IDEC Sport Take Pole at Spa
August 23, 2026Valerio Rinicella delivered a masterclass performance in Saturday’s European Le Mans Series qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, securing a sensational overall pole position for the #18 IDEC Sport entry that he shares with Jamie Chadwick and Laurents Hörr. In a dramatic 15-minute session that saw times tumbling across the high-speed Ardennes circuit, the Italian driver produced his benchmark lap late in the running to lead a tightly contested LMP2 field.
At the wheel of the #18 car, Rinicella overcame early adversity after losing his initial fast flying lap to a track limits violation at Turn 4. Showing patience and composure, he regrouped immediately to post a blistering 2:01.268, a lap which proved unbeatable. Rinicella fought off a late charge from Tom Dillman in the #43 Inter Europol Competition entry by just 0.154 seconds. Championship leader Grégoire Saucy clinched third overall for United Autosports in the #22 car, completing a front three separated by a mere 0.219 seconds.
The session capped an impressive turnaround for IDEC Sport. After topping Friday’s dry Free Practice 1, the squad had slipped behind Forestier Racing by Panis during a damp FP2 on Saturday morning. However, as track conditions stabilised for the afternoon, Rinicella extracted maximum grip from his Goodyear rubber when it mattered most. Conversely, it was a agonising session for IDEC Sport’s sister car; Paul-Loup Chatin suffering a costly spin through Pouhon, damaging his tires and leaving him 11th in class.
In the LMP2 Pro/Am category, Giorgio Roda produced a dominant drive for Duqueine Team to claim his third pole position of the 2026 season. Roda controlled the tempo throughout the session, posting a 2:03.578 lap aboard the #30 ORECA to comfortably outpace Jean Glorieux in the #3 DKR Engineering entry by almost a full second.
LMP3 qualifying provided high drama right down to the final checkered flag. Pierre-Alexandre Provost snatched a dramatic class pole for R-ace GP in the #85 Duqueine D09 Toyota, delivering a stunning 2:12.186 on his final flying attempt. Provost capitalized on a late error from long-time session leader Wyatt Brichacek, who looked set for pole in the #4 DKR Engineering Ligier before exceeding track limits on his final tour, dropping him to second with a 2:12.473.
The LMGT3 session delivered the afternoon’s most complex strategic battle as drivers tackled a rapidly drying circuit following earlier morning rainfall. Early running saw teams split on tyre strategy between wet-weather compounds and slick options. As a clear racing line emerged, those on slicks quickly surged up the timing screens, led initially by Blake McDonald in the #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
However, Anthony McIntosh pulled off a late masterpiece in the #59 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. Returning to Aston Martin machinery, McIntosh timed his final flying lap to perfection on a high-grip surface, crossing the line in 2:20.206 to steal pole position by 0.620 seconds over McDonald. Abdulla Al-Khelaifi put the #62 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG third in class, ensuring three different manufacturers locked out the top three spots ahead of Sunday’s four-hour endurance race.
