Beche and Gregoire Saucy were worthy title contenders for TDS Racing and Kriton Lentoudis, Richard Bradley and Alex Quinn were perhaps the surprise package of the season for Algarve Pro.
But once again, with the help the hefty 1-2 punch of Vaxiviere and Rovera, it was Francois Perrodo’s #83 which finished on top.
“I’ve been very lucky, and I need it to sink in,” he said after the race. “It’s extremely special, especially after a difficult race in Mugello. But we lose together, we win together.”
Julien and Henrion earn their stripes as RLR takes P3 honours
The final ELMS season for the Gen 2 LMP3 cars produced its fair share of twists and turns.
It’s a class that, due to its pit stop regulations, often produces races that are tough to read. But its place in the ELMS remains justified, as a formula that continues to provide a platform for young, aspirant talent on their way up the endurance ladder.
It came down to a three-way battle this year at Portimao, with RLR M Sport and its crew of Michael Jensen, Nick Adcock and Gael Julien taking the championship by a single point over Eurointernational, and nine over Team Virage.
After Gillian Henrion produced a remarkable fuel-save run to win the 4 Hours of Mugello for Virage, this time it was Gael Julien’s turn to stand in the spotlight and deliver.
Towards the end of the race, the teenage Frenchman steered the team to second in class after the team was handed a drive-through for speeding in pit lane. His spirited effort saw the #15 Ligier rise up the order from sixth after the final safety car of the race and included a daring move on the rival Eurointernational JS P320.
“I don’t think words can describe how tense it was for us in the garage,” Nick Adcock explained when asked about the closing stages. “Every minute felt like an hour. But he does his thing, once he got his sights locked on someone, they became his victim.”
All three teams had their moments and would have been worthy champions. In the end though, the British-flagged team from Towcester would prevail and as a result, find themselves planning for an LMP2 berth at Le Mans next year.
Last gasp pass sees Iron Lynx win LMGT3 Royal Rumble
It was fitting really that LMGT3’s nine-car title showdown would come down to a move on the final corner on the final lap of the season.
Yes, it was team orders that delivered Iron Lynx its title in the end, but that shouldn’t take any of the shine off the achievement for Hiroshi Hamaguchi, Axcil Jeffries and Andrea Caldarelli.
LMGT3’s debut season in the ELMS has had an entirely different feel to the category’s introductory campaign in the FIA WEC.
On the world stage, LMGT3 was dominated by Manthey and Porsche, and it took arguably half a season to begin producing entertaining races.
However, in Europe, the LMGT3 title battle was anything but dull. This was a season in which stringing two or more strong finishes together seemed like a nigh-on impossible task for most of the field.
Thus, the final race weekend saw nine of the 11 cars in with a shot at glory, causing a door-banging contest that with a squint of the eyes, had the look of a 10-lap touring car sprint.
The closing stages the permutations shifted almost lap by lap, as Kessel Racing’s #57 Ferrari fought its way to the front and Iron Lynx’s Lamborghini reeled in the Iron Dames Porsche.
In the end, Andrea Caldarelli was released by Michelle Gatting, who showed enough pace without the instructed positional switch to score the all-female crewed Porsche its second win. She also could have snatched what would have felt like the most unlikely title for the luckless outfit had things panned out a little differently in the closing stages.
The switch at the final turn saw Kessel’s hopes quickly fade to black and Iron Lynx’s garage erupt.
“I can’t believe we did it!” Exclaimed Andrea Piccini, the CEO of Iron Lynx. “If you remember that we had been leading the championship from the beginning, then with two very bad races to unlucky contact with LMP2s, we thought we were finished. When we came here, we tried our best from the beginning.
“But, as the race was progressing, we started to believe more and more that we could do it. And at the end, it was just between us and the Iron Dames, and we were able to make it happen.
“This is an incredible achievement for everyone in the Iron Lynx family to celebrate and is a great reward for all of the hard work which has been put in by all of us this year after many ups and downs.”
And with that, the countdown to the 2025 season is underway and with the series set to be heavily oversubscribed, it has a lot to live up to.
But as the series continues to prove year on year, its format lends itself to high drama and entertainment at every turn. For that reason, we can’t wait to get a step back into the paddock next year at Barcelona for the Prologue and do it all over again…
