The first meeting of the European Le Mans Series season was eagerly awaited by IDEC SPORT and the entire field of 42 competitors in the LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3 for prototypes and GTE for production cars. The level of the field is higher than ever with the arrival of drivers such as Jose Maria Lopez, Paul Di Resta or Neel Jani, who have already been in the LMP1 category or in F1.
The IDEC SPORT line-up was just as expected with the duo Paul Lafargue and Paul-Loup Chatin, who know each other perfectly and won the European title in 2019. They are joined by Laurents Hörr, whose speed has enabled him to win the Michelin Le Mans Cup twice in LMP3 and to score a podium finish at the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours in the LMP2 Pro/Am category.
The team got to know each other during winter testing, but were keen to test themselves in competition. One thing is certain, the latest arrival has already integrated well:
“It wasn’t really my first week with IDEC SPORT as we did a few tests beforehand, but it was my first competition with the team. We got off to a good start, finding a more than decent rhythm. From the start, the atmosphere in the team was excellent and we had a very good week. The whole team gets along well, and that goes for the drivers as well, which gives strength”, explains Laurents Hörr.
The German was confident at the start of the meeting despite a few problems: “We had some problems in qualifying but we knew that our race pace would be good, so we were never worried. Unfortunately we had this mechanical problem with the wheel and we started from the pits, one lap behind the leaders. But we were able to keep our concentration and motivation”, reports the driver, who showed some French skills during the weekend by going on air after his stint.
“To finish on the podium is a great reward. We can be satisfied. I’m happy with what I was able to show on track. It was my first podium finish in the ELMS LMP2 class and I hope there will be many more to come. It’s up to us to keep up the momentum,” said the Gerlingen native.
The race at Imola, scheduled for 7 May, has been postponed due to a delay in the construction work. The next event for IDEC SPORT should therefore be the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours on 10 and 11 June.
