In 2012, the European Le Mans Series was relaunched and LM P2 became its main class. Since then, competitors from that class have gone on to join the 24 Hours of Le Mans hall of fame and a number of drivers who excelled in ELMS are now among the leading lights in the World Endurance Championship.

- Jota Sport won the LM P2 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2014 and are provisional leaders of the ELMS rankings as we approach the last round of the 2015 season in Estoril.
-Two other LM P2 teams competing in ELMS have enjoyed podium finishes at Le Mans since 2012: Thiriet by TDS Racing (second in 2012 and 2014) and Greaves Motorsport (third in 2013), while Jota Sport came second in 2015.

- The Alpine A450b that took the ELMS title in 2013 and 2014 also finished third in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 and has just claimed its best result so far in in the World Endurance Championship, coming second at the 6 Hours of Fuji.

- New-Zealander Brendon Hartley is now a Porsche works driver but he made his breakthrough with Irish team Murphy Prototypes and won the final round of ELMS at Le Castellet in 2013. After finishing second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and going on to net three consecutive wins, he now leads the WEC drivers’ championship standings with teammates Timo Bernhard and Mark Webber.

The 4 Hours of Estoril, the final round of the 2015 European Le Mans Series, will take place on Sunday 18 October.

Tickets for the 2016 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be on sale from Tuesday 3 November (ACO members) and Friday 6 November (general public).

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO
Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DE LA SARTHE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2015, RACE. At the 4 Hours of Estoril, French team Thiriet by TDS Racing will be in the running for a second ELMS title after lifting the trophy in 2012.