Category: ELMS

ELMS: Victory Slips Away from R-ace GP at Imola

r-ace gp imola european le mans series 2026

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.

r-ace gp imola european le mans series 2026 2

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.

r-ace gp imola european le mans series 2026 hugo schwarze fabien michal pierre-alexandre provost

“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.

Pole Position and Podium on ELMS Debut for R-ace GP!

r-ace gp podium elms barcelone pierre-alexandre provost fabien michal hugo schwarze

April 13, 2026 – This past weekend, R-ace GP kicked off its European endurance season in Barcelona and made its debut in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). Despite its rookie status, the Vendée-based team immediately showed its potential by claiming pole position and finishing second in the 4 Hours of Barcelona. A look back at a highly successful start.

After several weeks of preparation, R-ace GP returned to the track for the opening round of the 2026 ELMS and Michelin Le Mans Cup seasons.

For its first-ever ELMS campaign, the team is fielding the Duqueine D09 #85, driven by Germany’s Hugo Schwarze (reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup champion with R-ace GP), Luxembourg’s Pierre-Alexandre Provost, and French Bronze driver Fabien Michal (2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup vice-champion with R-ace GP).

Prologue

Ahead of the official race weekend, teams and drivers took part in the traditional pre-season official tests, held over two days with two sessions per day.

The #85 finished P6 and P1 on the first day, then P4 and P1 on the second—very encouraging results for a rookie team.

r-ace gp podium elms barcelone

Free Practice

On Friday, the #85 made a strong start by finishing second in FP1. In the afternoon, Fabien Michal finished P6 in the Bronze drivers’ collective test session. On Saturday morning, results were more moderate, with the crew finishing P7.

Qualifying

On Saturday afternoon, Hugo Schwarze, reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup Champion, delivered an outstanding performance and clinched pole position. The young German set the fastest lap in the LMP3 category with a lap in 1:36.524.

“The team worked extremely hard during testing, and I’m happy to reward that effort with this pole position—especially with a half-second margin over the rest of the field.” Hugo Schwarze.

r-ace gp podium elms barcelone hugo schwarze

Race

The start of the race was given at midday on Sunday. Several incidents occurred, but despite the chaotic conditions, Fabien Michal managed to pick his way through and retain the lead in the LMP3 category. After a 30-minute red flag period, the race resumed.

At mid-race, after a flawless stint, Fabien Michal pitted for the driver change. At the same time, two competitors collided on track, triggering a yellow flag followed by a Virtual Safety Car (VSC). Pierre-Alexandre Provost rejoined in second position.

“I spent my entire stint behind the leader—it was very frustrating. We had great pace, but it’s very difficult to overtake in dirty air. We know it’s often an issue at this circuit.” Pierre-Alexandre Provost.

Hugo Schwarze took over the #85 in the final hour. The German managed to close the gap to the leader by around fifteen seconds, but despite his efforts, the #85 crossed the finish line in second place.

“We’re obviously a bit disappointed with second place, as we had the pace to win the race. We were unlucky with the VSC, which was deployed just as we exited the pits and cost us a lot of time. But overall, the weekend remains very positive. Our drivers were highly competitive and we’ve secured valuable championship points. It’s a very strong ELMS debut for the team.” Fabien Lavergne, Team Manager.

r-ace gp podium elms barcelone pole position

The team will return in a few weeks’ time for the second round of the ELMS at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet.

To rewatch the 4 Hours of Barcelona, click here.

Photo credit: Jules Beaumont