Romain Dumas has done it all in racing. A winner in three of the biggest 24-hour races in the world: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Spa & Nurburgring 24 Hours, Dumas has done it all.

This year, the Frenchmen takes on an exciting two weeks, navigating his self-owned Oreca in the LMP2 class this weekend at Le Mans, then transitioning to an all-electric 2025 Super Mustang Mach-E going up Pikes Peak next weekend.

“Pikes Peak is, for me, one of the best events each year,” Dumas said. Why is that? Because, first of all, it’s so beautiful. The place, the scenery, the atmosphere, this altitude story—it’s just amazing. And yeah, it’s really why I like Pikes Peak.”

“After that, for sure, you have the race itself, with the challenge of the roads. You have only one time that you can drive the full mountain, and it will be on race day. So it’s a lot of stress and challenge for the mechanics, for the car, and for yourself. But at the end of the day, it’s really, really about the place that I like more than anything else, which is just beautiful.”

The unique Ford Performance machine is unlike anything else Dumas has driven throughout his decorated career. Producing 1,600 horsepower and designed specifically for Pikes Peak, the all-electric Super Mustang Mach-E allows engineers to push the boundaries of performance in ways not possible in most forms of motorsport.

“For sure, it’s a unique car,” Dumas said. “It’s the only one in the world made for Pikes Peak, with a lot of power—an electric car with 1,600 horsepower for more or less 1,700 kilos. So it’s very powerful and has a lot of downforce.”

“The good point of Pikes Peak—and sometimes a bad point—is that you have no limitations in terms of rules,” Dumas added. “The good point is, if you are an engineer, you will love Pikes Peak because you can do whatever you want. You have no BOP, no minimum weight, and no maximum power.”

“So it’s very cool for a manufacturer that wants to develop a product, and even more so to test for the future of road cars. That’s why Pikes Peak is, technically speaking, something very unique. It’s the only racing category in the world where you have no rules except safety rules.”

While Dumas is preparing for another run up America’s Mountain, his immediate focus remains on this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he will compete in the LMP2 Pro-Am class with his own team, RD Limited. After 23 previous starts at Le Mans, the three-time overall winner now takes on the added responsibility of serving as both a driver and team owner.

“I’ve driven at Le Mans twenty-three times, and I didn’t have to think about anything other than driving,” Dumas said. “So for sure, now it’s a big difference and a lot more stress.”

“At the end of the day, this creates a lot more stress. I knew it would be complicated. I don’t know if I imagined it would be this complicated. But it’s the first year, so I think everybody needs to find their place. That’s just how it is. It’s an experience.”

Despite managing the pressures of running his own operation at Le Mans, Dumas remains optimistic about the team’s prospects in one of the race’s most competitive categories. He will share the No. 173 Oreca with longtime teammates Tristan Vautier and Fred Poordad, both of whom have been instrumental to the program’s early success.

“Since we started in LMP2, Tristan and Fred have been part of the team,” Dumas said. “I think they know the team very well. Also, when we started two years ago, we were really fresh in LMP2, so they trusted the team. For sure, we had success right away. We won immediately.”

“So I think it was normal that when I got the opportunity to be at Le Mans, I offered them the chance to be involved because when you take the risk at the beginning with a new team, and then suddenly there’s an opportunity to go to Le Mans, it’s natural to want to bring those people with you. They wanted to be with us, and we wanted to be with them. It’s about being respectful.”

Although the team will compete in the LMP2 Pro-Am category, Dumas is approaching the event with measured expectations as RD Limited makes its Le Mans debut.

“At the end of the day, we have to run our own race and see where we are at the finish,” Dumas said. “There’s really no stress. I think it’s a present just to be here. I don’t see it as having pressure or stress over the results, whether as a team owner or as a driver.”

“I really don’t look at it that way. It’s about enjoying why we’re here, trying to run our own race, having a clean race, and seeing what happens.”

Le Mans carries a special meaning for Dumas beyond his success at the Circuit de la Sarthe. A native of France, Dumas attended school in Le Mans and has maintained deep ties to the city and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest throughout his career.

“Even after so many years, first of all, when you’re French, it’s something special for the rest of the year. You never forget that,” Dumas said.

“For me, Le Mans has always been something special because I went to school there. I started my career there. I know a lot of people there. My racing license has been with the ACO since I was 16 years old.”

“So I’m very connected to the place. I know the city very well, and I grew up there while I was in school. It’s funny when you come back every year and see people you went to school with. Suddenly, they’re getting older just like you are. But yeah, it’s always a special place to be.”

Beyond Le Mans and Pikes Peak, Dumas continues to expand RD Limited’s presence across multiple forms of motorsport. The team currently competes in endurance racing, rallying, off-road events, historic competition, and the World Rally Championship, giving the organization one of the most diverse portfolios in the sport.

“With me driving or not driving, because me driving is one thing and the team is another thing, I’ve always said there’s a bit of a battle between the two right now,” Dumas said.

“But if you look at what we’re doing, we’re running a Raptor in the World Rally Championship. We’re involved in off-road racing. We’re involved at Pikes Peak with customers. We’re involved in historic rallying. And now we’re in LMP2. So we’re busy, you could say.”

“In the span of three weeks, we’ve gone from Argentina, to Le Mans, and then next week to Pikes Peak. There aren’t many teams that have the opportunity to compete in those three kinds of events.”

While Dumas hopes to continue growing the team’s endurance racing program, he believes the long-term goal is establishing a relationship with a manufacturer and competing for victories at the highest level.

“Definitely, I would like to continue with the team in the endurance racing world,” Dumas said. “The ideal situation is to eventually establish a relationship with a manufacturer. The category itself doesn’t matter because endurance racing is so competitive right now. But ultimately, the goal is to compete at the front. That’s clearly the target.”

Dumas’ success across sports cars, rallying, off-road racing, and hill climbs has made him one of the most versatile drivers of his generation. Looking back on his career, he credits that willingness to compete in different disciplines as one of his greatest strengths.

“For me, it has always been a big advantage to do many different things,” Dumas said. “Some team owners in the past didn’t always agree. They complained that I was doing too many different types of racing.”

“But my strength has always been the knowledge that comes from competing in so many categories. I was never lazy when it came to work, and that’s why I’ve been able to do all these things.”

“Whether it’s Le Mans, rallying, Dakar, or Pikes Peak, all of that knowledge becomes valuable. I think I’ve never been more complete in terms of knowledge than I am now.”

“And now, running my own team, I’m learning even more. I even know the price of the flowers you have to buy at the track.”

Even with victories at Le Mans, Sebring, Spa, and countless other major events around the world, Dumas still has goals he hopes to accomplish before stepping away from competition.

“If I had to choose two goals, Daytona would definitely be one of them,” Dumas said. “I’ve never won it overall, and I would really like to. But today, if you’re not with a manufacturer-backed program, it’s extremely difficult.”

The other challenge that continues to motivate him is improving his performance in off-road racing, particularly at the grueling Dakar Rally.

“The second goal would be continuing to improve in off-road racing,” Dumas said. “I don’t have enough time to practice, and Dakar is a discipline where I still feel I haven’t reached my full potential.”

“I’m getting better and better, but I need more seat time and more experience to reach the highest level. That’s one area of racing where I still feel there is a lot left for me to explore.”

For now, however, Dumas’ focus is firmly fixed on the busy two-week stretch ahead. First comes the challenge of guiding RD Limited through its Le Mans debut. Then, just days later, he will be back in the United States chasing another victory at Pikes Peak behind the wheel of Ford Performance’s cutting-edge electric machine.

“Clearly, this weekend the goal is to finish the race, make no mistakes, and see where we are at the end,” Dumas said. “I don’t want more than that. I want less stress and to enjoy the experience.”

“Next week is different. We have two strong competitors, and at Pikes Peak we’re once again talking about a competition without many restrictions. It’s the complete opposite of Le Mans and BOP.”

“The differences between the cars can be significant, so you never really know what the competition will have. But for sure, we’re going there to perform and do our best. We know what kind of times are possible from our simulations, so we need to get as close as possible to our maximum potential.”

“After that, we’ll see what happens. But for sure, I hope we have a good Pikes Peak.”