Valerio Rinicella put the #18 IDEC SPORT on pole position for the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. A performance that confirms the pace shown by the crew since the start of the Belgian weekend and will see IDEC SPORT start from the front of the grid on Sunday for the fourth round of the European Le Mans Series.
IDEC SPORT continues to run at the sharp end of the field at Spa-Francorchamps.
After already setting the fastest time in Free Practice 1 on Friday, the #18 LMP2 secured pole position on Saturday, with Valerio Rinicella behind the wheel for qualifying.
On a damp track, the young Italian driver set a best lap of 2:01.268, finishing 0.154 seconds ahead of Inter Europol.
The performance rewards the work carried out since the start of the week and puts the #18 in the best possible position ahead of Sunday’s four-hour race.
Valerio Rinicella puts the #18 on pole at Spa
After a morning that began in wet conditions before the track gradually dried, Valerio Rinicella was able to work in a variety of conditions ahead of qualifying.
When it was time to go for the fastest lap, the #18 driver did not hesitate to push.
After his first attempt was compromised by track limits, he went again. The decision paid off: the #18 topped the session and secured pole position for the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
The result also confirms the potential shown by the car throughout the weekend.
“I think today we showed that we have the pace to stay at the front. The car was just amazing and I have to thank the team for all their hard work. I think this is the first time we’ve really been able to show our pace, so I’m very happy. Overall, I think we did a good job.” Valerio Rinicella
An important pole ahead of four hours of racing
At a circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, starting from the front is clearly an advantage. But with four hours of racing ahead, the three #18 drivers know that pole position is only the starting point.
Valerio Rinicella highlighted the advantage of being able to approach the opening stages from the front of the field and immediately focus on his own pace.
“Starting from pole is an advantage because you can decide a little bit what happens on the first lap. It’s also true that there’s a long straight, so anything can happen. We could be four-wide into the first corner, but hopefully we can stay away from any contact at Turn 1 and keep the lead.
I think starting from pole is important everywhere. You can just focus on your own pace and not worry too much about what you have to do. So I think it’s really important, and I’m happy about that.”
The challenge now will be to convert that front-row advantage into a strong race result on a circuit where overtaking opportunities and different strategic scenarios can quickly reshuffle the order.
The #28 will start from 11th position
On the other side of the IDEC SPORT garage, the #28 of Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin and Job Van Uitert continues its preparations for the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Both crews will now turn their attention to race preparation, with four hours of competition ahead on Sunday.
After the mechanics took centre stage earlier in the weekend, it was Valerio Rinicella’s turn to put IDEC SPORT at the top of the timesheets.
This succession of strong performances once again highlights one of the defining characteristics of endurance racing: results are built collectively, both in the car and in the garage.
The main challenge still lies ahead.
On Sunday, the two IDEC SPORT LMP2 cars will return to the 7.004-kilometre Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the fourth round of the 2026 European Le Mans Series season.
The main chapter of the Belgian weekend is still to be written.
The 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps gets underway on Sunday at 1:00 pm, live on FIA WEC+.
