Time for TikTok
With the European Le Mans Series finally realising that the DSC Editor’s demographic is ill-served by its social media content, its response has been to launch a TikTok Channel, in addition to the other social media platforms for the ELMS.
The ELMS will produce high-quality video content that will be unique to TikTok. This may (or may not) include Eduardo Freitas (above) twerking, a ‘hilarious’ ‘prank’ where championship organisers storm into team hospitality units and upturn tables, and the issuing of a favourable BoP for the Aston Martin Vantage.
Coverage on TikTok starts this weekend (which, despite the tone above, DSC thinks is a great idea!).
IDEC’s late switch
Paul Lafargue is to miss his first ELMS race since his return from back surgery in late 2018.
The Silver-rated ELMS Championship winner and 2024 Le Mans class podium finisher has chosen to step back for the Imola race to attend to an urgent family commitment.
He is replaced in the #28 IDEC Sport Oreca by Marcos Seibert who will make his LMP2 debut this weekend.
The Ultimate LMP3 effort meanwhile sees another switch in its driver squad – Paul Launcher steps in as the Bronze after Alexandre Yvon (Barcelona) and Eric Trouillet (Paul Ricard) previously competed alongside Jean Baptiste and Matthieu Lahaye. Yvon had been slated to return this weekend, but he is now not down to drive.
IDEC defends Pit Stop Challenge title
There was better news for IDEC Sport as it retained the ELMS Pitstop Challenge by TotalEnergies title yesterday after two rounds held in baking hot conditions.
IDEC Sport (pictured top) and Ultimate both retained the titles they won last year in Aragon, while Iron Dames became the first crew to win the LMGT3 title.
The Semi-Final saw the top four teams from yesterday’s qualifying go head-to-head in each of the three classes, with IDEC Sport and Duqueine Team in LMP2, Ultimate and COOL Racing in LMP3 and Iron Dames and Formula Racing all going through to the final.
The IDEC Sport crew clinched the LMP2 title for the second year in a row by changing all four wheels in 15.357s, 1.966s faster than the Duqueine Team crew.
Ultimate was successful for the second time with the crew completing the pit stop in 15.810s, 1.717s faster than COOL Racing.
The Iron Dames crew set the fastest time in the final, changing all four wheels in 13.657, 1.663s ahead of the Formula Racing crew, whose 15.320s was the second fastest of the six teams in the final.
As well as receiving the official Pit Stop Challenge Winners Trophies, each member of the winning crew received a 150€ TotalEnergies fuel card.
Bronze Test led by Proton
Friday evening’s Bronze driver test session saw Giorgio Roda top the times in his Proton Competition ORECA, the Italian lapping in a best time of 1:33.978, a second clear of Neilsen Racing’s John Falb.
LMP3 saw Torsten Kratz quickest in the #12 WTM by Rinaldi Duqueine, his 1:40.411 half a second clear of Matthew Bell’s best in the #31 Eurointernational Ligier.
Seek DeBoer meanwhile topped LMGT3, his best of 1:43.479 a couple of tenths clear of Hiroshi Hamaguchi in the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini.
New car for GR
GR Racing’s staff have been forced to build up a brand new 296 LMGT3 for the rest of the weekend after its original chassis sustained heavy damage in a Bronze Test incident yesterday.
The team worked flat out overnight to prep its new car, which took part in Free Practice 2 this morning, complete with spare bodywork not yet fully liveried up.
The best news of all was that driver Mike Wainwright was unhurt in the incident.
