LMP2 Season Review

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the start of the 2020 European Le Mans Series was delayed until July. The season was also reduced to five events, with Le Castellet, Spa-Francorchamps, Barcelona, Monza and Portimão on the revised calendar.

However, a change was made when the Spanish event had to be cancelled due to restrictions imposed by the authorities and for the first time in ELMS history a circuit was used twice in the same season, with the teams returning to Le Castellet for Round 3.

The season was dominated by the no22 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson of Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hanson, the Anglo-Portuguese duo taking five podiums, including three wins, and four pole positions from the five races. They secured the ELMS Driver and Team titles, adding to their LMP2 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and also the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 titles to take a unique treble in a single season.

The 2020 season saw an all-female crew compete in LMP2 for the first time with Katherine Legge, Tatiana Calderon and Sophia Flörsch due to compete in the no50 Richard Mille Racing Team Oreca-Gibson. However, an accident during pre-season testing saw Katherine Legge forced to miss the season, being replaced by Beitske Visser at four of the five rounds.

Here are some facts and figures from the 2020 season for the LMP2 category.

1. 15 cars were entered on the full season entry.13 cars were the Oreca 07, 1 was a Ligier JSP217 and 1 was an Aurus 01.
2. 46 drivers, from 18 different nations, took part in at least one race during the 2020 season.
3. 11 French drivers took part in an LMP2 race in 2020, with 6 British, 4 Swiss, 3 Danes, 3 Russians, 3 Dutch, 2 Americans, 2 Italians, 1 Portuguese, 1 Mexican, 1 Swede, 1 Austrian, 1 Polish, 1 Australian, 1 Columbian, 1 German, 1 Indian and 1 Brazilian.
4. Filipe Albuquerque scored four pole positions from five attempts in the no22 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson. The pole position at the 4 Hours of Portimão was secured by Job Van Uitert in the no32 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson.
5. Rounds 2, 3 and 4 were won by the pole sitter. In Round 1, the pole was secured by the no22 United Autosports Oreca and won by the no32 United Autosports Oreca.In Round 5 the pole was secured by the no32 United Autosports Oreca and won by the no26 G-Drive Racing Aurus 01.
6. Of the 15 cars entered for the 2020 season only 7 scored a podium finish. The no22 United Autosports Oreca scored 5 podiums, the no26 G-Drive Racing Aurus scored 3, the no32 United Autosports Oreca and the no39 Graff Oreca scored 2 each, the no20 High Class Racing Oreca, the no30 Duqueine Team Oreca and the no31 Panis Racing Oreca scored 1 podium each.