Julien Canal

Last updated
Julien Canal
Julien Canal in 2023.jpg
Canal in 2023
NationalityFlag of France.svg  French
Born (1982-07-15) 15 July 1982 (age 41)
Le Mans, France
FIA World Endurance Championship career
Debut season 2012
Current team Alpine Elf Team
Racing licence FIA Silver Driver.png FIA Silver
Car number36
Former teams G-Drive Racing, Manor, Vaillante Rebellion, Larbre Compétition, Panis Barthez Competition
Starts45 (45 entries)
Wins15
Podiums26
Poles4
Fastest laps0
Best finish1st (LMP2) in 2015, 2017
Previous series
2011
2011
201011
2009
2008
2008, 10
2007–09
20032006
2003–06
2003
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
American Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
Formula Le Mans
FIA GT Championship
FFSA GT Championship
Porsche Carrera Cup France
Eurocup Formula Renault
French Formula Renault
Formula Renault 2.0 Germany
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years 2010
Teams Larbre Competition
Best finish13th (2010)
Class wins3 (2010, 2011, 2012)

Julien Antoine Jules Canal [1] (born 15 July 1982 in Le Mans) is a French racing driver who currently competes in the European Le Mans Series with Panis Racing. In 2010 he made his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won his class in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Contents

Career

Single-seaters

After competing in karting, where he finished third in the French Championship Elite in 2000, Canal stepped up to single-seaters in 2003. He raced in French Formula Renault for four seasons, scoring his first podium in his final season in 2006 and finishing sixth overall. [2] He also raced in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series in each of those four seasons.

GT racing

Canal switched to GT racing in 2007 when he started racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup France. He finished ninth, tenth and eighth in the three seasons he contested, scoring one podium finish and two pole positions. In 2010 he took part in the FFSA GT Championship.

He joined the Larbre Compétition team to race their Saleen S7-R in the opening round of the 2007 Le Mans Series season at Circuit Paul Ricard, where they were the only team entered in the GT1 class. He returned to the team for the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they won the GT1 class in 13th overall.

In 2011 Larbre entered the new GTE-Am class in a Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, with Canal again winning the class at Le Mans with the team. They repeated the feat in 2012.

Personal

Canal operated a McDonald's restaurant in his hometown Le Mans. As of 2022, Canal has opened 3 McDonald's restaurants in cities outside Le Mans.

Racing record

Racing career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2003French Formula Renault ChampionshipCD Sport80000029th
Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup 400000NC†
Formula Renault 2000 GermanyASM200000NC†
2004 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Graff Racing 1700001024th
France Formula Renault 2.080000621st
2005 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Graff Racing 1600001716th
France Formula Renault 2.0800001714th
2006France Formula Renault 2.0 Graff Racing 130111616th
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 200000NC†
2007Porsche Carrera Cup France Graff Racing 140000439th
2008Porsche Carrera Cup France Graff Racing 1401004510th
French GT Championship DKR Engineering 413026813th
FIA GT Championship - GT1 100000NC†
2009Porsche Carrera Cup France Graff Racing 140111828th
Formula Le Mans Cup 10000834th
2010French GT Championship Graff Racing 112012487th
Le Mans Series - GT1 Larbre Compétition 11011333rd
24 Hours of Le Mans - GT1 11001N/A1st
2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - LMGTE Am Larbre Compétition 710050NC†
Le Mans Series - LMGTE Am 300020NC†
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 11001N/A1st
American Le Mans Series - GT 100000NC†
2012 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am Larbre Compétition 830040NC†
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 11001N/A1st
2013 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMGTE Am Larbre Compétition 80002975th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTE Am 10000N/A5th
2014 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 G-Drive Racing 841041372nd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/ADNF
Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am Sofrev ASP10000425th
2015 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 G-Drive Racing 844071781st
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/A3rd
European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Krohn Racing 100001018th
2016 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Greaves Motorsport 600003610th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/A6th
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Manor 10000646th
2017 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Vaillante Rebellion 940081861st
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/A14th
IMSA Sportscar Championship - Prototype PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 100002141st
2018 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Panis Barthez Competition 6000245.59th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/A9th
2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Larbre Compétition 10000819th
2019 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Panis Barthez Competition 6000019.518th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/A8th
2020 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Panis Racing 50001474th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10001N/A3rd
2021 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Panis Racing 6100374.53rd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10001N/A3rd
2022 European Le Mans Series - LMP2 Panis Racing 60004942nd
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 10000N/A12th
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Alpine Elf Team 70001837th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 AF Corse 100010NC

† As Canal was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete European Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantClassChassisEngine123456RankPoints
2010 Larbre Compétition GT1 Saleen S7-R Ford 7.0 L V8 LEC
1
SPA ALG HUN SIL 3rd33
2010 Larbre Compétition GTE AM Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Chevrolet 5.5 L V8 LEC SPA
3
IMO
2
SIL
4
EST NC0
2015 Krohn Racing LMP2 Ligier JS P2 Judd HK 3.6 L V8 SIL IMO RBR
5
LEC EST 18th10
2016 Greaves Motorsport LMP2 Ligier JS P2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
8
IMO
8
RBR
6
LEC
6
SPA
4
EST
Ret
10th36
2018 Panis Barthez Competition LMP2 Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LEC
8
MNZ
7
RBR
10
SIL
6
SPA
3‡
ALG
2
9th45.5
2019 Panis Barthez Competition LMP2 Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LEC
10
MNZ
9
CAT
15
SIL
7
SPA
8
ALG
7
18th19.5
2020 Panis Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LEC
Ret
SPA
3
LEC
4
MNZ
5
ALG
5
4th47
2021 Panis Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 CAT
2
RBR
14
LEC
8
MNZ
1
SPA
3
ALG
4
3rd74.5
2022 Panis Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LEC
3
IMO
4
MNZ
2
CAT
2
SPA
4
ALG
2
2nd94

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

YearEntrantClassCarEngine123456789RankPoints
2012 Larbre Compétition LMGTE Am Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Chevrolet 5.5 L V8 SEB
Ret
SPA
4
LMS
1
SIL
EX
SÃO
EX
BHR
4
FUJ
1
SHA
1
56th†1.5
2013 Larbre Compétition LMGTE Am Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Chevrolet 5.5 L V8 SIL
2
SPA
3
LMS
4
SÃO
6
COA
6
FUJ
8
SHA
5
BHR
4
5th97
2014 G-Drive Racing LMP2 Morgan LMP2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
1
SPA
1
LMS
Ret
2nd137
Ligier JS P2 COA
3
FUJ
1
SHA
1
BHR
3
SÃO
Ret
2015 G-Drive Racing LMP2 Ligier JS P2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
1
SPA
9
LMS
2
NÜR
2
COA
1
FUJ
1
SHA
2
BHR
1
1st178
2016 Manor LMP2 Oreca 05 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL SPA LMS NÜR MEX COA FUJ SHA BHR
7
46th6
2017 Vaillante Rebellion LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SIL
2
SPA
2
LMS
6
NÜR
2
MEX
1
COA
3
FUJ
1
SHA
1
BHR
1
1st186
2018–19 Larbre Compétition LMP2 Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SPA
6
20th8
Panis Barthez Competition LMP2 Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LMS
9
SIL FUJ SHA SEB SPA LMS
8
2023 Alpine Elf Team LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SEB
8
PRT
8
SPA
7
LMS
4
MNZ
2
FUJ
5
BHR
7
7th83

There was no LMGTE Am drivers championship that year, the result indicates standings in overall standings.
* Season still in progress.

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2010 Flag of France.svg Larbre Compétition Flag of France.svg Roland Bervillé
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Gabriele Gardel
Saleen S7-RGT133113th1st
2011 Flag of France.svg Larbre Compétition Flag of France.svg Patrick Bornhauser
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Gabriele Gardel
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GTE
Am
30220th1st
2012 Flag of France.svg Larbre Compétition Flag of France.svg Patrick Bornhauser
Flag of Portugal.svg Pedro Lamy
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GTE
Am
32920th1st
2013 Flag of France.svg Larbre Compétition Flag of France.svg Patrick Bornhauser
Flag of the United States.svg Ricky Taylor
Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GTE
Am
30229th5th
2014 Flag of Russia.svg G-Drive Racing Flag of Russia.svg Roman Rusinov
Flag of France.svg Olivier Pla
Morgan LMP2-Nissan LMP2120DNFDNF
2015 Flag of Russia.svg G-Drive Racing Flag of Russia.svg Roman Rusinov
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sam Bird
Ligier JS P2-Nissan LMP235811th3rd
2016 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Greaves Motorsport Flag of France.svg Nathanaël Berthon
Flag of Mexico.svg Memo Rojas
Ligier JS P2-Nissan LMP234810th6th
2017 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Vaillante Rebellion Flag of Brazil.svg Bruno Senna
Flag of France.svg Nicolas Prost
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP234016th14th
2018 Flag of France.svg Panis Barthez Competition Flag of France.svg Timothé Buret
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Will Stevens
Ligier JS P217-Gibson LMP235213th9th
2019 Flag of France.svg Panis Barthez Competition Flag of Austria.svg René Binder
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Will Stevens
Ligier JS P217-Gibson LMP236213th8th
2020 Flag of France.svg Panis Racing Flag of France.svg Nico Jamin
Flag of France.svg Matthieu Vaxivière
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP23687th3rd
2021 Flag of France.svg Panis Racing Flag of Australia (converted).svg James Allen
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Will Stevens
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP23628th3rd
2022 Flag of France.svg Panis Racing Flag of France.svg Nico Jamin
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Job van Uitert
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP236616th12th
2023 Flag of France.svg Alpine Elf Team Flag of France.svg Charles Milesi
Flag of France.svg Matthieu Vaxivière
Oreca 07-Gibson LMP232712th4th

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassMakeEngine12345678910Pos.Points
2017 PR1/Mathiasen MotorsportsP Ligier JS P217 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY SEB LBH AUS BEL WGL
MOS ELK
LGA
ATL
10
41st21
2023 AF Corse LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY
3
SEB LGA WGL ELK IMS PET NC0

* Season still in progress.


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References

  1. "Pilote des 24 heures du Mans : Julien Antoine Jules Canal". www.24h-en-piste.com (in French). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. "Julien Canal career statistics". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
Sporting positions
Preceded by FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers
2015
With: Sam Bird & Roman Rusinov
Succeeded by
Preceded by FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers
2017
With: Bruno Senna
Succeeded by