The Le Mans Cup will adopt a three-class system for the 2025 season, with the addition of a separate LMP3 category for Silver/Silver and Silver/Gold driver pairings. These line-ups will be placed in a class known simply as ‘LMP3’.
Bronze-graded drivers will still be permitted to compete in the ELMS support series. They will placed in an ‘LMP3 Pro/Am’ class, which will cater to Bronze/Bronze, Bronze/Silver and Bronze/Gold line-ups.
This change coincides with the debut of the new-for-2025 LMP3 cars in the series from Ligier, Duqueine, ADESS and Ginetta, powered by a Toyota V35A 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine.
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest reiterated that LMP3 remains a key category for the ACO going forward.
“Its success, particularly in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, is beyond any doubt,” he added.
“This championship – the foundation of the endurance pyramid – will see the introduction of a third class next season to bring greater equality and density to the LMP3 field. It will offer highly talented driver crews an opportunity to launch their career in this particularly challenging competition.”
Frédéric Lequien, Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) CEO, added that this change will provide further opportunities for up-and-coming drivers on the ACO ladder in the future.
“The LMP3 category has been a huge success since its introduction by the ACO in 2015,” he said. “The Michelin Le Mans Cup has provided a great introduction to Endurance Racing for drivers of all abilities, from the amateur to the young professional embarking on their career.
“To bolster the opportunities for the young professional, it has been decided to allow silver-silver or silver-gold driver combinations to race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup for the first time, while maintaining the unique opportunity for bronze drivers to race in their own category on some of Europe’s best tracks, including the full 13km Le Mans circuit in June.”
