Stars of the ELMS – Part 1

Here is a quick look at some of three driver profiles from some of the many stars of the 2020 European Le Mans Series.

LMP2: Nicolas Lapierre – Cool Racing

Nico was born on 2^nd April 1984 in Thonon-les-Bains, France. He started karting in 1993, moving to French Formula Renault in 1999. It was in the Formula 3 Euroseries in 2003 that he took his first major title, winning the Macau Grand Prix that year. Nico then moved to GP2 and A1GP, helping A1 Team France win the championship in 2005.

However, it was in Endurance Racing that Nico would shine. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans he has four LMP2 victories to his credit, in 2015 with KCMG, in 2016 with Signatech Alpine and then back to back wins in 2018 and 2019 with the French team. 

He also raced with Toyota in the FIA WEC, taking three wins in 2012, one win in 2013 and two in 2014. In 2015 he switched to LMP2 and has two FIA LMP2 Driver Champion trophies, one in 2016 and 2018-19, both with Signatech Alpine.  During the current WEC season he has one win at Silverstone with the team he will be racing for in ELMS as well, Swiss outfit Cool Racing.

Nico has also two wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring, in 2011 with Team ORECA Matmut and  in 2018, where he finished first overall for former WEC team Tequila Patron ESM.

LMP3: Nigel Moore – Inter Europol Competition

Born on the 4^th January 1992 in Tockwith, England, Nigel Moore has five championship titles to his name and is also the youngest British driver to ever compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Nigel Moore started his racing career in karting and graduated to cars in 2007, winning the Ginetta GT Junior Championship in his first season. He followed this up in 2008 by winning the Ginetta G50 Cup Great Britain. In 2009 he graduated to the GT4 class of the British GT Championship, where he finished as Vice Champion behind his teammate Jody Fannin.  Moore had to miss the race at Knockhill in Scotland because he was competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP1 class Team LNT Ginetta-Zytek alongside Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson and, now United Autosports CEO, Richard Dean.

Nigel Moore switched to single seaters, winning the Formula Palmer Audi title in 2010, before switching back to sportscars, winning the Britcar Endurance Championship in 2016 and the LMP3 category in the 2016/17 Asian Le Mans Series alongside United Autosports Phil Hanson.

Racing alongside Martin Hippe in the no13 Inter Europol Competition Nigel Moore finished the 2019  ELMS season as LMP3 Vice Champion, taking one win and four further podium finishes with his German teammate.

LMGTE: Richard Lietz – Proton Competition

Richard Lietz was born on 17 December 1983 in Waidhofen an der Ybbs in Austria and is one of the most recognised names in GT racing worldwide. 

A factory driver for Porsche for many years, he has won all of his major titles with the German manufacturer including three class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2007 and 2010 in GT2 and 2013 in LMGTE Pro) and the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship. 

Richard raced for Tolimit Motorsport in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany from 2004 to 2006 and also in the 2005 and 2006 Porsche Supercup. He became a regular visitor to the podium in both championships and finished the 2006 Porsche Supercup as Vice Champion following 3 wins, 4 poles and 4 fastest laps.

In 2007 Lietz became the International GT Open Champions and he also added two Le Mans Series GT2 Championship titles to his CV in 2009 and 2010.

Richard Lietz will return to the ELMS in 2020 racing the no88 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR.