Le Mans Cup

Le Mans Cup

Category	Endurance racing
Country	International
Inaugural season	2016
Prototype Classes	LMP3, LMP3 Pro-Am
GT Classes	GT3
Teams	29
Constructors	GT3: Ferrari  • Aston Martin  • Porsche  • Mercedes-Benz
Chassis manufacturers	LMP3: Ginetta  • Ligier  • Duqueine  • ADESS
Engine manufacturers	LMP3:Toyota
Tyre suppliers	Michelin
Drivers' champion	LMP3: Adrien Chila David Droux GT3: Alessandro Balzan Matt Kurzejewski
Teams' champion	LMP3: Cool Racing GT3: AF Corse
Official website	lemanscup.com
Current season

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).

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.

Starting in the 2025 Le Mans Cup Season, the LMP3 Class will be split into two with the introduction of LMP3 Pro-Am as well as new ACO Generation III LMP3 Built cars will be eligible for the category such as the Ginetta G61-LT-P3 Evo, Ligier JS P325, Duqueine D-09, and the ADESS AD25 all of which use a V35A 3.5L Toyota V6 twin turbo engine and Michelin tyres.

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	Ref
2017	Jean Glorieux Alexander Toril	DKR Engineering	5	4	5	114	6 of 7	24	[6]
2018	Jens Petersen Léonard Hoogenboom	DKR Engineering	0	3	4	103	6 of 7	11,5	[7]
2019	Laurents Hörr François Kirmann	DKR Engineering	4	2	5	100	7 of 7	8,5	[8]
2020	Laurents Hörr	DKR Engineering	1	3	6	120	7 of 7	15	[9]
2021	Anthony Wells Colin Noble	Nielsen Racing	0	2	3	75	7 of 7	4	[10]
2022	Tom Dillmann Alexander Mattschull	Racing Spirit of Léman	0	3	5	97	7 of 7	24	[11]
2023	Julien Gerbi Gillian Henrion	Team Virage	1	2	3	73	7 of 7	4	[12]
2024	David Droux Adrian Chila	Cool Racing	0	1	2	73.5	7 of 7	5.5	[13]

GT3 Drivers

Season	Drivers	Team	Poles	Wins	Podiums	Points	Clinched	Margin	Ref
2016	Aleksey Basov Viktor Shaytar	SMP Racing	3	4	5	121	5 of 6	14	[14]
2017	Fabio Babini Emanuele Busnelli	Ebimotors	0	2	5	104.5	7 of 7	2	[6]
2018	Giacomo Piccini Sergio Pianezzola	Kessel Racing	4	5	5	138	7 of 7	55	[7]
2019	Giacomo Piccini Sergio Pianezzola	Kessel Racing	1	4	6	130	7 of 7	21	[8]
2020	Rino Mastronardi	Iron Lynx	5	4	7	132	6 of 7	15	[9]
2021	Nicolas Leutwiler	Pzoberer Zürichsee by TFT	1	2	6	107	7 of 7	10	[10]
2022	Kasper H. Jensen Kristian Poulsen	GMB Motorsport	0	2	5	109	7 of 7	16	[11]
2023	Arnold Robin Valentin Hasse-Clot	Racing Spirit of Léman	1	1	5	97	7 of 7	20	[12]
2024	Alessandro Balzan Matt Kurzejewski	AF Corse	2	4	7	133.5	5 of 7	33.5	[13]

Teams Championships

LMP3 Teams

Season	Team	Car	Poles	Wins	Podiums	Points	Clinched	Margin	Refs
2017	DKR Engineering	Norma M30	5	4	5	114	6 of 7	24	[6] [15]
2018	DKR Engineering	Norma M30	0	3	4	103	6 of 7	11,5	[7] [16]
2019	DKR Engineering	Norma M30	4	2	5	100	7 of 7	8,5	[8] [17]
2020	DKR Engineering	Duqueine M30 - D08	1	3	6	120	7 of 7	31	[9] [18]
2021	Nielsen Racing	Ligier JS P320	0	2	3	75	7 of 7	4	[10] [19]
2022	Racing Spirit of Léman	Ligier JS P320	0	3	5	97	7 of 7	24	[11] [20]
2023	Team Virage	Ligier JS P320	1	2	3	73	7 of 7	4	[12] [21]
2024	Cool Racing	Ligier JS P320	0	1	2	73,5	7 of 7	5,5	[13] [22]

GT3 Teams

Season	Team	Car	Poles	Wins	Podiums	Points	Clinched	Margin	Refs
2016	TF Sport	Aston Martin Vantage GT3	0	2	5	107	6 of 6	11	[14] [23]
2017	Ebimotors	Lamborghini Huracán GT3	0	2	5	104.5	7 of 7	2	[6] [24]
2018	Kessel Racing	Ferrari 488 GT3	4	5	5	138	7 of 7	55	[7] [25]
2019	Kessel Racing	Ferrari 488 GT3	1	4	6	130	7 of 7	21	[8] [26]
2020	Iron Lynx	Ferrari 488 GT3	5	4	7	132	6 of 7	40	[9] [27]
2021	Iron Lynx	Ferrari 488 GT3	6	5	7	148	6 of 7	41	[10] [28]
2022	GMB Motorsport	Honda NSX GT3 Evo22	0	2	5	109	7 of 7	16	[11] [29]
2023	Racing Spirit of Léman	Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3	1	1	5	97	7 of 7	20	[12] [30]
2024	AF Corse	Ferrari 296 GT3	2	4	7	133.5	5 of 7	42	[13] [31]

Circuits

• Imola Circuit (2016, 2022)
• Circuit de la Sarthe (2016–present)
• Red Bull Ring (2016–2018)
• Circuit Paul Ricard (2016–present)
• Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (2016–present)
• Circuito do Estoril (2016)
• Monza Circuit (2017–2022)
• Algarve International Circuit (2017–present)
• Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (2019, 2021, 2023–present)
• MotorLand Aragón (2023)
• Mugello Circuit (2024)
• Silverstone Circuit (2025)

See also

• European Le Mans Series
• World Sportscar Championship

References

1. "Villorba Corse to enter 2016 Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup". News Release. 4 May 2016.
2. "History - Michelin Le Mans Cup".
3. "ACO launches Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup - Sportscars News". Crash Media Group Ltd.
4. "Prize fund revealed for new GT3 Le Mans Cup".
5. "LMP3 Cars Added to Michelin Le Mans Cup for 2017 - Sportscar365".
6. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2017". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
7. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2018". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
8. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2019". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
9. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2020". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
10. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2021". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
11. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2022". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
12. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2023". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
13. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2024". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
14. "Le Mans Cup - Season 2016". Speedsport Magazine. pp.  1, 2, 3 . Retrieved 15 March 2025.
15. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 22 October 2017. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
16. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 28 October 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
17. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 27 October 2019. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
18. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 31 October 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
19. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 24 October 2021. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
20. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 16 October 2022. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
21. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 22 October 2023. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
22. "LMP3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 19 October 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
23. "Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Estoril After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 22 October 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
24. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final Classification" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 22 October 2017. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
25. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 28 October 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
26. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 27 October 2019. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
27. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 31 October 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
28. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 24 October 2021. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
29. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 16 October 2022. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
30. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 22 October 2023. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
31. "GT3 – Michelin Le Mans Cup – Teams' Championship Portimao After Race Final" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 19 October 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 15 March 2025.

External links

• Official website
• Official ACO website