IDEC Sport took a sensational home victory at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Mathys Jaubert sealing the deal in a thrilling edition of the 4 Hours of Le Castellet. Bringing the No. 18 Oreca-Gibson across the line just 1.8 seconds ahead of the competition, Jaubert—alongside teammates Jamie Chadwick and Daniel Juncadella—claimed the team’s second LMP2 win of the season in IDEC’s 10th anniversary year.
The race was packed with drama from start to finish, set against a backdrop of unpredictable weather and strategic gambles. Rain began falling during the formation laps, catching out several teams. Spins and collisions plagued the opening moments, triggering an early Safety Car and a flurry of pit lane activity as slicks were quickly traded for wets.
Despite the chaos, Tony Wells delivered a stunning opening stint for the No. 27 Nielsen Racing Oreca, putting the car firmly in LMP2 Pro/Am contention. He handed over to Sergio Sette Camara and then James Allen, who fought off a hard-charging Louis Delétraz in the AO by TF Oreca to claim class victory and second overall.
In LMGT3, the battle was just as fierce. Lilou Wadoux, behind the wheel of the No. 50 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari, held off a relentless challenge from Fabien Schiller in the Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG. The French driver crossed the line just 0.305s ahead, securing her second consecutive class win in the ELMS and marking another historic race where female drivers stood atop the podium in both LMP2 and LMGT3 categories—Chadwick in overall and Wadoux in GT.
CLX Motorsport dominated the LMP3 class once again. The trio of Paul Lanchère, Theodor Jensen, and Adrien Closmenil cruised to a commanding win, their second pole-to-flag triumph of the season, finishing nearly 25 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals.
Rain, Risks, and Rebounds
With the race declared wet before the start, strategy became everything. As rain began falling mid-formation lap, chaos quickly ensued. Several cars—including United Autosports’ No. 22 and IDEC Sport’s No. 28—spun out at Turn 1. A major collision between AF Corse’s No. 83 and Team Virage’s No. 8 brought out the first of three Safety Cars.
When the action resumed, those who gambled early on wets, like Jakob Smiechowski (Inter Europol Competition) and Duncan Cameron (Spirit of Race Ferrari), surged forward. Cameron built a 30-second lead in LMGT3 before handing over to Matt Griffin. In LMP3, Stephane Tribaudini snatched the lead from Torsten Kratz in a bold move at Turn 12, while Closmenil quietly climbed into third, waiting for his moment.
The second Safety Car was brought out when Aliaksandr Malykhin spun and crashed into the barriers at Signes. As strategies unfolded and teams timed their switches back to slicks, Ferdinand Habsburg made the first move—eventually reaping the reward as lap times plummeted by over eight seconds.
The final hour brought a flurry of decisive pit stops and fierce on-track duels. The No. 28 IDEC Sport Oreca collided and ended up in the wall, setting up a tense final restart. From there, Mathys Jaubert took the reins and never looked back, pulling out just enough of a gap to complete his final stop and rejoin still in the lead.
Meanwhile, James Allen passed Clement Novalak (No. 29 TDS Racing) in the closing stages to secure second overall and the LMP2 Pro/Am victory—Nielsen Racing’s first in the category. Novalak settled for second in class and third overall, while Mathias Beche brought the TDS Racing car home in third for the class podium.
A Historic Day for ELMS
This race wasn’t just about the checkered flag—it marked a historic moment for women in motorsport. Jamie Chadwick became the first female driver to win an ELMS race overall, while Lilou Wadoux repeated her LMGT3 class win, making it back-to-back victories for female talent in Europe’s top endurance series.
The podium in LMGT3 was tightly packed, with the top five cars separated by just 5.2 seconds. GR Racing’s No. 86 Ferrari clinched third, just 1.6 seconds behind the leader.
In LMP3, Closmenil’s flawless final stint sealed a dominant win for CLX Motorsport, with the No. 68 M Racing and No. 11 Eurointernational Ligiers following behind.
Looking Ahead
With two dramatic rounds in the books, all eyes now turn to the next challenge: the 4 Hours of Imola on July 6. But before that, many ELMS stars will shift focus to the grand stage of endurance racing—the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14–15.
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By Matt Hancock
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