ELMS Imola: Champions show their class; LMP3 debutant converts pole to win at 18

Forestier Racing by Panis grabbed their second win in the third round of the European Le Mans Series in dominant fashion, winning by over 50 seconds at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari. The #29 LMP2 started from pole position and kept their heads cool, making the right calls during the multiple stoppages that unfolded due to the chaos behind them. In LMP2 PRO/AM, the British team Vector Sport made history by claiming their first-ever win in ELMS with their #7 car. In LMP3, CLX Motorsport won with their #17 after starting from pole thanks to a fabulous lap set by 18 year old debutant Louis Iglesias on Saturday. The French driver had a perfect debut as he took the chequered flag first on Sunday. Reigning champions TF Sport claimed victory after starting from pole in LMGT3 with their #33 Corvette Z06.

With lights going out on Sunday at the Italian circuit at 13:00 local time, Forestier Racing by Panis kept the lead from pole with Louis Rousset behind the wheel of the LMP2. The #37 CLX Motorsport started second and stayed there for the first several laps until lap 8, when Adrien Closmenil went into the lead at Variante Villeneuve, just as the #68 M Racing Ligier LMP3 went off at the last corner and got stuck in the gravel, bringing out the first Virtual Safety Car of the race.

Everyone boxed except for the leading CLX Motorsport; the gamble did not pay off as they received a drive-through for a start infringement and later in the race collided with another LMP3, which gave them another drive-through penalty, putting them out of contention for a good result.

After the first Virtual Safety Car and a 10-minute Safety Car, the race went back to green. CLX Motorsport served their first drive-through from the lead, which moved Griffin Peebles up to first in the #22 United Autosports ahead of the #29 Forestier Racing.

Several incidents followed as chaos unfolded behind them, but the battle for the lead kept on going with Gregoire Saucy at the wheel of the #22 United Autosports and the #29 Forestier Racing by Panis Oreca driven by Oliver Gray. This battle went on for several laps as Gray tried to get ahead, but Saucy held the position until the next set of pit stops. A better pit stop by the reigning LMP2 champions put them out in front with Esteban Masson behind the wheel, who once again showed his class and didn’t look back as he finished the race 51 seconds ahead of Ben Hanley in the #22 United Autosports bringing home their second win of the season.

In LMP2 PRO/AM, Giorgio Roda led the field from pole in the #30 Duqueine Team, but after several incidents and penalties given to various cars, the #7 Vector Sport, after starting from fourth place, kept their heads cool and brought home their first-ever victory with drivers Jens Reno Müller, Cem Bölükbasi, and Lorenzo Fluxa ahead of the #20 Algrave Pro Racing of home hero Enzo Trulli.

In LMP3, the experienced Paul Lanchere kept the lead in the #17 CLX Motorsport during the first phase, the reigning champions showed their experience by having the perfect strategy during the chaotic race. With one hour remaining, the leading #85 R-ace GP Duqueine, who started from second place, was forced into the pits for repairs after a hit on the rear of the car by the #18 IDEC Sport LMP2. This moved the CLX LMP3 into first again with the ELMS debutant, who put the car on pole on Saturday, bringing it home in first place. The young Frenchman has certainly made his name known inside the paddock. In LMGT3, Blake McDonald kept the lead in the #33 TF Sport Corvette at the start and showed their pace throughout the race. At the final round of pit stops, the #54 High Class Racing Porsche of Klaus Bachler was leading, with the TF Sport Corvette in fourth. The LMGT3 champions didn’t give up and moved back into the lead after some fast overtakes by Charlie Eastwood, bringing home the victory.