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Le Mans Race Week Recap

• Front row start for the #43
• First visit to Hyperpole for the team
• Blistering 3.34.657 lap in Hyperpole 1 for Nick Yelloly
• High hopes for the 24H for victory in both classes 

After a week of preparation, performance, and precision, Inter Europol Competition is ready to go racing in the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
With the #43 and #34 LMP2 entries successfully through scrutineering, the 6-hour Test Day, multiple practice sessions, qualifying, and two Hyperpoles now complete, the team is fully focused on the challenge ahead.

Here’s how the week shaped up as we head into the main event.

Scrutineering (Pesage)
The busy Le Mans week kicked off in style as both the #43 and #34 Orecas successfully passed scrutineering in the heart of the city during Friday’s Pesage. Fans lined the streets to welcome the team as drivers and engineers presented the cars to the officials.

Later that evening, the team gathered at Raccordement Motul for the official team photo — a symbolic start to the biggest event on the calendar.

Sunday 8th – Test Day Recap

Sunday’s official Test Day delivered valuable track time at the 13.6 km Circuit de la Sarthe. Across two sessions and multiple red flags, the team completed over 100 laps.

The #43 entry, shared by Jakub 'Kuba’ Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann, and Nick Yelloly, showed strong pace in both sessions — completing 37 laps in the morning to secure P3 and another 33 laps in the afternoon to finish P4. It was a consistent and encouraging performance throughout.

It was a more eventful day for the #34 crew. After just seven laps in the first session, Luca Ghiotto made contact with the barriers at the Porsche Curves. Thanks to a rapid response from the mechanics, who replaced both the front and rear sections of the car in just two hours, the #34 returned for the afternoon session. Driven by Luca Ghiotto, Nick Boulle, and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, the car completed crucial mileage and finished P17, with the focus on data collection and rebalancing after the incident.

Despite the interruptions, the team gathered key insights across both cars — laying the groundwork for race week.

Free Practice 1:

In warm and dry conditions on Wednesday afternoon, the #43 continued its strong form by finishing P2 with 38 laps completed. The #34 also put in solid mileage with 43 laps and placed P13, as the team began refining race setups under consistent track conditions.

Qualifying:

Seventeen LMP2 cars took to the track on Wednesday evening for a high-pressure, 30-minute qualifying session, all aiming for one of just 12 slots in Thursday’s Hyperpole session. With most teams running heavier fuel loads early on, the battle intensified in the final minutes — though two red flags added further challenge.

Nick Yelloly delivered when it counted for the #43, securing P8 and a place in Hyperpole with a composed and competitive lap.

For the #34, it was a case of misfortune. Luca Ghiotto suffered a rear-right puncture with just 10 minutes remaining, forcing an unscheduled pit stop. As the car was prepped to rejoin, a second red flag halted the session, denying a chance at a representative lap. The car was classified P16 — not reflective of its potential.

Free Practice 2:

Wednesday night’s second session gave drivers their first experience of full darkness this year — vital preparation for the overnight hours of the race. The team focused on tyre comparisons and visibility settings in cooler conditions.

A brief red flag for debris interrupted the run, but both cars completed the session without issue. The #43 placed P10 after 25 laps, while the #34 finished P17.

Free Practice 3:
Thursday’s session began with setbacks: the #34 encountered a gearbox issue, while the #43 faced an engine-related problem. Both were resolved quickly, allowing the team to run productively. The #43 finished P3, and the #34 ended the session in P16, continuing setup refinement.

Hyperpole:
The fight for grid positions continued on Thursday evening with the first of two intense Hyperpole sessions. With only the top 12 LMP2 cars from qualifying eligible, pressure was high, and it delivered one of the most thrilling moments of the week so far.

Nick Yelloly took the wheel of the #43 in Hyperpole 1. A red flag with just 11 minutes remaining left little time for clear laps, and tension mounted across pit wall and grandstands. On his final opportunity, Yelloly delivered an incredible lap, crossing the line in P1 with a time of 3:34.657, the fastest of the session, and of the entire week in LMP2, a stunning drive under pressure.

In Hyperpole 2, it was Tom Dillmann’s turn. He kept the momentum going with another superb effort, placing the #43 in P2 overall with a 3:35.333 — securing a front-row start for Saturday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The result marks a huge achievement for the team and a strong platform heading into the race.

All Eyes on the 24 Hours:

With preparation complete and grid positions locked in, Inter Europol Competition is fully focused on the challenge ahead. The 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans begins Saturday, 15 June at 4:00 PM CEST.

Both the #34 and #43 crews are ready for battle — and with the pace shown so far, the fight is well and truly on.

 

Michelin Le Mans Cup – Road to Le Mans 
Practice and Qualifying

Inter Europol Competition kicked off the Road to Le Mans with strong pace during Wednesday’s practice sessions. In FP2, Sergio Sette Camara set the fastest lap in the #43 (3:49.787) — a great result for the team. The #34 also showed solid form, finishing P13.

Qualifying was split into two 20-minute sessions. In Q1, William Karlsson (#34) and Sergio Sette Camara (#43) were first out, but a red flag prevented clean flying laps. They qualified P7 and P8, respectively.

In Q2, David Pun (#43) and Christian Short (#34) faced similar disruption due to red flags, and both cars were locked into P7 and P8 starting positions for Race 1.

Race 1 Report

Race 1 of the Road to Le Mans delivered a mix of strong starts and challenging moments for Inter Europol Competition’s two LMP3 Pro/Am entries.

The #43 started with David Pun behind the wheel and made an immediate impact, climbing to P2 on the opening lap. The #34, with Chris Short at the start, also made early progress to sit in P4 by the end of Lap 1.

Unfortunately, the momentum was disrupted for the #43 when Pun made contact with the barriers on Lap 5, resulting in damage that required a new engine cover and rear wing. After the repairs, Sergio Sette Camara took over and brought the car home in P10, battling through heavy traffic.

In the #34, Chris Short delivered a consistent and competitive opening stint before handing over to William Karlsson. Despite a solid run, Karlsson was handed a 5-second penalty for track limits, ultimately finishing the race in P5.

Both cars showed strong pace and potential, setting the team up with confidence heading into Race 2 on Saturday, 14 June at 10:05 AM CEST.