Chairman of the managing board of Groupe PSA, Carlos Tavares will be on the grid of the next 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, a round of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).

Le Mans Series

ELMS

Korean manufacturer Genesis has revealed its contender for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Genesis GMR-001 will enter the arena under the Genesis Magma Racing banner.

Genesis Magma Racing will be fielding two cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) from 2026 and moving into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with two additional cars in 2027. At the heart of this campaign is the Genesis&nbsp;GMR-001,&nbsp;a hypercar built to LMDh regulations.&nbsp;The Korean manufacturer chose&nbsp;Oreca&nbsp;to build the chassis for the GMR-001, a car that showcases the Genesis avant-garde design ethos. The car was developed at Genesis Design Europe under the guidance of Luc Donckerwolke..

Hyundai Motorsport&nbsp;will play a pivotal role in Genesis Magma Racing&rsquo;s endurance programme. In fact,&nbsp;Cyril Abiteboul, president of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, will act as team principal for Genesis Magma Racing.&nbsp;&ldquo;As the backbone of Hyundai Motor Group&rsquo;s global motorsport activities, Hyundai Motorsport will play a vital role in this latest ambitious programme. We are elevating our circuit racing expertise to a whole new level as we prepare to compete in some of the world&rsquo;s most challenging series.&rdquo;&nbsp;

<h2>With Lotterer and Derani at the wheel</h2>

Three-time Le Mans winner&nbsp;Andr&eacute; Lotterer, partnered with&nbsp;Luis Felipe Derani, will take part in the car&rsquo;s technical development in 2025. They will run simulation sessions to prepare for their racing d&eacute;but in 2026, when they will become the team&rsquo;s official drivers.&nbsp;&ldquo;I am beyond thrilled and thankful to join the Genesis brand for its entry into endurance racing,&rdquo;&nbsp;said Lotterer.&nbsp;&ldquo;After winning the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers&rsquo; Championship this year, this opportunity is the perfect fit for me to channel my work, experience, passion and motivation into a new project with a team of highly ambitious individuals. I am excited to start working on this project and&nbsp;build a successful future from the very beginning.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pipo Derani is just as eager to get started: &ldquo;The ambition behind Genesis&rsquo;s endurance racing project and the track record of those involved was an opportunity I couldn&rsquo;t refuse. As a driver, being involved in a project from the start is highly rewarding. I look forward to bringing my experience of developing cars and winning titles to the team. Given the competitiveness of LMDh, it will be a&nbsp;big challenge, but I believe all the necessary ingredients are here to make this endurance journey successful.&rdquo;

<h2>An ELMS campaign with IDEC Sport to get up to speed</h2>

&nbsp;

Before the team lines up on the FIA WEC grid, it will work with IDEC Sport to field an Oreca&nbsp;07-Gibson in the LMP2 class of the 2025 European Le Mans Series, with former Formula&nbsp;1 driver&nbsp;Logan Sargeant,&nbsp;Jamie Chadwick&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mathys Jaubert&nbsp;sharing driving duties. This will help Genesis Magma Racing to get to grips with endurance racing before competing at the highest echelon of the sport in 2026.

Genesis Magma Racing will establish a permanent operational hub near the Circuit Paul Ricard, close to Oreca Motorsport and IDEC Sport. 
While we wait for the Genesis&nbsp;GMR-001&rsquo;s track d&eacute;but, feast your eyes on the stunning images of the hypercar in the gallery below.&nbsp;

Genesis takes the wraps of its GMR-001 hypercar

The 2025 season of the European Le Mans Series is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ever with a bumper 44-strong grid featuring no fewer than ten manufacturers. Fascinating battles are in store for the continent’s most iconic circuits!

Forty-four cars will line up for the forthcoming season of the European Le Mans Series &ndash; one more than in 2024.&nbsp; The grid will comprise 14 LMP2s, seven entries in the LMP2 Pro/Am class, 10 LMP3s and 13 LMGT3s.

In the LMP2 class, reigning champions Ao by TF will be back to defend their title. IDEC Sport, Inter Europol Competition, United Autosports, Nielsen Racing and Algarve Pro Racing will be doubling up this season by fielding two Oreca 07-Gibsons. The influx is a sign of the ELMS&rsquo; growing attraction for young talent who have learned the ropes in single-seaters. AF Corse, the 2024 LMP2 Pro/Am champions, will also be looking to retain their crown.

<h2>Wind of change in LMP3</h2>

The LMP3 class will see the introduction of the third generation of these prototypes. The new cars will be driven by a 470-hp Toyota V35A V6 twin-turbo engine which promises a step-up in performance over the former Nissan unit. The LMP3 grid will be dominated by eight Ligier JS P325s, but the addition of a Duqueine D09 and a Ginetta G61-LT-P325-EVO to the mix will bring a touch of technical diversity.

<h2>Welcome to McLaren and Corvette</h2>

Equally fierce battles await in the LMGT3 class with an impressive array of carmakers in the field. Customer teams of Aston Martin (Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man), Corvette (TF Sport), Ferrari (Richard Mille AF Corse, AF Corse, Spirit Of Race, Kessel Racing, JMW Motorsport and GR Racing), Mercedes-AMG (Iron Lynx), McLaren (United Autosports) and&nbsp;Porsche (Proton Competition and Iron Dames) will all be itching to come out on top. Four female drivers are set to take the wheel in this class, including Lilou Wadoux who will line up for Richard Mille AF Corse in a Ferrari 296 LMGT3 and the Iron Dames trio of C&eacute;lia Martin, Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The provisional&nbsp;<a href="http://storage.googleapis.com/doc-prod/Xqy4YNc4IecauspaJVLw99JW.pdf">entry list</a> also comprises three reserve teams, ready to seize the opportunity in case of a withdrawal. They are LMP2 Pro/Am outfit High Class Racing, and ANS Motorsport and R-ace GP in LMP3.

Pierre Fillon, President, Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest: The ELMS boasts a record 44-car grid for 2025 &ndash; the maximum capacity. Next year&#39;s championship is wide open and promises to be hotly disputed, especially with drivers like Jamie Chadwick, Charles Milesi and Fabio Scherer in the mix.&nbsp; Europe&#39;s most awe-inspiring circuits form the backdrop to the season, with the Silverstone round a highlight to look forward to.&nbsp;See you in Barcelona in April for the kick-off.&nbsp;

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, General Manager, Le Mans Endurance Management: The 2025 European Le Mans Series grid will be the biggest for many a year. We are delighted to see this championship continue to thrive and attract the world&rsquo;s top teams and drivers. This season will also see Mercedes-AMG make their ELMS d&eacute;but while McLaren will be back for the first time since 2014. We shall also have a Corvette on the grid after a&nbsp;seven-year break. With six manufacturers in LMGT3, 2025 promises to be an excellent vintage for the ELMS. Once again, the LMP2 stands out with a formidable 21-car field, including seven Pro/Ams. The LMP3 category featuring new Ligier, Duqueine and Ginetta prototypes powered by Toyota engines will continue to offer an excellent introduction to Le Mans Prototype multi-class racing for beginners and seasoned racers. We extend a warm welcome to the teams and drivers returning to the ELMS and to those set to make their championship d&eacute;but in Barcelona. We are greatly looking forward to April&rsquo;s curtain-raiser there and an action-packed season.

The season will kick off with the official pre-season tests on 31 March and 1 April at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the opening round &ndash; the 4 Hours of Barcelona &ndash; held at the same venue on 6 April. With such a stunning, bumper grid, the 2025 European Le Mans season promises to satisfy the appetite of the growing hordes of endurance fans in Europe.

ELMS 2025 season draws top-notch grid

Belgian driver and Iron Dames team member Sarah Bovy is an endurance racing poster child for tenacity. With four participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to her credit, she continues to push the envelope all while promoting inclusion and diversity in motorsport.

At the 2024 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans, Iron Dames&#39; #85 Lamborghini Hurac&aacute;n LMGT3 Evo2 shared by&nbsp;Sarah Bovy/Michelle Gatting/Rahel Frey finished fifth in the LMGT3 category. The talented team had hoped for better results.&nbsp;Sarah Bovy: The disappointment was greater in&nbsp;2023 when we just missed claiming a category podium finish after leading the race for a time. This year, we steadily climbed the standings as our competition made mistakes. We didn&#39;t have the pace, so it was hard to vie for a more positive result. In the end, we were extremely proud to place the car in the top 5. Naturally, it makes us want to return and do better.

Bovy and Iron Dames don&#39;t limit their&nbsp;efforts to just the track. They also devote their time to inspirational projects. This year, their &quot;Every Dream Matters&quot; initiative&nbsp;aimed to&nbsp;promote&nbsp;inclusion and value&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/le-mans-students-design-livery-for-iron-dames-lamborghini-58681" target="_blank">the dreams of children from the Michel Ange public elementary school in Le Mans</a>. Bovy:&nbsp;Initially our project focused on boosting the image of women in motorsport, but we knew we could do more. We wanted to become more inclusive and reach everyone. That is why we founded this project. We had the tremendous honour of meeting students who shared their dreams through drawings. They were goofy,&nbsp;very funny and ambitious, but they were always dreams that matter. All of these drawings were then transformed into patterns using AI&nbsp;to create the livery of our car. We are very pleased with the way the public has embraced&nbsp;this project and our livery.

<h2>2025: A New Chapter</h2>

After joining&nbsp;Iron Dames as an amateur driver in 2021,&nbsp;Bovy is on the cusp of taking&nbsp;a decisive step in her career&nbsp;in 2025. Next year, she will compete as a professional driver for the first time.&nbsp;Bovy:&nbsp;Thanks to the support I have from the team and my teammates, as well as&nbsp;the experience I have gained, I have grown. This is a new dream I am about to realise after&nbsp;taking part in the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. I have always tried to be as professional as possible in my racing career. In 2025, I intend to prove I can also become a competitive professional driver.

Bovy is more than simply a talented driver. She proudly serves as an ambassador for women in a largely masculine&nbsp;sport, and a source of inspiration for all those who dare to dream big. With her presence on the track and involvement in initiatives like &quot;Every Dream Matters&quot;, she is opening doors for a new&nbsp;generation and helping dreams come true.

With 2025 in her sights, Bovy seems more determined than ever to push the boundaries and see&nbsp;her name among the great figures of motorsport.

Sarah Bovy: the rise of a passionate and committed Iron Dame

With back to back wins in 2023 and 2024, Ferrari solidified its comeback at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Between the challenges caused by changing weather conditions, a daring race strategy and an exhilarating rivalry with Toyota, the Italian team did not disappoint at the 92nd running of the race.

<h2>Combat in the Rain</h2>

The&nbsp;92nd&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans was constantly threatened with rain, adding a healthy dose of difficulty and requiring drivers to take additional risks. Miguel Molina, driver of the winning #50&nbsp;Ferrari 499P, especially remembers his nighttime stint: I was stuck behind the safety car for four hours. That was the toughest stint for me in those conditions in the middle of the night. You have to stay awake and not make any mistakes. I tried to keep busy talking with my engineers to avoid falling asleep. The rain is often a factor at the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans.

In such&nbsp;conditions and moments of uncertainty, clear communication with engineers and driver experience level are crucial.

<h2>A Suspenseful Finale</h2>

Like in&nbsp;2023 when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/how-a-12-volt-battery-almost-put-a-stick-in-ferraris-centenary-spokes-58138" target="_blank">a 12-volt battery almost derailed the Italian carmaker&#39;s race</a>, the #50&nbsp;Ferrari&#39;s last stint was a nail-biter. Nicklas Nielsen, at the wheel heading to the chequered flag, describes the typical pressure: To win this race without some level of&nbsp;suspense would be like winning it without gusto. Plus, the victory wouldn&#39;t feel the same.&nbsp;Despite the&nbsp;ups and downs, we are happy to have gleaned a second consecutive win in those types of&nbsp;conditions.&nbsp;Strategically, we took risks&nbsp;and nothing should have happened in the last lap. Like the other teams, we didn&#39;t execute a flawless race, but from the start we showed we could win. And I realised my&nbsp;dream of winning the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans.

A starting problem in 2023 and&nbsp;a risk of power failure in 2024&hellip;the&nbsp;Ferrari 499P seems to favour dramatic victories, but these scenarios also reflect the team&#39;s ability to keep its cool under pressure.

<h2>A Hat Trick in Store for&nbsp;2025?</h2>

For&nbsp;Antonello Coletta, head of Ferrari&#39;s&nbsp;endurance racing programme, the&nbsp;two wins are resounding proof of the 499P&#39;s&nbsp;competitiveness: We returned in 2023 with the dream of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We succeeded and doubled down in 2024. That is tremendously satisfying because it was with the same car. It is a&nbsp;demonstration of our competitive level, especially with nine cars in the same final lap. It is no&nbsp;exaggeration to say the current level of endurance is very high. For the drivers, each stint&nbsp;is its own&nbsp;race.

The&nbsp;2024 running also offered moments of levity. Antonio Fuoco shares an amusing&nbsp;anecdote about&nbsp;his rivalry with&nbsp;Kamui Kobayashi, driver of the #7&nbsp;Toyota GR010 Hybrid: I think&nbsp;Kamui is one of the funniest drivers in the Hypercar&nbsp;category because he&#39;s always telling jokes. During the race, as we were in full battle mode in the Mulsanne and&nbsp;Indianapolis corners, he gave me a signal. All I can say is that it was no salut&nbsp;(laughs, Ed.). It was hilarious and we even talked about it on the podium.

Ferrari AF Corse has no intention of stopping now. The goal for&nbsp;2025 is clear: to earn a third Le Mans victory and win the FIA WEC Manufacturers title (after taking second and third&nbsp;places in 2023 et 2024).

Ferrari AF Corse: a breathtaking triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

4 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps 2016

Usually in the business news rather than the sports pages, Tavares will be putting his reputation on the line when he takes the wheel of an LM P3 at Spa-Francorchamps. The Peugeot boss will be teamed with Erik Maris in a Ligier JS P3 prepared by Oak Racing.

It won&rsquo;t be the first time Tavares has driven in competition. He took a class win at the 24 Hours of Barcelona in 2014. As a teenager in Portugal, his home country, Tavares was a marshal at the Estoril circuit and by the age of 30 he had his own rally and endurance racing team.

Having spent many years seconding Carlos Ghosn at the head of Renault-Nissan, Tavares joined PSA as head of automobile operations in 2014. He was assigned the task of injecting the group with new impetus and of making the Peugeot brand profitable again.

Photos by @Kmeron for LeWeb11 Conference

24H LE MANS

Carlos Tavares on the grid of the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

Related News

Genesis takes the wraps of its GMR-001 hypercar

ELMS 2025 season draws top-notch grid

Sarah Bovy: the rise of a passionate and committed Iron Dame

Ferrari AF Corse: a breathtaking triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

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