Bronze Drivers to Qualify Pro-Am LMP2 Cars Next Season

Bronze-rated drivers will be required to qualify their LMP2 cars in the European Le Mans Series next season, Sportscar365 understands.

Multiple sources have indicated that non-professional drivers in the top class, which has its own Pro-Am subdivision for crews that include a Bronze, will be responsible for taking part in the 10-minute timed sessions that determine the grids for ELMS races.

ELMS CEO Frederic Lequien said that while no official announcement has been made, mandatory Bronze driver qualifying is the “right direction” for the series to take.

Bronze drivers in the GTE class have been required to qualify their cars since this year.

The same rule arriving in LMP2 would effectively prevent a Pro-Am car from taking the outright pole and avoid the situation whereby a Bronze driver – who often starts the race – is tasked with defending from higher-graded drivers in the opening stint.

Four of this season’s half-dozen ELMS races saw a Pro-Am car start from the overall pole, courtesy of their professional drivers setting the pace in qualifying.

TDS Racing’s Mathias Beche claimed pole position at Paul Ricard and Monza, while AF Corse’s Alessio Rovera and Racing Team Turkey’s Jack Aitken did the same at Imola and Portimao respectively.

“We are working on it,” Lequien told Sportscar365 when asked if Bronze drivers will be required to go up against each other in qualifying next season.

“We will make some official announcements for everyone before Bahrain, but this is the right direction.

“LMP2 is very, very important for us. It is part of our history. All my career I have worked for the privateers and they will always be there, so we have to manage it well.

“LMP2 will remain one of the most important categories for the ACO.”

The move appears to be popular with Bronze-rated drivers, such as Nielsen Racing’s Rodrigo Sales who hopes to continue in ELMS next year and feels “excited about the change”.

“I think it will probably make the starts a little less exciting because the qualifying order will be representative of the general pace,” Sales told Sportscar365.

“But as a Bronze driver, I’m excited about it because it gives me a chance for more time in the car, with sticker tires and low fuel in qualifying trim, which I haven’t really had a chance to do.

“It’ll be challenging, for sure. But if it wasn’t challenging, we wouldn’t be doing it!

Bronze-rated drivers are also required to qualify their cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which has a rule that each lineup much include a Bronze.

“I used to qualify in IMSA a few years back, and I really enjoyed it,” Sales added.

“But it’s been a few years since I’ve had that opportunity, so I’m really looking forward to it and I think it’s a great change.”

One caveat to the new qualifying rule could be the potential removal of tire-warming equipment for LMP2 next season, which series organizer the ACO is known to have placed under consideration for both ELMS and the FIA World Endurance Championship.