ELMS Barcelona Testing Report: CLX Motorsport Tops Leaderboard
Barcelona, Spain – CLX Motorsport’s #37 ORECA 07 secured the fastest lap time on the final day of European Le Mans Series (ELMS) testing, with Dane Theodor Jensen clocking a 1:30.014 during an impressive 85-lap session. However, the overall fastest time of the two-day test remained with Jake Hughes from Algarve Pro Racing, who posted a 1:28.667.
Proton Competition’s #9 ORECA, driven by Ford factory driver Mike Rockenfeller, finished the day second overall, while the #10 Vector Sport ORECA rounded out the top three positions.
Dan Sayers, overseeing the Proton Competition effort, noted the productive two days of testing: “We’ve done a lot of learning… it’s been good for traffic management too,” he stated, emphasizing the value of track time for their drivers in preparation for the 2027 Hypercar transition.
In LMP2, the #99 AO by TF Racing car led the Pro/Am category, securing seventh overall with PJ Hyett posting competitive times just over a second from Jensen’s benchmark.
In LMP3, the R-ace GP’s Duqueine D09 driven by Hugo Schwarze set the pace with a best time of 1:37.324, while the top Ligier models from CLX and Ultimate followed in second and third, respectively.
The LMGT3 class was noted for a standout performance from David Perel in a Ferrari 296 (#55, Spirit of Race), who achieved a lap time of 1:42.162. Charlie Eastwood’s TF Sport Corvette and Daniel Serra in another Ferrari completed the top three in LMGT3.
Porsche factory driver Laurin Heinrich led the testing with a time of 1:41.400 in the High Class Racing Porsche. However, United Autosports faced challenges, including a red flag incident due to a loose wheel on their #23 McLaren GT3 Evo. The team is currently working on repairs following a fire incident involving the #22 ORECA 07, which was confirmed not to have affected the chassis integrity.
“Fortunately, the fire occurred when we had planned to change key parts… Gibson has been really responsive and already supplied us with a fresh engine,” said Tom Hodgson, director of customer racing at United.
The ELMS teams will reconvene in Barcelona for Free Practice 1 on Friday, with anticipation building for the upcoming racing weekend ahead.
KEY RESULTS
- LMP2 Leader: #37 CLX Motorsport (1:30.014)
- LMP3 Leader: R-ace GP’s Duqueine D09 (1:37.324)
- LMGT3 Leader: #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari (1:42.162)
The pre-season test for the Le Mans Cup is scheduled for tomorrow, before the ELMS runners take to the track again later this week.
