Team Profile: TDS Racing – Competing at The Sharp End

TDS Racing has won the ELMS LMP2 title or finished as Vice Champions on no less than six occasions since 2011 and they won the GTC title in the final year before the launch of the Michelin Le Mans Cup.

The team was founded in 2004 and is based in Saint-Aunès near Montpellier in the south of France. In 2005 the team entered the Eurocup Mégane Trophy under the Pouchelon Racing banner. However, the name was changed to TDS Racing the following season and the team won back-to-back team titles in 2009 and 2010, with driver titles in 2008 and 2010 with Michaël Rossi and Nick Catsburg.

TDS Racing switched to endurance in 2011 competing in the Le Mans Series. The French outfit finished the season third overall in the LMP2 category with drivers Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet and Jody Firth taking class wins at Spa-Francorchamps and Estoril in the five race series.

2012: First ELMS Title

In 2012 the renamed Thiriet by TDS Racing team entered a single LMP2 car in the newly named European Le Mans Series. The team won the class title with victories at Paul Ricard and Road Atlanta, with Mathias Beche and Pierre Thiriet taking the drivers crown in the three-round series, which saw disappointing grid numbers with only LMP2 attracting a reasonable sized entry.

2013: Relaunched ELMS Saw TDS Racing at the Front

The 2013 season saw a relaunched and revitalised European Le Mans Series and grid numbers reflected the renewed series. Pierre Thiriet returned as the reigning champion and at the first round at Silverstone was joined by Jonathan Hirschi, which resulted in a third placed finish for the Franco-Swiss duo. 

Mathias Beche rejoined Pierre Thiriet for the rest of the season and two wins followed at Imola and Red Bull Ring. However, Signatech Alpine were the team to beat and Thiriet by TDS Racing finished the season as Vice Champions, just 8 points behind their French rivals.

2014: A Season to Forget

The 2014 season started well for Thiriet by TDS Racing with a win in Round 1 at Silverstone, but a dismal run of luck saw the team finish 7^th overall.

2015: Second Title Secured

2015 was a good year for the French team as they once again entered a car in the LMP2 class and added a GTC entry in the categories final season in the ELMS before the Michelin Le Mans Cup became the home for the GT3 class cars. 

The LMP2 class car finished the season with two wins at Imola and Estoril, with two further podiums to finish the season as Vice Champions, just two points behind Greaves Motorsport in one of the closest fought seasons in ELMS history.

However, in the GTC class the BMW of Dino Lunardi, Eric Dermont and Franck Perera finished the five-race series as class champions, taking two wins, two seconds and three pole positions to finish 20 points ahead of their nearest rivals. This secured TDS Racing their second ELMS title.

2016: Another Season as Vice Champions

In 2016 it was nearly another LMP2 title for the Thiriet by TDS Racing team with Pierre Thiriet, Mathias Beche and Ryo Hirakawa taking back to back wins at Imola and Red Bull Ring, with a third win added at Paul Ricard as Mike Conway stood in for Hirakawa at the team’s home race. 

Once again the season went down to the last race at Estoril and it was the no38 G-Drive Racing liveried Gibson who won the race and took the title just seven points ahead of the TDS Racing Oreca, the French team finishing as LMP2 Vice Champions for the third time in four seasons.

2017: On the World Stage

In 2017 TDS Racing moved up to the FIA World Endurance Championship, which saw the team run two cars. The first was run under the TDS Racing banner, while the second was the G-Drive Racing Oreca, with the G-Drive car taking one win at Spa-Francorchamps that year.

2018: Return to the ELMS

In 2018 TDS Racing kept one car in the WEC, while the G-Drive Racing Oreca competed in the ELMS. Roman Rusinov, Andrea Pizzitola and Jean-Eric Vergne dominated the season taking three wins at Monza, Red Bull Ring and Silverstone to give G-Drive Racing / TDS Racing the team title at Portimão.

2019: Vice Champions Once Again

In true TDS Racing style the 2019 season saw the G-Drive Racing Aurus 01 and the Idec Sport Oreca 07 go head to head, with the two teams securing two wins apiece. The titles went down to the final race in Portugal and victory for Idec Sport gave them the title just four points ahead of the Russian flagged TDS Racing run G-Drive Racing team.

G-Drive Racing return for another season of the European Le Mans Series with Roman Rusinov leading fight to regain the coveted title in the distinctive liveried TDS Racing run no26 Aurus 01-Gibson.