From Single Seaters to Endurance

In 2015 the ACO launched the LMP3 category and this, along with the establishment of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, provided a cost effective platform for drivers wishing to pursue a career in endurance racing. This move has seen a lot of young driver re-evaluating their goals and choosing to set their sights on winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Thomas Laurent is a good example of a driver who chose prototypes after a successful karting career. The 20-year-old French driver is now competing for Rebellion Racing the WEC after winning the Road to Le Mans in 2016 and Asian Le Mans Series in 2018.

Dutch driver Job Van Uitert has shown that anything is possible. After three years of racing for Ford and Formula 4, finishing as the 2017 Italian F4 Vice Champion, Van Uitert switched to the ELMS, winning the LMP3 title with RLR MSport and will race with reigning ELMS champions G-Drive Racing in the ELMS and at Le Mans in 2019.

In 2018 19-year-old Phil Hanson became the youngest ever overall winner of an ELMS race when he and Filipe Albuquerque won the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.  To prove it wasn’t a fluke due to the tricky track conditions, Hanson and Albuquerque won again in the season finale at Portimão for United Autosports. Like Thomas Laurent Hanson started in Endurance straight from a successful career in karts, winning the 2015 Super 1 National Junior X30 Championship.

2018 LMP2 Champion Andrea Pizzitola raced in F4 and Formula Renault before switching to sports cars in 2015.  The French driver won the Renault Sport Trophy- Elite title in his first season, finished as LMP2 Vice Champion in the 2017 Asian Le Mans Series and won the ELMS LMP2 title with Roman Rusinov and G-Drive Racing in 2018.  Pizzitola will race with Algarve Pro Racing in 2019, the team he race for in the 2017 Asian Le Mans Series.

New drivers in the 2019 entry list come also from single seater such as Arjun Maini (Formula 3, GP3 Series and test driver for Haas F1 team) and Dani Clos (Formula 3, GP2 Series and testing driver for HRT Formula One team).

If you look at the grid for the 2019 4 Hours of Le Castellet, the number of young drivers coming through the ranks to race alongside the established names of endurance has increased and this will only enhance the racing action on offer at each and every European Le Mans Series race during the 2019 season.