“It’s been too long,” team co-owner Richard Dean admitted to DSC after United Autosport’s victory at Paul Ricard on Sunday. How long? 924 days, to be exact, with Griffin Peebles, Gregoire Saucy and Ben Hanley delivering the team its first overall win in the European Le Mans Series since the 2023 season finale in Portimão.
With the Anglo-American team closing in on its long-awaited FIA WEC Hypercar debut with McLaren in 2027, and its IMSA LMP2 programme now fighting for silverware on a regular basis, its lack of results in the ELMS over the past two seasons was beginning to stand out. The sense of relief felt across the United garage in the aftermath of yesterday’s race only underlined that.
“The whole team here needed it,” Dean continued. “We’ve had a good start to the season, with a 1-2 in Sebring and a good result in Barcelona, so with the win today, it kind of confirms that we’re on an upward trend across everything we’re doing. Sometimes you just need that top step of the podium feeling to re-energise everybody.
“Nobody here needed motivating, but we’re proud. We’ve put a lot of work into the details. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing when you’re struggling. We’ve clearly found a path to success with our drivers and with both the Michelin tyre in LMP2 and the Goodyear here.
“I’d started to hear a few things about the Hypercar project taking too much priority. That’s absolutely not the case. Our focus has been on making sure we’re doing everything to the best of our ability and winning everything.
“We’re not far away from Hypercar and rolling that out, so I’m pleased we could show that we can do that with so much going on in the background.”
I’d started to hear a few things about the Hypercar project taking too much priority. That’s absolutely not the case
A big part of the win – and the start to the season, which has seen them take the championship lead ahead of Imola – stems from the collective performance of United’s three drivers in the #22 car. Sunday’s four hours dished up plenty of evidence that it has a well-balanced crew capable of fighting for the title.
Ben Hanley, a team stalwart, proved a nut too tough to crack at the end of the race when Reshad De Gerus was on a charge in Inter Europol’s lead car. Gregoire Saucy now clearly feels at one with the ORECA package and helped set up the result. And Griffin Peebles, who has the makings of a star of the future, may just be the most impressive Silver-graded driver in this year’s LMP2 field.
“When you’ve got three good drivers in the car, they can make your team look good, and your job a lot easier,” Dean explained.
“Griffin is doing a fabulous job, and I’m always mindful that you need to give these kids time and not fast-track them too quickly. But he’s very talented, and he’s soaking it up like a sponge.
“Ben, I wouldn’t want to race against him. If you’re going to pass him, you have to work hard. And Gregoire has just been loyal. He’s been with us, been patient when we’ve had a little drought on results. He’s positive, a true professional, the ultimate team player and a valued member of what we’re building.”
Is it too early to think about the title battle? While today’s triumph was a welcome boost to confidence, Hanley, whose last ELMS win was in 2019 during his tenure with DragonSpeed, stressed that the team shouldn’t get ahead of itself.
“Putting everything together, having a clean race, with a good car, is always great,” he summarised. “Hopefully, we’ll keep getting these podiums and maybe win a couple more races. We’ve just got to take it one race at a time and see where we end up at the end of the season.
“But one thing’s certain, it’s great to go into the break for Le Mans with the championship lead.”
