In the #28 car, Job VAN UITERT, Paul LAFARGUE, and Sebastian ALVAREZ fine-tuned the setup and worked on strengthening the trio\u2019s cohesion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A cornerstone of the team, Paul LAFARGUE is gearing up for his ninth participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It\u2019s a race he still approaches with the same passion: Alongside him, Sebastian ALVAREZ will be discovering the magic of the Le Mans circuit for the first time. It\u2019s a debut full of emotion and eagerness: Job VAN UITERT returns with determination for his seventh appearance: The #28 clearly aims for a strong result in this 2025 edition, driven by a mix of experience, youth, and ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the #18 side, fresh off a home victory at Le Castellet, the car\u2019s trio approaches the 24 Hours of Le Mans with determination and hunger. Featuring Andr\u00e9 LOTTERER, Jamie CHADWICK, and Mathys JAUBERT, the crew took part in the intensive testing day to prepare for the legendary endurance challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andr\u00e9 LOTTERER, a three-time winner of the 24 Hours, is a seasoned veteran of the Sarthe circuit, although this year will be a first of its kind. Usually racing in the Hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), he will be competing in LMP2 for the first time: For Jamie CHADWICK and Mathys JAUBERT, this will be their first Le Mans participation\u2014a major milestone in their careers. The same excitement is shared by Mathys JAUBERT, who is progressing rapidly in endurance racing: With a promising lineup and positive momentum after their recent victory, the #18 car stands as a serious LMP2 contender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nicolas Minassian, IDEC SPORT\u2019s team principal, has taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 16 times as a driver, and the tally continues in his role as team manager. One thing is certain\u2014”Minass” knows this race inside and out: The team now looks ahead to the official test day, before the big start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where IDEC SPORT will aim to be among the front-runners in a highly competitive field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the #28 car, Job VAN UITERT, Paul LAFARGUE, and Sebastian ALVAREZ fine-tuned the setup and worked on strengthening the trio\u2019s cohesion. A cornerstone of the team, Paul LAFARGUE is gearing up for his ninth participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It\u2019s a race he still approaches with the same passion:“I\u2019m always like …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10969895,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10969937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-racing"],"yoast_head":"\n
“I\u2019m always like a kid when I see the entry list and my name is on it. It\u2019s the most beautiful race in the world. I\u2019m getting older\u2014this will be my ninth time\u2014but the magic is still there. The atmosphere is incredible. I think of my father, whom I saw racing at Le Mans, and that\u2019s what inspired me to do this,”<\/em> explains Paul LAFARGUE. “I know we\u2019re competitive, but that\u2019s not enough at Le Mans. Everything has to align to get a result. This year, we have another strong trio, with Seb joining us. We\u2019ll have to push even harder.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I know Job well since we\u2019ve shared a car before, and I also know Paul because we raced against each other last year. The atmosphere within the team is great. I\u2019m going to try to make the most of this first time at Le Mans and learn as much as possible. The atmosphere at Le Mans is amazing, and I can\u2019t wait to drive on this legendary track\u2014especially at night.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I can\u2019t wait! It\u2019s the most fun race of the year, the most iconic. Le Mans speaks for itself. The podium last year meant a lot, and I\u2019m happy to have experienced that with IDEC SPORT. I\u2019d love to get back on it\u2014or even do better\u2014but if you offered me a podium right now, I\u2019d sign instantly, especially after the bad luck we\u2019ve had in the first two races. I\u2019m happy to race again with Sebastian\u2014we have a score to settle. And of course, Paul, with whom I share a lot.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It\u2019s great to be back at Le Mans, especially as part of the Genesis program. I wasn\u2019t supposed to race this year, but of course, I said yes immediately. Everything feels natural with the car. I felt comfortable right away. It\u2019s very enjoyable to drive. Of course, I want to win, but Le Mans is Le Mans. We\u2019ll give it our all. The biggest new element for me will be the traffic, having to watch out for the Hypercars. But the speed difference is manageable. Most overtaking will happen under braking or on straights. It\u2019s not like with the LMP1s, where they could appear out of nowhere. Here, I think we have time to see them coming.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I\u2019ve been to Le Mans several times before, and I think it\u2019s going to be incredible to experience it from the inside. So much happens during that week. I had it on my wish list for a long time. Racing in LMP2 there will be fantastic. Even though we\u2019ve won the first two ELMS rounds, I don\u2019t think anything can fully prepare you for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car will be different, with less aero and power, the track is so unique, and of course, the race lasts twenty-four hours,”<\/em> says the British driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Le Mans starts today. We\u2019ve started getting used to the car in its \u2018Le Mans\u2019 setup. You don\u2019t feel much difference on the straights, but a lot in the corners. These will be my first 24 Hours of Le Mans, but I\u2019m confident. People have told me it\u2019s important to pace yourself and save energy for the race weekend. I\u2019m also looking forward to the passionate moments\u2014especially the parade. With Jamie and Andr\u00e9, we should be able to do a good job. The main goal is, of course, to finish, but if we could get into the top 5, that would be great.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We\u2019ve just got one more test session before Le Mans, which is for running in parts. We have very detailed procedures for reliability. We\u2019ll take the cars apart and check everything. At Le Mans, you can\u2019t leave anything to chance. The team and drivers will be preparing as well. Every department has its own specific program. Le Mans is truly a massive operation for a team.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n