Racing the no13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier-Toyota with Alexander Bukhantsov and Henry Cubides Olarte, Chou helped the team recover after the car was forced to start at the back of the grid following a technical infringement during qualifying.
The three drivers had already raced together for the Polish team after they won two LMP3 races in the 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series finishing the season as Vice Champions.
Now the team are preparing for Round 2 of the 2026 European Le Mans Series, the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, and we caught up with Chun Ting Chou ahead of the event.
Q1: You raced with Alex and Henry in the Asian Le Mans Series with IEC, winning two races and finishing as LMP3 Vice Champions. How much did that experience help you prepare for the ELMS season?
“The season in Asia definitely helped a lot as I got to work with my teammates, the team and the engineer very well, and also got to know the car well. So, it let me get fully prepared for European Le Mans Series. We're super confident about the pace, because we know we can do well with this car.”
Q2: Barcelona was a good start to your ELMS season, with a podium finish. What was the race like from your point of view and what are the positives you are bringing to this race in Le Castellet?
“In Barcelona we got disqualified from the qualifying, so we started from last place and to finish in third was a very good comeback for us. In my stint, I got quite a bit of traffic behind the GTs because they are battling. I think the difficult part is to get past the traffic, but the car is good for me, everything is just right as it should be and we're very happy with the result.”
Q3: You’ve raced at the Circuit Paul Ricard with the Ligier European Series, but this weekend is your first experience of the circuit in a Le Mans Prototype. How different is the LMP3 car to the JS P4 you raced here previously?
“Obviously the P4 is a lot slower. They got a much smaller engine and less downforce. So I'm very happy to be driving a bigger wings car in the P3. I like the faster cornering speeds everywhere, also the straight is very important in this new gen car with its bigger turbo. But mainly I just think the pace is very different, and there's a lot more downforce.”
Q4: What are your thoughts on the track here at Paul Ricard and do you have a favourite corner or section?
“This track is quite unique, I would say Barcelona is a default track, and here in Paul Ricard we have long straights and tight corners, like the third and fourth corners. Also, Signes and De Beausset are also very special.”
Q5: You are the first Taiwanese driver to secure an ELMS podium. How big is motorsport at home in Taiwan?
“Compared to Europe or the USA, motorsport in Taiwan is not big at all, but there are some people working hard in karting, but there are not many drivers that have competed at high levels of racing. There are some racing GTs in Asia or something, but in prototype, I'll say I'm the very first person to do it like this.
Q6: Are you hoping your success this year will help raise more awareness for motorsport in Taiwan?
“Definitely. I'm very proud of representing Taiwan and be the first to compete in ELMS.”
