After a notable pole position in qualifying, Théo Pourchaire and his teammates finished in third place at the 4 Hours of Imola, the third round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 category.
The crew of the Oreca 07 No. 25 from Algarve Pro Racing stood on the third step of the podium this Sunday at Imola. Théo Pourchaire, Matthias Kaiser, and Lorenzo Fluxa concluded a solid race despite a drop in performance over the duration compared to the leading teams.
The weekend had started well for Théo Pourchaire. On Saturday, the French driver secured the first pole position of his ELMS career under changing weather conditions. On a track that was still wet after a storm, he was able to take advantage of a drying circuit to set the fastest time with almost a second lead over his competitors. A successful first qualifying exercise in Endurance, for his fourth appearance in the discipline.
“It was really a crazy qualifying session, he confessed. Lots of delays, changing conditions, it was a bit stressful. Today, I felt it was my moment, that I could do something very good. So I did it.”
The race started at midday under a more favorable sky, although a few showers were still possible. The Algarve Pro Racing team managed to stay in the leading group at the start of the event but gradually lost ground. Their overall pace, about a second slower per lap compared to the leaders, did not allow them to aim for more than a third place.
The victory went to the VDS Panis Racing team, already victorious in Imola last year. Oliver Gray, Esteban Masson, and Charles Milesi managed their race well to secure the win after four steady hours. They finished ahead of the Inter Europol Competition trio, consisting of Tom Dillmann, Nick Yelloly, and Jakub Smiechowski.
The Portuguese team, Algarve Pro Racing, can nonetheless be pleased with this first podium of the season. After securing pole in tricky conditions, Théo Pourchaire has shown that he can already adapt to the demands of Endurance. The learning process continues, but the results are beginning to follow. The next event will take place in Belgium on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track on the weekend of August 24.
But until then, Théo Pourchaire is expected to drive for Maserati for the rookie test in Berlin in Formula E on July 14.
