15 July 2026 – Despite showing impressive pace throughout the week, R-ace GP came away empty-handed from the third round of the European Le Mans Series at Imola. With the #85 leading the race, an on-track incident ultimately robbed the Vendée-based team of what looked set to be a well-deserved victory.
Free Practice
On Friday, the #85 with Fabien Michal, Pierre-Alexandre Provost and Hugo Schwarze finished 9th in Free Practice 1. The team’s pace improved significantly during the afternoon Bronze Test, where they secured 3rd place.
On Saturday, R-ace GP continued to build momentum by topping the Free Practice 2 timesheets with a fastest lap of 1:39.800.
Qualifying
A few hours later, Pierre-Alexandre Provost put on an outstanding performance in qualifying, fighting all the way for pole position. The Luxembourger ultimately secured the 2nd position on the grid.
Race
The start of the 4 Hours of Imola was clean, with Fabien Michal holding onto second place. The #85 soon took the lead, but opening up a gap proved difficult as the race was repeatedly interrupted by incidents, triggering several Safety Car periods.
Pierre-Alexandre Provost then took over and kept the #85 at the front with consistently strong pace despite relentless pressure from the competition. However, with just over an hour remaining, disaster struck when an LMP2 car hit the #85 from behind. The impact caused the right-rear tyre to puncture and left the car with extensive damage.
After returning to the pits for repairs, Hugo Schwarze took over for the final stint, rejoining at the back of the field. Despite the setback, the #85 fought to the finish and ultimately crossed the line in eighth place.
“It’s a disappointing result that doesn’t reflect the outstanding work put in by the entire team. We executed everything perfectly from the beginning to the end of the week: we had a fast car, fought for pole position, and showed excellent race pace. Unfortunately, the contact with the LMP2 car prevented us from turning that performance into the result we deserved.” Fabien Lavergne, Team Manager.
R-ace GP now sits fourth in the Teams’ Championship, while Fabien Michal, Pierre-Alexandre Provost and Hugo Schwarze are fifth in the Drivers’ standings. With three rounds still to go, however, the title fight is far from over!
R-ace GP’s ELMS squad will be back in action at the end of August for the fourth round of the European Le Mans Series at Spa-Francorchamps.
To rewatch the race, click here.