VDS Panis Racing Take Back-to-Back Wins as Drama Unfolds in the Ardennes
The legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit once again delivered a thriller as the no.48 VDS Panis Racing Oreca-Gibson, driven by Oliver Gray, Esteban Masson, and Charles Milesi, stormed to their second consecutive victory in the 2025 European Le Mans Series. After four hours of relentless action, multiple Safety Cars, and last-lap drama, the French squad now head to Silverstone as the new championship leaders.
There were also firsts and fiercely contested battles elsewhere: Team Virage dominated LMP3, Algarve Pro Racing topped the LMP2 Pro/Am class, and Racing Spirit of Léman’s Aston Martin Vantage claimed an emotional LMGT3 victory, making them the fourth different manufacturer to win in the category this season.
Perfect Conditions After a Chaotic Qualifying
Following a rain-soaked qualifying session on Saturday, the Ardennes greeted teams with glorious sunshine and 32 cars lined up on the grid for the start of the 10th edition of the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
In LMP2, Cem Bölükbaşı led the field away from pole in the no.24 Nielsen Racing Oreca, chased hard by Jonas Ried in the no.9 Iron Lynx Proton and Oliver Gray in the no.48 VDS Panis Racing Oreca.
The start, however, was far from clean for the LMP2 Pro/Am field. PJ Hyett’s no.99 AO by TF Oreca was tipped into a spin by Rodrigo Sales in the no.29 TDS Racing entry, triggering chaos at La Source. Giorgio Roda, starting from pole in the no.77 Proton Competition Oreca, was blocked in the melee. Sales was later handed a drive-through penalty for causing the incident, while Hyett recovered brilliantly to retain the class lead ahead of John Falb’s no.27 Nielsen Racing and the no.20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca of Kriton Lentoudis, who had started at the back of the grid.
Early LMGT3 Drama and Daring Overtakes
Further down the order, Clement Mateu made a lightning start in the no.59 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin Vantage, snatching the LMGT3 lead from the pole-sitting no.55 Spirit of Race Ferrari of Duncan Cameron.
Meanwhile, Celia Martin in the no.85 Iron Dames Porsche wasted no time piling on the pressure, diving past Cameron for second place by lap three. Behind them, Martin Berry was charging through the pack in the no.63 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG, recovering from a five-place grid penalty carried over from Imola and climbing to third place by lap five.
At the sharp end of LMP2, Oliver Gray launched his charge. First, he breezed past Ried on the Kemmel Straight into Les Combes, then capitalised when Bölükbaşı was delayed behind an LMP3 car at Raidillon, seizing the overall lead for VDS Panis Racing.
Virtual Safety Cars, Strategy, and Setbacks
The race saw its first major interruption just before the 40-minute mark when Jacques Wolff in the no.31 Racing Spirit of Léman Ligier became stranded in the gravel at Les Combes, triggering a Virtual Safety Car followed by a 26-minute Safety Car period.
When racing resumed, chaos erupted almost immediately:
Manuel Maldonado crashed heavily at Turn 15 in the no.22 United Autosports Oreca, fortunately escaping unscathed.
John Falb also went off in the no.27 Nielsen Racing Oreca at Turn 17, ending his race.
Another Safety Car was deployed, forcing teams to rethink strategies. In LMGT3, the restart worked perfectly for Celia Martin, who snatched the class lead in the Iron Dames Porsche, while the entire LMP2 Pro/Am field pitted simultaneously to maximise the neutralisation.
Just four minutes later, the drama returned when the no.23 United Autosports McLaren slid into the gravel at Turn 11, prompting yet another VSC and another reshuffle in pit strategies.
The Battle Intensifies at Half-Distance
By the halfway mark, the race was boiling over:
Vlad Lomko led overall in the no.10 Vector Sport Oreca, but Esteban Masson in the no.48 VDS Panis Oreca was closing fast, closely followed by Nick Yelloly in the no.43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca.
Alex Quinn had powered the no.20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca into the LMP2 Pro/Am lead, holding off Mathias Beche in the no.29 TDS Racing.
In LMGT3, Erwan Bastard reclaimed the lead for the no.59 Aston Martin, passing Lorcan Hanafin’s no.63 Iron Lynx Mercedes at La Source after a breathtaking move.
Moments later, Masson made his decisive pass for the overall lead, storming past Lomko on the Kemmel Straight, while Yelloly moved into second.
LMP3 Chaos and Penalties Shake Up the Order
In LMP3, Paul Lanchere initially dominated in the no.17 CLX Motorsport Ligier, but his race unravelled after a drive-through penalty for a start infringement. Soon after, teammate Adrien Closmenil suffered further heartbreak, retiring the Ligier after beaching it at Turn 7 following a furious recovery drive.
This opened the door for Rik Koen in the no.8 Team Virage Ligier, who built an unassailable lead over Gillian Henrion’s no.15 RLR MSport Ligier, with Reece Gold in the no.88 Inter Europol Ligier securing the final podium spot.
Final Hour: Nail-Biting Battles Across All Classes
With just 60 minutes left, Charles Milesi took the wheel of the no.48 VDS Panis Racing Oreca and never looked back, pulling a 10-second gap to the chasing no.18 IDEC Sport Oreca of Mathys Jaubert.
In LMGT3, however, the fight was far from over. The no.63 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG of Fabien Schiller closed rapidly on the no.59 Aston Martin of Valentin Hasse Clot. With only six minutes to go, Schiller dived into the pits for a splash-and-dash refuel, followed by Hasse Clot two laps later.
Hasse Clot emerged just ahead of Schiller, and the two battled ferociously right to the chequered flag, separated by a mere 0.9 seconds after four hours of racing.
Results: VDS Panis Racing Take Control of the Title Fight
LMP2 Overall:
No.48 VDS Panis Racing – Gray / Masson / Milesi
No.43 Inter Europol Competition – Yelloly / Dillmann
No.24 Nielsen Racing – Albuquerque / BölükbaşıLMP2 Pro/Am:
No.20 Algarve Pro Racing – Lentoudis / Caldwell / Quinn
No.21 United Autosports – Sato / Jarvis
No.99 AO by TF – Hyett / RodaLMP3:
No.8 Team Virage Ligier – Koen / Gerbi / Nogales
No.15 RLR MSport Ligier – Henrion / Noble
No.88 Inter Europol Ligier – Gold / JensenLMGT3:
No.59 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin – Hasse Clot / Mateu / Bastard
No.63 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG – Schiller / Hanafin / Berry
No.57 Kessel Racing Ferrari – Tuck / Molina
Silverstone Beckons
With their second straight victory, VDS Panis Racing have seized the championship lead heading into Round 5, the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone, on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
If Spa was anything to go by, the battle for ELMS glory is only just getting started.
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Looking Ahead: Silverstone Beckons
With their second straight victory, VDS Panis Racing have seized the championship lead heading into Round 5, the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone, on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
If Spa was anything to go by, the battle for ELMS glory is only just getting started.
