The 2016 race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which was Round 5 of the Series, was held on Sunday 25th September, with qualifying the day before. Nicolas Lapierre secured the first LMP2 pole position in the no21 Dragonspeed Oreca 05-Nissan, with the multiple LMP2 24 Hours of Le Mans winner starting the race at the head of the 39-car field.
Enzo Guibbert secured the LMP3 pole position in the no9 Graff Ligier JS P3-Nissan, with Alessandro Pier Guidi taking pole in the LMGTE category in the no56 AT Racing Ferrari F458 Italia.
The 2016 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps commenced under dry conditions with Nicolas Lapierre in the no21 DragonSpeed Oreca 05 leading from pole position in LMP2, maintaining his advantage through the initial laps ahead of the no38 G-Drive Racing Gibson 015S and the no46 Thiriet by TDS Oreca 05.
On lap 1, the no33 Eurasia Motorsport Oreca spun and stopped on track after losing a rear wheel, prompting the first full-course yellow to allow recovery.
The restart saw Lapierre extend his lead, while in LMGTE, Rory Butcher in the no66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari surged from fourth to first, capitalising on a strong start over the pole sitting no56 AT Racing Ferrari. In LMP3, Enzo Guibbert's no9 Graff Racing Ligier held the class lead from pole, with Alex Brundle's no2 United Autosports Ligier advancing to second before the caution.
By lap 10, contact between the LMP2 no40 Krohn Racing Ligier and the LMGTE no60 Formula Racing Ferrari triggered another full-course yellow, during which several LMGTE entries, including the leading no66 JMW Ferrari, made early pit stops for tyres.
On the restart, Lapierre pulled away significantly in LMP2, building a gap over the no46 TDS and no32 SMP Racing BR01, while pit cycles began around lap 20 for the LMP2 frontrunners, handing temporary leadership to the no38 G-Drive and no47 WRT Grasser Racing Team Ligier JS P2. These cars pitted around lap 30, cycling Pierre Thiriet back into the LMP2 lead with a 30-second advantage.
In LMP3, the no2 and no3 United Autosports Ligers executed their mandated longer stops around this time, dropping positions temporarily but setting up a three-stop fuel strategy. LMGTE saw the no66 JMW retain its class lead post-stops, ahead of the no51 AF Corse Ferrari, despite a spin for the no56 AT Racing entry earlier.
The race's rhythm was disrupted on lap 37 when Gary Findlay's no48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03 crashed heavily into the barriers at Turn 9, deploying the first safety car and bunching the field for strategic pit stops.
On the restart, the no38 G-Drive led LMP2 ahead of the no47 WRT and no41 Greaves Motorsport Ligier, with the no32 SMP pitting for repairs during the caution. Around lap 50, another crash at Turn 9 involving Remy Streibig's no29 Pegasus Racing Morgan prompted a prolonged safety car, during which the no47 WRT made an opportunistic pit stop to emerge in the LMP2 lead over the no21 DragonSpeed and no28 IDEC Sport Ligier.
This period benefited LMP3 recovery efforts, allowing the no2 United to climb back toward the podium, while in LMGTE, the no51 AF Corse suffered a lengthy stop after contact with the no41 Greaves at Blanchimont, dropping it in the order.
The consecutive safety cars emphasised the importance of pit strategy, with teams like Graff in LMP3 stretching fuel intervals to around 45-60 minutes.
In the final hour, with the track partially wet, Laurens Vanthoor in the no47 WRT held a narrow LMP2 lead over the no21 DragonSpeed, bolstered by a five-second penalty served by the latter for an overtake under safety car. However, Nicolas Lapierre capitalised on the damp conditions around lap 90 to overtake Vanthoor decisively, reclaiming the lead in a key class battle.
Behind them, Mathias Beche in the no46 TDS fended off Andrea Pizzitola's no25 Algarve Pro Racing Ligier for third until Pizzitola beached in the gravel at Turn 14 late on, triggering a full-course yellow to neutralise the finish.
In LMP3, the no9 Graff maintained its advantage through smart stops, while the no2 United overtook challengers to secure second.
LMGTE battles intensified in traffic, with the no66 JMW extending its lead over the no88 Proton Competition Porsche, and Matt Griffin in the no55 AF Corse overtaking for third in the closing stages. DragonSpeed held on to win overall under the late yellow.
The 2026 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be held on Sunday 23 August and will be Round 4 of the 2026 European Le Mans Series.
Tickets are still available to buy for this year’s race, starting at just 8€, CLICK HERE for more information.
CLICK HERE to see the result from the 2016 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (PDF File).
CLICK HERE to see the 2016 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in full on the ELMS YouTube Channel
