The Michelin Le Mans Cup is a six-round championship held exclusively for LMP3 and GT3-class cars, with the other five rounds supporting the European Le Mans Series. Road to Le Mans, the season’s third instalment, continues to grow with a field up from 42 cars in 2016 to 50 competitors this year.
The grid comprises full-season contenders, automatically admitted to the race, and guests invited by a selection committee, with priority given to teams entering the Le Mans-type endurance series (European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship).
Like last year, Road to Le Mans will comprise two 55-minute races, one at 17:30 on Thursday 14 June, and the second at 11:30 on Saturday 16 June, just a few hours before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The two races will be preceded by two 60-minute practice sessions and two 20-minute qualifying sessions held on Thursday 14 June to determine the grid positions for both races.
The two-person crews must include at least one FIA Bronze-category driver (the other may be Bronze, Silver or Gold), and each driver must take the wheel for at least 20 minutes, with the changeover performed during the mandatory pit stop (of a minimum duration stipulated in the regulations).
This rule gives young drivers an excellent opportunity to test themselves on the legendary Circuit des 24 Heures and follow in the tracks of Thomas Laurent! The young Frenchman won Road to Le Mans in 2016 and went on to finish overall runner-up in the 24 Hours just twelve months later, clinching the LMP2 crown.