24h Le Mans
The 4 Hours of Barcelona kicked off the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with a bang this weekend. The 2025 season opener delivered a job-dropping overall win by AF Corse entered in LMP2 Pro/Am. Just two months ahead of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans on 11-15 June, the performance set quite the tone for upcoming battles in the LMP2 and LMGT3 classes.
AF Corse's Matthieu Vaxivière clinched the team's victory in the final moments of the race at the wheel of the #83 ORECA-Gibson. The French driver managed to overtake three LMP2s in the last lap. He shares the triumph with teammates François Perrodo and Alessio Rovera, LMP2 Pro/Am winners last year. They couldn't have hoped for a better launch to their 2025 campaign just two months from the 24 Hours of Le Mans where 17 prototypes will go head to head in an LMP2 class more fiercely competitive than ever.
IDEC Sport claimed the top step on the LMP2 podium with the #18 ORECA driven by Jamie Chadwick, Daniel Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert. Chadwick became the first woman in ELMS history to win the LMP2 class. The team beat out VDS Panis Racing's #48 ORECA.
The Iron Dames took the LMGT3 class with the #85 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 shared by Célia Martin, Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting, scoring the outfit's third ELMS win after a flawless race. Gatting staved off constant pressure from Daniel Serra in Kessel Racing's #57 Ferrari 296 LMGT3, earning this all-female driver line-up a breathtaking victory.
The showing sets the team up well heading into the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Iron Dames will aim for the top spot in the packed 24-car LMGT3 class.
This opening round in Barcelona is already resonating in the run-up to the 93rd running of the race. All eyes will be on AF Corse, Iron Dames and IDEC Sport where the battles promise to be more intense than ever in LMP2, LMGT3 and of course Hypercar.
