The qualifying session of the 4 Hours of Imola (Italy), the second round of the 2016 European Le Mans Series, was very exciting, with the top 4 gathered in less than 5 thousands of a second in the LM P2 class. The #21 Dragonspeed Oreca driven by Nicolas Lapierre, Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley took pole.

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24 Heures du Mans

ELMS

At 40 years of age, Nicolas Lapierre is hanging up his endurance racing helmet. The now former Alpine driver has taken the start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a remarkable 17 times and reached the top step on the LMP2 podium in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Nicolas Lapierre is turning over a new leaf, recently announcing&nbsp;his retirement as a full-time racing driver.&nbsp;He participated in his rookie&nbsp;24 Hours&nbsp;in 2007 at the wheel of Team ORECA&#39;s Saleen S7R in the&nbsp;LMGT1 category, and&nbsp;then represented ORECA&nbsp;in&nbsp;LMP1&nbsp;before becoming an official&nbsp;Toyota driver&nbsp;between 2012 and&nbsp;2014, and again in 2017.

Lapierre&#39;s impressive track record at Le&nbsp;Mans includes four wins in&nbsp;LMP2 in 2015 (with&nbsp;KCMG), 2016, 2018 and&nbsp;2019 (with&nbsp;Alpine). He claimed the third step on the podium for Alpine three years ago, and also triumphed at&nbsp;the 12 Hours of&nbsp;Sebring in 2011 and&nbsp;2018.

Click to watch Nicolas Lapierre&#39;s video announcement on his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAn7Jj9tEeh/">Instagram</a> page.

The Automobile Club de l&#39;Ouest honours&nbsp;the brilliant career of Nicolas Lapierre, an exceptional driver who made his mark on the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans many times over. We wish him the best for&nbsp;his future endeavours. Good luck, Nicolas, and thank&nbsp;you for all these years of passion and&nbsp;performance.

Nicolas Lapierre retires from competition

The Michelin Le Mans Cup will tread new ground in 2025, with British circuit Silverstone joining the schedule alongside returning rounds in Spain, France, Belgium and Portugal.

All events next season will be in support of the European Le Mans Series, except for the two 55-minute &lsquo;Road To Le Mans&rsquo; races on the full 13.6km La Sarthe circuit ahead of the 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The six-round, seven-race campaign will begin in Barcelona, with the pre-season Collective Test on April 2 preceding Round 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on April 5.

There will then be two events in France &ndash; Le Castellet at the start of May, and Road to Le Mans in June.

After the summer break, the Michelin Le Mans Cup resumes in August for Round 4 at Spa-Francorchamps, followed by the series&rsquo; first-ever trip to Silverstone on September 13. The season finale will, once again, be held at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal on October 18.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest, said: &ldquo;The Michelin Le Mans Cup has been a huge success since its inaugural campaign in 2016, establishing itself as an important part of the growth and success of endurance racing around the world.

&ldquo;The 2025 calendar will include Silverstone for the first time, which is good news for our British fans, as well as the ever-popular visits to Barcelona, Le Castellet, Spa-Francorchamps, Portim&atilde;o and, of course, Le Mans. We look forward to more action-packed racing from the Michelin Le Mans Cup next season.&rdquo;

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) CEO, said: &ldquo;Since 2016, the Michelin Le Mans Cup has provided teams and drivers with a very important step on the endurance racing ladder that leads to the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and, ultimately, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

&ldquo;The 2025 calendar sees five of the six rounds retained from the 2024 season, enabling the championship to work closely with its existing circuits to build the events and attract a strong fanbase.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We are extremely pleased to be taking the Michelin Le Mans Cup to Silverstone for the first time since the series began, allowing British fans that don&rsquo;t travel to Le Mans the opportunity to see the stars of the show up close on one of the most challenging circuits in the world.

&ldquo;The 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup promises to be an exciting season for all involved.&rdquo;

<h4>2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup Provisional Calendar :</h4>

<ul>
	<li>Apr 02 :&nbsp;Collective Test - Barcelona (ESP)</li>
	<li>Apr 05 :&nbsp;Round 1 &ndash; Barcelona (ESP)</li>
	<li>May 03 :&nbsp;Round 2 &ndash; Le Castellet (FRA)</li>
	<li>Jun 12 :&nbsp;Round 3 &ndash; Road To Le Mans (FRA)</li>
	<li>Aug 23 :&nbsp;Round 4 &ndash; Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)</li>
	<li>Sep 13 :&nbsp;Round 5 &ndash; Silverstone (GBR)</li>
	<li>Oct 18 : Round 6 &ndash; Portim&atilde;o (PRT)</li>
</ul>

Silverstone debut for Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2025

Next season’s European Le Mans Series will feature six 4-hour races in six different countries for the first time since 2021, with Silverstone returning to the schedule after a six-year hiatus.

The 2025 campaign will start in Spain with the Prologue and Round 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in early April, followed by the 4 Hours of Le Castellet in France at the beginning of May.

After a break in June for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the action will resume in Italy for Round 3 with the 4 Hours of Imola, and then it&rsquo;s off to the Ardennes and the longest track on the calendar &ndash; Belgium&rsquo;s 7km Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps &ndash; at the end of August.

The penultimate race of 2025 will be the 4 Hours of Silverstone in September, which replaces Mugello, with the season finale taking place as usual at Portugal&rsquo;s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest, said: &ldquo;Once again, the European Le Mans Series calendar features a selection of circuits, each with a variety of challenges to test drivers and cars alike. The ACO is extremely pleased to see the ELMS return to the UK for the first time since 2019, giving British fans a taste of Le Mans at home at Silverstone.

&ldquo;The ELMS has firmly established itself as the leading European endurance series. With grids of over 40 cars, showcasing a great mixture of Le Mans Prototypes and GTs, and some of the top drivers and teams from around the world, the 2025 season is poised to deliver more thrilling action than ever before.&rdquo;

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) CEO, said: &ldquo;With six 4-hour races on six of Europe&rsquo;s leading circuits &ndash; five of which have featured for the past few seasons &ndash; the 2025 ELMS calendar provides teams and drivers with stability and different challenges, while promising exciting racing for our many fans around the world to enjoy whether in person at the track or watching at home.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We are especially pleased to announce the return to the UK following a six-year absence, reintroducing an event that was always well-attended in the past. My thanks go to Stuart Pringle and his team, and we are eagerly anticipating the 4 Hours of Silverstone next September. &nbsp;We look forward to welcoming all of our competitors, partners, fans and media in 2025.&rdquo;

<h4>2025 European Le Mans Series Provisional Calendar :</h4>

<ul>
	<li>Mar 31 - Apr 01 : Prologue - Barcelona (ESP)</li>
	<li>Apr 04-06 : 4 Hours of Barcelona (ESP)</li>
	<li>May 02-04 : 4 Hours of Le Castellet (FRA)</li>
	<li>Jul 04-06 : 4 Hours of Imola (ITA)</li>
	<li>Aug 22-24 : 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Sep 12-14 : 4 Hours of Silverstone (GBR)</li>
	<li>Oct 17-19 : 4 Hours of Portim&atilde;o (PRT)</li>
</ul>

ELMS returns to Silverstone in 2025

Following on from this year’s record-breaking attendance, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will return on 11–15 June 2025. See below for ticketing details for the world-famous endurance race, the fourth round of the 2025 FIA WEC.

Stand by! General sale tickets for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans can be purchased from Wednesday 13 November. ACO Members have an earlier presale period from Wednesday 6 November. 2025 brings a promising new line-up with Aston Martin joining the Hypercar field.&nbsp; 
 
Ticket sales in two waves 
 
Presale ticketing for ACO members opens on 6 November. Club members will be able to order their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lemans.org/en/aco-members/club-offers">race packages</a>&nbsp;online or on site at the circuit (Place du&nbsp;Village from 10:00 on 6 November). Bookings can be made at ACO outlets in Paris, Tours and Rouen and online at&nbsp;<a href="http://ticket-aco.24h-lemans.com">ticket-aco.24h-lemans.com</a>. 
 
Tickets will be on general sale&nbsp;from 13 November&nbsp;from the same outlets or at the circuit.&nbsp; 
 
Spectator accommodation 
 
In response to popular demand, the ACO has designed new viewing areas, grandstands and fan zones to further improve spectator comfort. More eateries and toilets are also planned. These amenities are part of a vast programme to ensure the wellbeing of spectators, marshals and competitors at the event. Improved circulation within the grounds will contribute to a better overall experience. Details to come soon.&nbsp;

Green Ticket 
 
This year, over 10,000 spectators benefited from the Green Ticket scheme launched in 2022, up from 7,000 last year. The scheme urges spectators to travel to the venue on public transport (train/tram), by bicycle or in a low-emission vehicle (hybrid or electric) by offering a 10% discount. For every Green Ticket sold, the ACO donates &euro;1 to&nbsp;M&eacute;c&eacute;nat Chirurgie Cardiaque, our favourite charity. Green Ticket admission comes with a reusable goblet bearing the logo of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missionh24.fr/en/">MissionH24</a>, the project working to introduce electric hydrogen cars to the endurance discipline.&nbsp; 
 
All these measures are part of the ACO&rsquo;s&nbsp;Race to 2030&nbsp;programme, which aims to&nbsp;reduce the race&rsquo;s emissions by 30% by 2030&nbsp;and contribute to the nation&rsquo;s carbon neutral goal. Green Ticket sales open on 13 November. 
 
A variety of offers and VIP Packages 
 
Race Week Admission is &euro;107 with the Green Ticket offer (&euro;118 full price).&nbsp;Take the opportunity to visit the circuit, recently voted France&rsquo;s favourite monument. Tickets for free practice and qualifying, the race, and grandstand seats can be booked separately and there are several VIP packages for an unparalleled spectator experience.&nbsp;New benefit this year! ACO Members get a 5% discount on VIP Packages (up to two packs per member, subject to availability). 
 
See the ticketing page on our website for full details:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/tickets-2025">https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/tickets-2025</a>

The 24 Hours of Le Mans ticket office opens on Wednesday 13 November!

Three other cars are very close to the pole sitters: the #46 Thiriet by TDS Racing Oreca, the #23 Panis Barthez Competition Ligier JS P2, and the Krohn Racing-entered Ligier (n&deg;40). These three cars will also take part in the forthcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 18-19). 
	 
	More excitement to come when the green flag of 4 Hours of Imola will be waved at 2pm!

	<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p7q5o1nif54?feature=oembed" width="480"></iframe>

	Click here for the full report of the qualifying of the 4 Hours of Imola.

	David Bristol / ACO 
	Video source: YouTube - European Le Mans Series official 
	&nbsp;

24H LE MANS

ELMS - Qualifying Session LMP2 at 4 Hours of Imola (video)

Related News

Nicolas Lapierre retires from competition

Silverstone debut for Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2025

ELMS returns to Silverstone in 2025

The 24 Hours of Le Mans ticket office opens on Wednesday 13 November!

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