But reaching Le Mans as three 19‑year‑olds is far from a straightforward trajectory. This is the inside story of Adrien Closmenil, Theodor Jensen and Ian Aguilera.
One driver skipped karting and jumped straight into an F4 car, another moved from Mexico to the U.K. at just eleven years old, and the third was picked up by Cool Racing (now CLX Motorsport) for an LMP3 seat straight out of F4.
Each of them has their own story to the top.
Adrien CLOSMENIL (FRA), Theodor JENSEN (DEN), Ian AGUILERA (MEX) – CLX MOTORSPORT
Adrien Closmenil: The quiet rise only his coach predicted — “I was lucky”
Adrien Closmenil, born on 19 January 2007 in Bayeux, France, started with karting and drove in many different series before he jumped into the French F4 Championship. “I did F4 at 16 years old in 2023,” he tells GT REPORT about the start of his career.
For the young Adrien, it was never on his mind to do endurance racing. “I was aiming for F1. Like I think everybody does who does F4.”
The Frenchman didn’t have the best season in F4 and ended up in 13th place, yet he scored a win, and Cool Racing, at that time, still saw the potential in him. “I tested with Cool Racing in LMP3 at Portimão and I was really fast. The team was happy and so was I.”
But the former F4 driver admits that connections helped him get this chance. “I was lucky because in F4 I had a driver coach just for me, Julien Neveu, and he was also the engineer of the number 17 CLX car in the ELMS championship. So he gave me the opportunity.”
Going from an F4 to a far more powerful LMP2 car is a big step. He was still just 17 years old when this move happened. “It’s a heavier car and also more dynamic compared to an F4 car. It was so much more powerful. Also, you are in a cockpit and I didn’t really know how to feel.” Trying to find the right words, Adrien rounds up by saying: “I was fast, so I was happy!”
The talented young driver made his LMP3 debut in 2024 driving for Cool Racing (CLX Motorsport) in different championships like the Le Mans Cup before making his ELMS debut in 2025 driving for the now‑rebranded CLX Motorsport.
Theodor Jensen: F4 to ELMS — “I never did any karting”
Theodor Jensen, born on 30 June 2006 in Randers, Denmark. His start in racing is a little bit different. “I never did any karting,” he says to GT REPORT.
Unlike his current CLX teammate Adrien, Theodor stepped straight into an F4 car. “It really just came out of curiosity.”
But racing has always been in his blood thanks to his father, being a motocross rider and driving legendary cars. “My dad’s been racing a lot in Denmark.” But the thought of racing himself wasn’t there at the start. “I started playing the F1 game just for fun with a controller in, I think it was 2020, 2021. I saw my dad racing and I saw these F4 cars. Me and my dad, we were like, I wanted to try it and he was open for it.”
Despite his dad being open to it, he warned him: “Just be prepared that you probably don’t know how to drive that car.”
But the young Dane remained confident and started racing in 2022 at the age of 15. “Taking the step to F4 was difficult but it worked out pretty well. I knew how to do some stuff.”
At a wet Padborg Park in Denmark, Theodor set times not far off the official F4 times at the track. The speed and talent were clearly there.
Driving in the F4 Spanish and Danish championships until 2023 before making the step to LMP3 the following year, Theodor’s career has developed quickly. Despite that, he remains cool and calm about it: “I haven’t really thought that much about it. I know it’s been going fast, it just comes to me and I just take it as it comes.”
In 2024 he was combining LMP3 — driving in the Le Mans Cup (win on debut) and Asian Le Mans Series — with Eurocup‑3.*
*A single‑seater championship to fill the gap between regional F4 and FIA F3.
The breakthrough moment in LMP3 came in 2024–25 for the Danish driver, driving for Bretton Racing, where they won the Asian Le Mans Series championship, something that surprised even him. “We were not really expecting to win the championship. The first rounds didn’t go perfect but later in Dubai we got different people in. We got a podium in all four races.”
This caught the eye of CLX and, just like Adrien, he got to do a rookie test at Portimão. “They were impressed.”
Because Theodor was still driving in Eurocup‑3, he had to make a choice: continue in LMP3 or stay in formula racing. “We knew CLX was the best team in LMP3,” he explains about getting the offer and having to make a choice together with his father alongside him.
At the end the call was quickly made: “It was not really a question, we wanted to focus only on LMP3.”
Theodor joined CLX and made his ELMS debut in 2025 alongside Closmenil, driving the #17 LMP3 car.
Ian Aguilera: leaving home to chase a dream — “When I turned 11, I moved to the UK without my parents”
Ian Aguilera only joined CLX this year. The 19‑year‑old Mexican, born in Guadalajara on 14 March 2007, started racing at an early age. “I started when I was about five years old in my hometown driving a kart. My dad, Sergio Aguilera, used to race. From a young age I’ve always watched him and that’s how I started racing early.”
Ian began competitive karting in 2016 in Mexico. “Getting my first win and first championship,” he says to GT REPORT about his most important achievements in his home country.
At a very young age, Ian moved abroad. “After racing in Mexico, I went to race in the U.S., still living in Mexico. When I turned 11, I moved fully to the U.K. to go to school and continue my racing career.”
When asked if his parents moved with him, he says: “No, without my parents, but I went to a boarding school.” His mother was the only one who was a bit concerned, but despite that, Ian started a new chapter far away from the place he grew up. “They both supported me and wanted the best for my racing. In the end they both agreed with the decision. They still come to a lot of races and support me finance‑wise.”
In the U.K., the young Mexican had to adapt to a completely different way of living. “It was a huge change from Mexico, especially the language but also the weather and culture.”
The only thing that didn’t change was racing. “I was competing in the British karting championships. When I was around 13 years of age, I moved into cars.”
The talented driver made his debut in car racing in 2021 in the Ginetta Junior Championship and took his first win in 2022. The following year he got his first taste of LMP3 racing in the Endurance Prototype Challenge, but the first real success came in 2024 in the Ligier European Series, where he became vice‑champion driving an ‘entry‑level’ LMP3 car.
That year was the year his real breakthrough began. He also became vice‑champion in the Asian Le Mans Series driving the LMP3 car of RLR MSport, and his best result came in the Gulf Radical Cup, where he won the championship.
This didn’t go unnoticed. He made his ELMS LMP3 debut in 2025 driving for EuroInternational — in a car that, according to the CLX team manager, was slower than theirs. Still, he grabbed two podiums that season and one fastest lap.
“It looked like a good team to go to,” Ian explains about making the move to ELMS. “EuroInternational has always been a team that’s been fighting for the championship in LMP3 last year. It’s a very competitive team.”
With his performance last year, CLX had a clear vision for what they wanted for their LMP2 line‑up in 2026. “We got the offer to move up to LMP2,” says the former EuroInternational driver.
Ian didn’t have any doubts about joining CLX. “Theo and Adrien won the championship last year in LMP3 with such a strong line‑up. It was something new to try, to be in a team with three rookies, three young silver drivers. Not many teams do that. I think it’s working out very well. I was very happy with the decision.”
Adrien & Theodor: their first taste of ELMS success— “Paul was the key point; he helped us a lot”
With Theodor saying earlier that he knew CLX was the best team in LMP3 last year, he wasn’t wrong at all. Adrien and Theodor, both rookies, grabbed together with their now 34‑year‑old teammate and bronze driver Paul Lanchere a record‑breaking five wins and five pole positions from the six races, scoring 130 points out of a possible 156 — the most any team has ever taken in a single ELMS season.
“Paul was like, he wants to be fast and discuss with everyone. I think he helped us a lot because he has a lot more experience than us,” says Adrien Closmenil about the importance of having experience in the team.
“Paul was the key point. I think we all know the line‑up we had was really good. It’s probably the best there was. For sure, Paul as a bronze, he was reliable and fast, he was always at the top. Paul and Adrien both were important pieces for the championship,” adds Theodor.
Now, for this season, they form a trio of rookies in the fastest class in ELMS, and at just 19 years of age they will be one of the youngest line‑ups ever at Le Mans with Ian making his debut for the CLX LMP2 team.
Making history together at Le Mans
The three young and hungry drivers are behind the wheel of the number 37 CLX LMP2 car in ELMS this season. “It’s a special, special line‑up,” says Theodor. “We all have really good pace; we all work really well together.”
Ian adds: “I’ve gotten along great with them, so I’m super happy to be sharing the car with them this year.”
“It’s a very young line‑up. We are all 19 years old!” Adrien says enthusiastically. He’s the longest‑serving member of the team, having joined in 2024. “It’s really cool to have the same energy as the other drivers. We all want to push each other to be as fast as possible.”
Being the youngest line‑up brings an extra challenge, but the Frenchman stays relaxed. “It’s a bit challenging, but I like that.”
Theodor agrees. “I don’t think it’s really an extra challenge because we are three rookies, but of course we’re going to have to work hard to get good results.”
The newcomer from Mexico shares the same mindset and adds to Theodor his word. “I don’t see why we have a disadvantage against other teams. We all want it as much as the others.”
Not being too fussed about it, the trio will take on the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. “I think it’s super cool, being the youngest trio to ever race at Le Mans. Especially if we can get a good result, I think it will be amazing,” says Ian.
The 19-year Danish driver can’t wait either. “I’m looking forward to it because it’s Le Mans. It’s going to be special. It’s nice to know that we are going to write history.”
Theodor also explains how he prepares for the big event. “Mostly sim practice is very important, practicing night stints.”
For Adrien, it’s a dream coming true to drive his iconic home race. “When I was little, I was watching the race on TV, and now to race in it this year… It’s going to be hard, but I will take the maximum pleasure.”
The young Frenchman will not only make his country proud, but also his parents. “My parents… I don’t know what to say in English. It’s a dream for my parents. They are very proud of me.”
“The team tells us every time, the goal is to do like, just do as much as you can”
And with that in mind the team and its drivers are ready to write history and take on one of the toughest races in the world.
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