Le Mans Cup
The Le Mans Cup, previously the GT3 Le Mans Cup and currently known as the Michelin Le Mans Cup under sponsorship, is an international sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).
| Category | Endurance racing |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 2016 |
| Prototype Classes | LMP3 |
| GT Classes | GT3 |
| Tyre suppliers | Michelin |
| Drivers' champion | LMP3: Julien Gerbi Gillian Henrion GT3: Valentin Hasse-Clot Arnold Robin |
| Teams' champion | LMP3: Team Virage GT3: Racing Spirit of Léman |
| Official website | lemanscup.com |
| Current season | |
History
The GT3 Le Mans Cup was created in 2016 after the GTC category was dropped from the European Le Mans Series. The new tournament was designed primarily to increase the number of amateur drivers.[1][2][3] The teams' champion automatically receives an invitation to take part in the following 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGTE Am category.[4]
From the 2017 season, the series adopted a new format with LMP3 and GT3-class cars competing in their respective categories, with the ACO aiming to create a secondary division of LMP3-racing and promoting the best teams from the Le Mans Cup to the European Le Mans Series.[5]
A new LMP3 specification with higher power engines was introduced for the 2020 season; this was found to consume more fuel than predicted, forcing pit stop and stint time rule changes.
The Le Mans weekend originally had a one-hour format in 2017, and has had two 55-minute races every year since 2018. The remaining races originally had a two-hour format, later shortened to 1h 50min for the 2022 season, to enable removal of this second mandatory pit stop.
Logo History
- Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup logo used in the 2016 season
- Michelin Le Mans Cup logo used in the 2017 season
- Michelin Le Mans Cup logo used from 2018 until the end of the 2023 season
Drivers Championships
LMP3 Drivers
| Season | Drivers | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Jean Glorieux Alexander Toril |
DKR Engineering | 5 | 4 | 5 | 114 | 6 of 7 | 24 |
| 2018 | Jens Petersen Léonard Hoogenboom |
DKR Engineering | 0 | 3 | 4 | 103 | 6 of 7 | 11,5 |
| 2019 | Laurents Hörr François Kirmann |
DKR Engineering | 4 | 2 | 5 | 100 | 7 of 7 | 8,5 |
| 2020 | Laurents Hörr | DKR Engineering | 1 | 3 | 6 | 120 | 7 of 7 | 15 |
| 2021 | Anthony Wells Colin Noble |
Nielsen Racing | 0 | 2 | 3 | 75 | 7 of 7 | 4 |
| 2022 | Tom Dillmann Alexander Mattschull |
Racing Spirit of Léman | 0 | 3 | 5 | 97 | 7 of 7 | 24 |
| 2023 | Julien Gerbi Gillian Henrion |
Team Virage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 73 | 7 of 7 | 4 |
GT3 Drivers
| Season | Drivers | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Aleksey Basov Viktor Shaytar |
SMP Racing | 3 | 4 | 5 | 121 | 5 of 6 | 14 |
| 2017 | Fabio Babini Emanuele Busnelli |
Ebimotors | 0 | 2 | 5 | 104.5 | 7 of 7 | 2 |
| 2018 | Giacomo Piccini Sergio Pianezzola |
Kessel Racing | 4 | 5 | 5 | 138 | 7 of 7 | 55 |
| 2019 | Giacomo Piccini Sergio Pianezzola |
Kessel Racing | 1 | 4 | 6 | 130 | 7 of 7 | 21 |
| 2020 | Rino Mastronardi | Iron Lynx | 5 | 4 | 7 | 132 | 6 of 7 | 15 |
| 2021 | Nicolas Leutwiler | Pzoberer Zürichsee by TFT | 1 | 2 | 6 | 107 | 7 of 7 | 10 |
| 2022 | Kasper H. Jensen Kristian Poulsen |
GMB Motorsport | 0 | 2 | 5 | 109 | 7 of 7 | 16 |
| 2023 | Arnold Robin Valentin Hasse-Clot |
Racing Spirit of Léman | 1 | 1 | 5 | 97 | 7 of 7 | 20 |
Teams Championships
LMP3 Teams
| Season | Team | Car | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | DKR Engineering | Norma M30 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 114 | 6 of 7 | 24 |
| 2018 | DKR Engineering | Norma M30 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 103 | 6 of 7 | 11,5 |
| 2019 | DKR Engineering | Norma M30 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 100 | 7 of 7 | 8,5 |
| 2020 | DKR Engineering | Duqueine M30 - D08 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 120 | 7 of 7 | 31 |
| 2021 | Nielsen Racing | Ligier JS P320 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 75 | 7 of 7 | 4 |
| 2022 | Racing Spirit of Léman | Ligier JS P320 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 97 | 7 of 7 | 24 |
| 2023 | Team Virage | Ligier JS P320 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 73 | 7 of 7 | 4 |
GT3 Teams
| Season | Team | Car | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | TF Sport | Aston Martin Vantage GT3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 107 | 6 of 6 | 11 |
| 2017 | Ebimotors | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 104.5 | 7 of 7 | 2 |
| 2018 | Kessel Racing | Ferrari 488 GT3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 138 | 7 of 7 | 55 |
| 2019 | Kessel Racing | Ferrari 488 GT3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 130 | 7 of 7 | 21 |
| 2020 | Iron Lynx | Ferrari 488 GT3 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 132 | 6 of 7 | 40 |
| 2021 | Iron Lynx | Ferrari 488 GT3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 148 | 6 of 7 | 41 |
| 2022 | GMB Motorsport | Honda NSX GT3 Evo22 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 109 | 7 of 7 | 16 |
| 2023 | Racing Spirit of Léman | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 97 | 7 of 7 | 20 |
References
- Release, News (4 May 2016). "Villorba Corse to enter 2016 Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup".
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - "History - Michelin Le Mans Cup".
- Ltd., Crash Media Group. "ACO launches Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup - Sportscars News".
- "Prize fund revealed for new GT3 Le Mans Cup".
- "LMP3 Cars Added to Michelin Le Mans Cup for 2017 - Sportscar365".