The European Le Mans Series (ELMS) is a European endurance motor racing championship organised by the umbrella organisation Le Mans Endurance Management and administered by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) automobile club.[1][2][3] Michel Cosson, the ACO president, launched the Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES) in 2004 following the success of the American Le Mans Series at applying ACO rules in the United States.[1] It was renamed the Le Mans Series (LMS) in 2006 and became the ELMS in 2012.[4][5] It is regarded as a stepping stone for competitors aspiring to the ACO's highest endurance series, the FIA World Endurance Championship.[6] The ACO awards European championships and trophies to the most successful drivers and teams in each of the series' categories over the course of a season. Points are awarded for individual race results as well as taking pole position, with the highest tally of points winning the respective championship or trophy.[7] At the conclusion of the season, four champions and one runner-up receive an automatic invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.[8] The champions are not formally crowned until the ELMS awards ceremony after the season's final race.[9]
Marc Lieb has won more European Le Mans Series Drivers' Championships than any other driver with four.
There were four classes when the LMES was founded in 2004: Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Gran Turismo Special (GTS) and Grand Touring (GT).[1][3] The GTS and GT categories were replaced by the Le Mans Grand Touring 1 (LMGT1) and the Le Mans Grand Touring 2 (LMGT2) classes in 2005.[3] During the 2009 season, the entry-level Formula Le Mans Cup ran separate races at LMS events. Formula Le Mans (FLM) was later absorbed into the series in 2010.[3][10] In 2011, the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Pro (LMGTE Pro) and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Am (LMGTE Am) categories replaced the LMGT2 class while LMGT1 was discontinued.[11][12] The following year, LMP2 replaced LMP1 as the ELMS' top class and FLM was renamed Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) which remained until 2013.[13][14]
LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am were merged to become the LMGTE class in 2013,[15] and the Grand Touring Challenge (GTC) category for Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; motor racing's world governing body)-homologated GT3 cars began racing that same year.[3][16] In 2015, the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) category was introduced and the GTC class was discontinued when the season ended.[17][18] A Pro-Am subcategory for teams fielding at least one bronze-rated racer was added to the LMP2 class in 2021.[19] An overall championship for both drivers and teams was introduced in the 2023 season.[20][21] The LMGTE category was discontinued following the 2023 season and will be replaced by the LMGT3 class for GT3 machinery in 2024.[22]
As of the 2023 season,[update] 135 drivers and 51 teams have won a ELMS title.[23][24][25]Marc Lieb is the most successful ELMS driver with four championships and Proton Competition are the series' most successful team with six titles.[23] There have been 83 drivers and 33 teams who have won a title in the LMP classes. Paul-Loup Chatin and Emmanuel Collard have earned the most LMP drivers' titles with three each and G-Drive Racing have achieved the most LMP teams' championships with four. Of the 53 drivers and 19 teams to have achieved a GT championship, Lieb's four championship wins are the most in the GT classes and Proton Competition have claimed all six of their teams' titles in the GT categories.[23][24][25]
In 2008, the Constructors' Championship was awarded solely to the chassis manufacturer in the LMP categories.[48] From 2009 onward, the chassis and engine of each entry were combined in the championship.[49] In the LMGTE categories established in 2011, the results of Pro and Am were combined to award a single LMGTE Constructors' Championship.[50]
The Michelin Green X Challenge was a championship based on the energy efficiency of each entry over the course of the season.[53] The 2007 season had champions in each of the four categories,[53] while from 2008 onward only a single overall champion was declared.[54]
^ abThe two teams from cars No. 51 and No. 52 were tied on points at the end of the championship. The crew of the No. 51 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari – Michele Bartyan, Christian Pescatori and Toni Seiler – were declared champions because they had won two races to Matteo Cressoni's (No. 52) one.[46]
^ abAt the conclusion of the season, the two teams from vehicles Nos. 77 and 74 had each scored 99 points. Both crews had achieved two victories, finished second once, secured one fourth position, and took two pole positions over each of the five events. Proton Competition's No. 77 Porsche team of Michele Beretta, Alessio Picariello and Christian Ried were crowned champions for winning the season-opening round at Circuit Paul Ricard.[47]
^"LMGTE: End of an Era"(PDF). European Le Mans Series. October 2023. p. 17. Archived(PDF) from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
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James Allen (AUS)
Algarve Pro Racing (PRT)
Alex Lynn (GBR)
Kyffin Simpson (BRB)
John Falb (USA)
G-Drive Racing (RAF)
Rui Andrade (ANG)
Charlie Eastwood (IRE)
Racing Team Turkey (TUR)
François Perrodo (FRA)
AF Corse (ITA)
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John Farano (CAN)
Job van Uitert (NED)
Mikkel Jensen (DNK)
Jens Petersen (GER)
DKR Engineering (LUX)
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Cool Racing (CHE)
Alex García (MEX)
Marcos Siebert (ARG)
Jan Charouz (CZE)
Roman Rusinov (RUS)
JMB Racing (MCO)
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Vincent Vosse (BEL)
Richard Lietz (AUT)
Miguel Molina (ESP)