Electric-hydrogen LMPH2G debuts at Michelin Le Mans Cup in Francorchamps next week

A year ago, at the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps round of the 2018 European Le Mans Series, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and GreenGT launched the MissionH24 project to promote hydrogen in motor racing. At the time the electric-hydrogen LMPH2G test car completed a solo demonstration lap to illustrate its development potential and the safety of the technology before a knowledgeable audience.

On 20th September 2019, MissionH24 will reveal the progress made in the last 12 months during which a household name – Total – have joined the project. The LMPH2G prototype, now in the hands of the H24Racing team for its development into a racing machine, will take part in the two practice sessions for the fifth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, part of the ELMS Spa-Francorchamps support bill. The LMPH2G will therefore make its track debut in a race environment, amid other competitors.

During the two free practice sessions, the LMPH2G will refuel at the first mobile hydrogen filling station, designed by Total, especially for racing. A world premiere!  Earlier this year the LMPH2G was the first hydrogen car to complete a lap of the full circuit of the Le Mans 24 Hours on Saturday just before the race. 

To see H24Racing drivers Norman Nato and Olivier Lombard in action and witness the world’s first mobile hydrogen station of its type refueling the LMPH2G prototype, be sure to come to Spa-Francorchamps on Friday 20 September, 10:15–11:15 and 17:00–18:00.

Ligier presents the JS P320: next generation LMP3

Ligier is the first manufacturer to present their next generation LMP3 car which will be eligible to race as from the 2020 season in the ELMS and Michelin Le Mans Cup.  The JS P320, powered by the new Nissan V8 VK56 engine went on track at Magny Cours last week for the first time.  The successor of the very succesful Ligier JSP3 will be officially unveiled on Friday June 14th at Le Mans. 

In 2015, Ligier Automotive launched the Ligier JS P3, the French constructor’s first LM P3. Easy to run, competitive and reliable, it soon attracted many clients. The Ligier JS P3 has raced all over the world and clinched no fewer than five titles in 2018: the IMSA Prototype Challenge, European Le Mans Series, LM P3 Cup, V de V Endurance Series and Asian Le Mans Series with 26 victories in 34 races. Mission accomplished for the Ligier JS P3!

In 2020, it will give way to its younger sister, the Ligier JS P320, which will race in the European Le Mans Series, the Michelin Le Mans Cup and in the Ultimate Cup Series. But the Ligier JS P3 is not retiring! It will be competing in the 2019-2020 Asian Le Mans Series, the 2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge and the 2020-2021 Australian LM P3 Cup.

The Ligier Automotive design department worked flat out to create the Ligier JS P320 after the first discussions with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest on the new LM P3 regulations.“In 2014, when we designed the Ligier JS P3, the LM P3s were not supposed to race on the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit,” explains Nicolas Clemençon, Ligier Automotive Design Department Manager. “For the Ligier JS P320, we took this layout into account and optimised the car’s aerodynamics to make the car efficient on all the circuits. Some constructors brought out their LM P3 in 2017, three years after the Ligier JS P3. We’ve corrected the few youth weaknesses of the Ligier JS P3 and used all the knowhow accumulated with our sports prototypes in LM P2, the Ligier JS P2 and Ligier JS P217, to create an even more accomplished and competitive racer.”

With its modern hypercar look and the hollow in its nose, the Ligier trademark, the design of the Ligier JS P320 was dictated by the feedback from Ligier clients and drivers. With its 95% new bodywork, Ohlins dampers, a new more powerful Nissan V8 VK56 engine, an adapted cooling system and aerodynamics optimised for all the circuits, the Ligier JS P320’s aim is to surpass its elder sister. Olivier Jansonnie who supervised the technical direction of the project comments: “Our aim was to optimise the development of the Ligier JS P320 within the constraints of an evolution kit and a fixed budget. We focused on the fundamental parameters of performance: aerodynamic finesse, weight, cooling and damping while respecting the restrictions and freedoms imposed by the new regulations, in particular, the twin-element wing, the safety kit and the 290 km/h speed limit. We did a huge amount of work on the bodywork with the help of our partners EXA in CFD and HP Composites for the manufacturing process.”

The LM P3 teams have two options. Buy a new Ligier JS P320 for 239 000 euros excl. Taxes or transform their Ligier JS P3 into a Ligier JS P320 with the evolution kit ranging from 54 900 to 89 300 euros excl. Taxes.

The Ligier JS P320 passed the official crash test at 950 kg. It was then shaken down on the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit and did several runs with its new Nissan V8 VK56 engine last week. Additional tests are planned this week to validate some aero setups. Then it heads for the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit where the car will be available for presentations to clients and it will be unveiled to the public on 14th June.

Richard Tur, Ligier Automotive general manager concludes: “We’re proud to present this new JS P320 with its new modern, aggressive design. Its shakedown has confirmed the quality of the huge amount of work carried out by the Ligier teams as we’ve had no problems during the track tests. We very quickly highlighted the gains we’ve made while keeping the strengths of the JS P3 that have forged its reputation, robustness and its easy running characteristics.”

Testing will continue all July and tests for prospects will take place immediately afterwards. The first deliveries are scheduled for the last three months of 2019.

MLMC/Le Mans: 50 cars on the grid for the 2019 Road to Le Mans race

Curtain-raiser to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the third round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, the 2019 Road to Le Mans boasts an impressive 50-car grid of 17 GT3s and 33 LMP3s, including 34 cars from the Michelin Le Mans Cup, 12 cars from the European Le Mans Series and participants from the Asian Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. 

The glittering GT3 cast comprises Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Porsche, with Ligier and Norma in LMP3. Managed by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and its event organisation branch Le Mans Endurance Management, the Michelin Le Mans Cup is a series for both GT3s and LMP3s run alongside the European Le Mans Series at Le Castellet, Monza, Barcelona, Spa and Portimão stages. 

Racing often runs in the family and Road to Le Mans welcomes Yann Ehrlacher, son of Cathy Muller and nephew of Yvan Muller, Freddie Hunt, son of 1976 Formula One world champion James Hunt, two drivers that will represent Frédéric Sausset’s team and finally Jan Lammers, who celebrated his 24th Le Mans 24 Hours last year and who took part to the first edition of Road To Le Mans in 2016. 

Road to Le Mans takes he form of two 55-minute races on the Thursday and Saturday immediately before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, taking advantage of the same 13.626-kilometre circuit as the 62 competitors in the top-of-the-bill race that takes place over the weekend of 15-16 June. The support race lives up to its name, with many would-be 24-hour drivers revelling in the chance to drive on the legendary circuit cheered on by its world-famous crowds. They are right to dream of greater things: French driver Thomas Laurent won Road to Le Mans in 2016 and has taken up residence on the 24 Hours of Le Mans podium ever since.

The Road to Le Mans entry list automatically includes full-season Michelin Le Mans Cup participants and the selection committee extends invitations to other deserving teams with priority given to endurance series competitors such as the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. 

Download the provisional entry list here

MLMC: Lanan Racing wins incidentful opening race of the season

The Michelin Le Mans Cup season kicked off last Saturday in a grand style, filled with scrappy but great battles, incidents, safety cars, full course yellows and a raft of penalties applied!

In a race that was dominated by the speed of the Norma M30’s Duncan Tappy and Mike Benham in the #25 Lanan Racing Norma took the chequered flag for the win winners, the British duo keeping out of trouble after a penalty for the #3 DKR Norma pushed them into the lead late in the race. With the Lanan car on the top step the next seven places all went to the Norma M30 chassis, the first Ligier being the #24 United Autosports car of Boyd and Husain in ninth place.

Second on track was the #9 GRAFF Norma, however a 35 second post-race penalty for not reducing its speed to 80kph under FCY dropped them to fifth overall. The car was in contention throughout and led the race in the second half, before Tappy made a bold move up the inside past Eric Trouillet into Signes corner for second place. The #39 sister car which originally finished fourth received the same penalty dropping it to sixth overall. The two Graff penalties pushed the #3 DKR Engineering Norma of Kirmann and Horr to an eventual second place.

Fifth on the road was the #2 Nielsen Racing Norma of Tony Wells and Colin Noble 12 seconds behind the leader. Despite taking advantage of the two safety car periods Noble was unable claim a podium on a race result only but posthumously got to taste the champagne for third following the Graff penalties.

The first safety car period came after John Schauerman lost control of the #4 Cool Racing Ligier at the final corner, which sent him flying backwards into the inside armco hard. The second SC period came shortly after the race restarted, following contact between the #5 DKR Norma and #12 Eurointernational Ligier of Jean-Marc Littman at the same corner, ending Littman’s race and earning the DKR car a penalty. Penalties were handed out across the board for all sorts of infractions, including a 12 cars that had to head to the pits for two-minute stop and go for passing through a red light in pit lane resulting in a massive shake-up of the final positions. Finally, a Full Course Yellow (FCY) was thrown due to the RLR Msport Ligier of Tom Olsen hitting the barriers at the exit of Signes hard ending the team’s race.  

In the GT3 class the #8 Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 of Sergio Pianezzola and Giacomo Piccini won with an enormous lead after the Luzich Racing Ferrari was one of the cars handed a two-minute penalty for jumping the pitlane red light. However, the #8 were handed a penalty for a drive time infringement in the final minutes but their lead was so big that even after serving it, they finished over a minute ahead.

The #54 SPS Automotive Mercedes crossed the line second, benefitting from the penalties and various dramas in the class, ahead of the Luzich car which salvaged third. Two cars had late-race issues, the #51 Spirit of Race Ferrari, which suffered a puncture and eventually fell to seventh and the #7 Scuderia Villorba Corse Mercedes which lost a wheel in the closing laps and retired from fifth.  The Krypton Mercedes also promised a strong result but an early collision with the BHK Ligier damaged its front-end terminally meaning #83 SVC Lamborghini finished fourth and the #99 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage took fifth.

John Stevens

Sportscarglobal.com

Road to Le Mans: 50 cars on the grid

Fifty cars will take part in the 2018 ‘Road to Le Mans’ race this year. The race, which forms part of the Michelin Le Mans Cup series, is designed as a part of the ACO’s ‘Endurance Pyramid’ to give drivers a taste of racing at Le Mans in LMP3 and GT3 machinery before graduating to GTE, LMP2 or LMP1 cars. 

The race runs the full 13.6km of the world famous Sarthe ‘Circuit des 24 Heures’ and consists of 27 teams fielding 100 drivers covering 26 nationalities! In the LMP3 ‘Prototype’ class Norma, Ligier and Ginetta, line up looking for the overall win whilst Ferrari and Porsche will be fighting for the top step of the podium in GT3; however, the odds are stacked against the Porsche with a 7-1 advantage to Ferrari! 

In 2017 Ligier and Norma took a win each over each of the two 55 minute races, while it was a double for Aston Martin in GT3, so which brand will be victorious in 2018? 

Le Mans is a fast, low-downforce track so the Ginetta could be in with a fair chance having set the top speed through the speed-trap at the Monza round of 279.1 kph. Porsche was quickest of the GT3 machinery with a 275.5 kph, 1.4 kph faster than the Ferrari.

Many of the names will be familiar to those of us who follow the European Le Mans Series with 11 of the full-time teams choosing to attend the ‘one-off’ event this week. That said, many of the driver lineups have changed slightly; some like AT Racing merely dropping a driver (fielding their usual father and son team of the Talkanitsa’s with Mikkel Jensen stepping back), others such as M RACING – YMR fielding entirley changed lineups with Jonathan Bennett and Niclas Jönsson (ELMS regular in the Krohn Ferrari) in the #15 Ligier (#18 in the ELMS) and an all-French pairing of Laurent Millara and Natan Bihel in the #16 Norma (ELMS #19). 

Hong Kong based Win Motorsport are the only Asian Le Mans Series entrant to make the journey to the Sarthe fielding a Ligier JS P3 for William Lok and Jim Michaelian and we see eight entrants, 7 LMP3s and a single Ferrari GT3, who don’t regularly race in any of the ACO series (ELMS, ALMS or MLMC). 

The first practice session for the Road to Le Mans kicks off at 8.30 pm local time today where the drivers have sixty minutes to get used to the circuit and get the car set up just right.

Thursday sees Free Practice 2 first thing in the morning with the two qualifying sessions running from 1.30 pm – 2.25 pm later in the day. The green flag drops for the opening race at 5.30pm and the second race runs Saturday morning at 11.30am. 

Download the entry list here

This article was originally published by our friends at sportscarglobal.com

Michelin Le Mans Cup expands to 29 car grid

The Michelin Le Mans Cup continues to grow with another big increase in the number of full season entries for the 2018 season. No less than 29 cars will be on the grid for the first race at Le Castellet in April. 23 LMP3's and 6 GT3's will battle it out for this years title.

© Michelin Le Mans Cup

The LMP3 class grows up to a massive 23 cars this season, showing the success and importance the class has reached in the endurance racing ladder. Several teams are returning for their second season in the championship, many of them with multi-car entries. Other new teams are also joining the championship for six races around Europe, including the season highlight at Le Mans. For the first time, three manufacturers will be present in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Ligier, Norma and the return of one Ginetta.

DKR Engineering returns to defend its 2017 title, although with a new driver line-up. Last years champions Jean Glorieux and Alexander Toril are moving up to the European Le Mans Series this year, chasing down the European title. They will be replaced by Dutchman Léonard Hoogenboom and Jens Petersen from Germany. 2017 Vice Champions Tony Wells and Colin Noble return for a second shot at the title, in a 2-car effort by Nielsen Racing. 

United Autosports also returns and will lead the field with no less than three Ligier JSP3's. Matt Bell and Wayne Boyd will be joined by American James McGuire and Briton Richard Meins, with American Najaf Husain and Colin Braun in the third entry. French team Graff will also enter three cars, split between two Ligiers and one Norma. Swiss outfit Cool Racing is stepping up their efforts with a two-car entry. Motorsport 98 and Spirit of Race are both returning with an unchanged line-up. RLR M Sport also expands to two cars this season. Ross Warburton and Alex Kapadia will be joined by John Farano & Job Van Uitert.

A new face on the grid will be Japanese team TKS, which was invited for the Road to Le Mans race in 2017, and now enters the Michelin Le Mans Cup, bringing in the only Ginetta P3-15 on the 2018 grid for Shinyo Shano. Also new on the grid will be British teams Brookspeed International (Ligier) and Lanan Racing (Norma), both teams with on single car. There are also two new French teams: DB Autosport and CD Sport who are both racing Normas M30/Nissans. French teams Duqueine Engineering, N’Race and Spanish team SPV Racing complete the LMP3 grid for this season.

Despite the growth in LMP3, the GT3 grid stays on the same level with 6 cars confirmed for a full season campaign. Last season saw 4 manufacturers on the grid, in 2018 it's a battle of a lonely Porsche against 5 Ferrari's. 2017 champions Ebimotors return to defend their title but will switch their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for a brand new Porsche 911 GT3 R. A return for the team to Stuttgart's finest after racing with Porsche in the past. Paolo Venerosi and Alessandro Baccani will share the wheel of the 911. Kessel Racing arrives with 3 Ferrari F488 GT3's, with two Italian and one British driver crews. Spirit of Race are back for a third season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Christoph Ulrich and Maurizio Mediani in the #51 Ferrari. AF Corse complete the six-car line up with Marco Cioci and Piergiuseppe Perazzini sharing the #71 F488.

Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO: “Three years after announcing the Michelin Le Mans Cup I am very happy to see the grid significantly increase in size once again. The 2018 Michelin Le Mans Cup will feature some of the top teams and drivers from the world of endurance. The series also gives bronze drivers the maximum amount of track time on some of the best circuits in Europe and the fact the grid has increased by nearly 50% in 2018 is testament to appeal of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. The Road to Le Mans also attracts drivers and teams looking to compete on the full circuit at La Sarthe, giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents.”

Gérard Neveu, CEO of the Michelin Le Mans Cup: “The Michelin Le Mans Cup continues to grow stronger and we are extremely pleased to see a healthy 29 car grid for the 2018 season. The LMP3 class is the endurance racing success story and with 18 cars in the European Le Mans Series there will be 41 LMP3 cars from three different manufacturers at each of the race meetings in 2018, which will be a phenomenal sight. More than ever the Michelin Le Mans Cup turns out to be a great platform to move up the Endurance ladder; to compete in the European Le Mans Series and, for the best, race in the WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There promises to be some great racing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup this season.” The 2018 Michelin Le Mans Cup will start at the Circuit Paul Ricard with the collective test on 11 April followed by round one at the same venue on the 14 April.

Download the 2018 entry list here !

Kristof Vermeulen.

Larbre Competition moves to the Michelin Le Mans Cup and applies for Le Mans

Larbre Competition has applied to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest for the entry of two Ligier JS P3s in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and will also submit a request for one Ligier JS P217 in the Le Mans 24 Hours, for what would be the French outfit’s 25th participation.

For the past 30 years, Larbre Competition built up a strong cv in the GT ranks with various manufacturers, including Porsche, Ferrari, Chrysler, Aston Martin, Saleen and Corvette. Its first and so far only appearance in a prototype class was in 2014 when Jack Leconte's team entered a Morgan LMP2 in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The French team now switches from its Corvette C7R to a pair of Ligier JS P3s in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, the European championship offering six rounds including the two-hour Road to Le Mans race. Additionally, Larbre is hoping to partake in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. While its two JS P3s will compete in the Road to Le Mans, the team has also requested an entry for the 24 Hours with a Ligier JSP217.




Fernando Rees has already been appointed as the designated driver for the JSP217.  The Brazilian driver has raced for Larbre on many occasions in the past with Aston Martin, Saleen and Corvette. His last outing with the team was at last seasons 24 Hours of Le Mans where he shared the "Human" Corvette with Romain Brandela and Christian Philippon. 

Whether Larbre Competition will get its entry for the 24 hours remains doubtful with already an increase in auto entries through the growing FIA WEC field and lots of teams from the European and Asian Le Mans Series applying for an entry in June.

Jack Leconte, Larbre Competition Team Manager: “Larbre Competition has competed 24 times at the Le Mans 24 Hours, but only once with a prototype in 2014. Then, we ran a Morgan LMP2, establishing a partnership with Jacques Nicolet and Onroak Automotive. Today, we wish to use our 30-year experience in endurance racing for a new adventure, heading towards the LMP2 and LMP3 classes. Choosing Ligier was obvious, as it allows us to compete in two classes, and work with Onroak Automotive again. In addition to this, we are delighted to welcome Fernando back to the team. Last year at Le Mans he set pole position in the LM GTE-Am at the wheel of our Corvette, and will be a great asset to get our Ligier JS P217 to the front of the pack.”

Michelin Le Mans Cup: DKR Engineering dominates in Austria

Alex Toril and Jean Glorieux extended their Le Mans Cup championship lead on Saturday when they crossed the line first at Austria’s Red Bull Ring in their #3 DKR Engineering Norma M30 Nissan LMP3. 

SPV Motorsport started from pole position in their Ligier JSP3, edging out the eventual race winners with just 0,01 seconds in the final lap op qualifying. Jean Glorieux didn't wait too long to take the lead in his Norma M30 and passed Alvaro Fontes in the second lap of the race, immediately building up a gap to the rest of the field. 

When Alain Costa spins into the gravel at T4, the first full course yellow of the race is being waived. At the restart Alex Kapadia in the #14 RLR Msport Ligier - who started on 18th position - dives into second place and starts to close the gap with the leading Norma, down to 3,4 seconds. 

Fuel, tyres and new drivers in the pitstop window, after which Alex Toril in the #3 Norma now leads Ross Warburton in the #14 Ligier. The RLR M-Sport team didn't comply with the minimum pitstop time, so had to take a stop & go penalty, crushing down their chances for a victory or a podium finish. The #79 Nielsen Racing Ligier of  Colin Noble now got up to second, with the #65 Graff Ligier of Emilien Carde behind in third position.

Alexander Toril held on to his lead in the final part of the race to cross the line first with a 13,5 second margin on the #79 Ligier and the #65 Graff Ligier. This is the second win for the team after their success at the Road to Le Mans race last month. In the championship, DKR Engineering (61 points) now has a 17 point lead over Nielsen Racing (44 points).  

In the GT3 class the honours went to the #46 Ebimotors Lamborghini Huracan where Emanuele Busnelli and Fabio Babini took a lights to flag win from pole position. The #51 Spirit of Race Ferrari 458 Italia which had been fast all weekend in the hands of Italian Maurizio Mediani and Swiss Christoph Ulrich finished second 15.746 behind the Lamborghini. Flick Haigh and Joe Osborne brought Optimum Motorsport’s #75 Audi R8 LMS home for the final step on the podium in 1:59:37.233, 24.6 seconds adrift of the winners. 

The #5 Ram Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 of Remon Vos and Tom Onslow-Cole failed to finish after an incident in the second hour at Turn 1. Contact with an LMP3 (#33) left the right rear wheel of the Mercedes smashed as Vos spun at the end of the T1 kerbs. Although the Mercedes made it back to the pits the car was retired after 1:11:26.907 and 44 laps. 

Race results

Championship standings

Kristof Vermeulen

Part of this article first was published at www.sportscarglobal.com 

Michelin Le Mans Cup: Launch in Portimão & second race at Le Mans

The Michelin Le Mans Cup will be launched at Portimão with a collective test session on April 22 and 23. 

© 2016 Gabi Tomescu / AdrenalMedia.com

All competitors in LMP3 and GT3 will be on track together for the first time in 2017 in preparation for the season opener at Monza on May 14th. This test will also give the teams a chance to discover the Portimão track on which the final race of the Michelin Le Mans Cup and the European Le Mans Series will be held in October.

The ELMS teams are also invited to take part in this collective test, one weekend after the opening round at Silverstone. With seven hours of practice available each day, this might help the teams in preparation for their second race in Monza and for those teams invited to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

© 2016 Gabi Tomescu / AdrenalMedia.com

After the success of the first Road to Le Mans race in 2016, the ACO announced the return of the Le Mans Cup and the addition of a second race as a curtain-raiser to the Le Mans 24 Hours. Two races will be reserved exclusively for LMP3 and GT3 cars, with an increased number of entries to 46 cars. 

The teams racing the full Michelin Le Mans Cup will be automatically accepted for the event at Le Mans. In the selection of the other participants, the selection committee will give priority to teams entered for the European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Spring Cup and the WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. 

Last year, the Road to Le Mans race was held on Saturday morning, ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year an additional race will be held on Thursday afternoon. The 2017 schedule will be as followed:

- Wednesday 14th June: Two one-hour practice sessions; 

- Thursday 15th June: Two 20-minute qualifying sessions + race 55 minutes (17h30);

- Saturday 17th June: Race 55 minutes (11h30).

2 drivers will be eligible to race, with a minimum driving time of 20 minutes in the race per driver and a pit stop lasting minimum one minute within a defined time window. To comply with the regulations of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, one gold driver is accepted in the driver line-up. The second driver has to be a bronze driver. 

The entries for the Michelin Le Mans Cup will close on March 7th.  Entries for the Road to Le Mans open on March 10th and close on April 6th. 

Kristof Vermeulen.

The Michelin Le Mans Cup unveils its new identity

In 2017, the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup will be known simply as the Michelin Le Mans Cup with the introduction of LMP3 alongside GT3.

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This new logo with simple, yet timeless lines was created to reflect the values, the dynamism of the series and to provide an instantly recognisable brand for the Michelin Le Mans Cup, with the colour scheme matching those of the title sponsor. 

The latest news of the Michelin Le Mans Cup can be found at www.lemanscup.com and also on the social media feeds: 

Facebook: Le Mans Cup 

Twitter: @LeMansCup

Instagram: @LeMansCup 

The 2017 Michelin Le Mans Cup will be held over six races in Monza (Italy), Le Castellet (France), Red Bull Ring (Austria), Spa (Belgium) and Portimão (Portugal). The highlight of the calendar will be the ‘Road to Le Mans’ race on the morning of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.   

Michelin Le Mans GT3 Cup opens its doors for LMP3 in 2017

The ACO announced this afternoon that the Michelin Le Mans GT3 Cup will open its doors for LMP3 cars in 2017. 

© Gabi Tomescu / AdrenalMedia.com

There will be two different classifications, separate podiums and titles on offer, and full details will be published in the coming weeks. For GT3 and LMP3 entrants this move is a logical step, and provides access towards the increasingly higher levels of competition in LMGTE and LMP2.

The Road To Le Mans model, which ran with great success this year, will now be transformed into a 2-hour endurance race, which will count for the entire Michelin Le Mans Cup season. 

The already published 2017 calendar will feature five rounds alongside the European Le Mans Series at Monza, Red Bull Ring, Le Castellet, Spa-Francorchamps and Portimão. In addition, competitors have as their second round of the championship in June at the high profile Road to Le Mans event, the curtain-raiser to the main event – the Le Mans 24 Hours. 

The three categories of competition in the European Le Mans Series, LMP2, LMP3 and LMGTE, will remain, but the addition of the new arena for LMP3 offers more flexibility in terms of calendars, budgets and levels of competition for teams and drivers. No big changes to the 2017 sporting regulations are expected, and these regulations will be available soon. 

The prize money will of course be maintained for the two categories GT3 and LMP3.

At the end of the season, the first LMP3 cars in the Michelin Le Mans Cup will receive an invitation to join the European Le Mans Series the following season, while the lowest placed LMP3 cars in the ELMS classification will be transferred to the Michelin Le Mans Cup. 

President of the ACO, Pierre Fillon commented: “It has been very satisfying to see this first season of the new championship come to fruition, and to know that it corresponds fully with the Spirit of Le Mans. There has been a high level of sporting success, and 2016 has formed a good basis on which to grow and develop this first step on the endurance ladder. The final results are a demonstration of the performance, enthusiasm and commitment to these European Le Mans Series and Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup events.”

Gérard Neveu, CEO of the European Le Mans Series and Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup added: “In Europe there is a growing demand for LMP3 cars and we have recognised this by extending the options for entrants and providing the perfect stage for them on which to compete. We should not forget that this prototype category was created and developed by the ACO and it is the first step on this fantastic adventure that is endurance racing. 2017 promises to be even better, but first we must celebrate the end of the 2016 season!

Pascal Couasnon, Director of Michelin Motorsport: “It’s really good news to see the Michelin Le Mans Cup grid getting bigger and offering even better opportunities for the GT3 and LMP3 teams in endurance racing. Michelin is delighted to continue to be a major partner in this discipline.”

Provisional Michelin Le Mans Cup 2017 Calendar

13 May: Monza (Italy) 

17 June: Road to Le Mans (France) 

22 July: Red Bull Ring (Austria) 

26 August: Le Castellet (France) 

23 September: Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 

21 October: Portimão (Portugal) 

Kristof Vermeulen.