12 October 2026 – The European Le Mans Series finale did not go as hoped for the Vendée-based team. Whilst the #85 Duqueine D09 was battling for the LMP3 title in Portimão, an incident in the pit lane dashed the hopes of victory for the trio of Provost, Schwarze and Michal. R-ace GP finished third in the LMP3 championship. Whilst a frustrating result, it was also encouraging for a debut season in the ELMS.

Free Practice

It was a shy start on Thursday morning, with 7th place in Free Practice 1. In the afternoon, performance improved: driven by Fabien Michal, the #85 car finished third in the Bronze Practice session.

This positive momentum continued the following day during Free Practice 2. The trio of Provost/Schwarze/Michal finished second in the LMP3 class.

Qualifying

In qualifying, Pierre-Alexandre Provost secured fourth place on the starting grid for the #85 car.

Race

The 4 Hours of Portimão got underway at midday on Saturday. Fabien Michal got off to a good start and set a strong pace early in the race. The #85 was battling it out in the top three.

But the race took a dramatic turn during a pit stop: moments after setting off again, Fabien Michal got hit by a rival, causing significant damage to the front of the car.

The #85 was forced to return to the pits on the very next lap. Just a few seconds later, the team’s LMP3 found itself stuck at a red light at the exit of the pit lane, due to the safety car being on the track.

This series of events caused it to lose a lap to its rivals and jeopardised the rest of the race.

Despite every effort by Pierre-Alexandre Provost and Hugo Schwarze to climb back up the order, the #85 finished last in its class.

“In terms of performance, we struggled all week to find the right set-up. Unfortunately, this showed in qualifying. The race had got off to a good start – Fabien was driving well – but that collision in the pits completely ruined our race. We fought with all our might to make a comeback, but we couldn’t do any better. There were no other incidents during the race that could have helped our strategy.” Fabien Lavergne, R-ace GP’s Sporting Director.

Third place in the ELMS LMP3 championship, just one point behind second place

Despite this difficult final race, R-ace GP finished its first season in the ELMS in third place in the LMP3 championship. A result that leaves a sense of unfinished business, as the team ended just one point behind second place.

But looking beyond this final race, the season was marked by several fine performances. On its championship debut, R-ace GP secured two pole positions, one victory and two second-place finishes. These results are a testament to the team’s commitment and competitiveness

“It’s very frustrating to miss out on second place by such a narrow margin, and it doesn’t do justice to the team’s hard work throughout the season. Nevertheless, we have nothing to be ashamed of in this first season in the ELMS. The technical team did a brilliant job and provided us with a 100 per cent reliable car.” Fabien Lavergne.

R-ace GP already looking ahead to 2027

Whilst the final race did not allow the team to finish the championship with the result they had hoped for, the team can build on the lessons learnt from this first campaign in the ELMS. The Vendée-based team consistently demonstrated its pace and ability to compete at the front of the field, whilst gaining valuable experience in a particularly competitive championship.

The aim now will be to capitalise on this experience to come back even stronger in 2027. “We have everything we need to do even better next year,” concludes Fabien Lavergne.

To rewatch the 4 Hours of Portimão , click here.

Photo credit: Jules Beaumont

14 September 2026 – After several podium finishes and a number of missed opportunities since the start of the season, R-ace GP has finally secured its first victory in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS)! At the sixth round of the season at Silverstone, the #85 Duqueine D09 driven by Hugo Schwarze, Pierre-Alexandre Provost and Fabien Michal took the chequered flag at the end of a particularly hard-fought and eventful race.

This victory is a reward for the hard work of the whole team and keeps R-ace GP firmly in the title race as the season heads towards the finale at Portimão.

Free Practice

The weekend got off to a quiet start for the #85 car, however. On Friday, during Free Practice 1, Fabien Michal, Pierre-Alexandre Provost and Hugo Schwarze set the seventh-fastest time in the category.

The team continued their work during the Bronze Test, showing a marked improvement in performance. Fabien Michal then put the #85 Duqueine D09 in second place, confirming the team’s progress.

On Saturday morning, the trend continued during Free Practice 2, where the #85 this time topped the session. With a fastest lap of 1:54.232, the Vendée-based team clearly signalled its ambitions ahead of qualifying.

Qualifying

Later, Hugo Schwarze set the second-fastest time in the class, just 0.069 seconds off pole position.

The #85 secured a strong starting position for the 4 Hours of Silverstone.

Race

Fabien Michal took the start and put in two solid stints, keeping the #85 car among the frontrunners. But just as the race seemed to be unfolding as expected, rain suddenly set in and completely turned the tables.

Pierre-Alexandre Provost then took the wheel and quickly found himself hot on the heels of the leader. In increasingly tricky track conditions, the Luxembourg driver put the pressure on his rival until he managed to take the lead.

It was then up to Hugo Schwarze to bring this eventful race to a close. With visibility severely reduced and conditions particularly challenging, the driver put in a solid final stint to hold on to first place right up to the chequered flag.

The #85 Duqueine D09 thus crossed the finish line in first place, securing R-ace GP’s very first victory in the European Le Mans Series!

R-ace GP still in the running for the ELMS title

This victory is particularly significant for the team, following several podium finishes and setbacks since the start of its first season in the ELMS.

“It’s been a great week with a high level of performance. This first victory is a real pleasure and a huge relief for the team. After quite a few setbacks and missed opportunities since the start of the season, we’re delighted to still be in the title race. Whatever happens, we’ll be very happy with this first season in the ELMS,” explains Fabien Lavergne, Team Manager.

Thanks to this success, R-ace GP remains second in the provisional overall standings, just 9 points behind the leader.

The battle for the title will therefore be decided at the season’s grand finale on 10 October in Portimão. Following this historic first victory in the ELMS, the #85 car heads to Portugal with a clear objective: to round off this debut season with another top-class performance.

To rewatch the 4 Hours of Spa, click here.

Photo credit: Jules Beaumont

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.