Paul Ricard to Open 2018 ELMS Season

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

The Four Hours of Le Castellet at Circuit Paul Ricard will be the first round of next year’s European Le Mans Series season, with the championship set for a largely unchanged schedule for 2018.

The only major date change is that the Paul Ricard and Silverstone rounds have swapped places, allowing for the British race to again be run on the same weekend as the FIA World Endurance Championship event on Aug. 17-18.

As a result, Paul Ricard will host the opening round on the weekend of April 14-15, just days after the official test takes place at the southern French circuit on April 9-10.

This move sees the test return to Paul Ricard after being held at Monza this season, with WEC making a similar schedule change.

Monza will hold the second race of the year in May before unchanged rounds at Red Bull Ring, Spa-Francorchamps and Portimao separated by Silverstone.

The Portimao season finale, however, has been moved back one week to Oct. 27-28.

The Michelin Le Mans Cup will continue to support the ELMS at five of its six events, with the series again not racing at Silverstone but using Road to Le Mans as its sixth date.

2018 European Le Mans Series Schedule:
April 9-10 – Paul Ricard (official test)
April 14-15 – Paul Ricard
May 12-13 – Monza
July 21-22 – Red Bull Ring
Aug. 17-18 – Silverstone
Sept. 22-23 – Spa-Francorchamps
Oct. 27-28 – Portimao

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.