Inter Europol / Dillman on Pole for ELMS at Silverstone

Words by: Andy Lloyd

Images by: Paren Raval

Tom Dillman, at the wheel of the #43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca secured LMP2 pole in a highly competitive qualifying session. Adrien Closmenil qualified second on the grid in the #37 CLX Motorsport entry while the top was three was completed by the #29 Forestier Racing by Panis entry driven by Oliver Gray.

In the LMP2 PRO/AM class, qualifying honours went to the #14 TDS Racing entry driven by Steven Thomas with the #47 CLX Motorsport entry piloted by Georgios Kolovos in second.

The LMP3 session saw the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325 on pole driven by Louis Iglesias while LMGT3 honours went to the #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 piloted by Abdullah Ali Al-Khelaifi.

Qualifying for the 4 Hours of Silverstone, Round 5 of the 2026 European Le Mans Series, got underway with the LMGT3 grid. One car was missing from the grid after the #50 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo piloted by Custodio Toledo, Lilou Wadoux and Riccardo Agostini had been withdrawn after an earlier accident.

Francois Heriau in the #59 Racing Sprit of Leman Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 set the first quick time with a 2:01.324 with Michael Wainwright in the #86 GR Racing Ferrari 296 just under three-tenths behind.

Duncan Cameron in the #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari then set a 2:01.108 before Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi in the #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 set a 2:00.643.

With the final third of the 15-minute session remaining, Mercedes-AMG had locked out the front row of the LMGT3 grid with the #63 Iron Lynx entry with Ameerh Nanarn in second with a 2:01.478.

Al-Khelaifi went quicker again with a 2:00.011 with Francois Heriau now second quickest with a 2:00.391.  

Blake McDonald in the #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 LMGT3 R was third quickest but, in the final seconds of the session, put in a 2:00.262 to go second quickest, moving Heriau in the #59 Aston Martin down to third.

Silverstone was the third pole position in class for Al-Khelaifi and the #62 car.

The LMP3 qualifying session got underway seconds after the LMGT3 grid had returned to the pitlane. Louis Iglesias in the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier set the first quick lap with a 2:00.698 followed by Alfie Briggs in the #68 M Racing entry with a 2:05.431. Iglesias was the first driver into the 1:56s with a 1:56.016. Matteo Quintarelli then put in a 1:54.364 in the #8 Team Virage Ligier, over 1.6 seconds ahead of Iglesias.

As the session approached the final four minutes it was Iglesias on provisional pole with a 1:53.686, followed by Hugo Schwarze in the #85 R-Ace GP Duqueine DO9 with a 1:54.242. iglesias and Schwarze traded quick laps and as LMP3 qualifying drew to a close, it was the driver of #17 car who was in pole position with a 1:53.144 with Schwarze second quickest with a 1:53.213. Matteo Quintarelli was third quickest with a 1:53.646.

The LMP2 Pro-Am qualifying session, in the same way as the LMP3 grid, was quickly underway as the organisers looked to make time back after disruptions earlier in the day. Michael Jensen in the #20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca was quickest after the first five minutes with a 1:52.267 while Steve Thomas in the #14 TDS Racing entry was just over half a second behind.

John Falb in the #19 Rossa Racing  by Virage then lapped in 1:47.066 to go to the top of the timing screens before Giorgio Roda and Georgios Kolovos went quicker, Kolovos in the #47 CLX Motorsport entry being the first to get into the 1:46s with a 1:46.574.

Kolovos went quicker again with a 1:45.884 as Roda improved to a 1:46.383 and provisionally second on the LMP2 Pro-Am class. In the last two minutes, Thomas in the #14 TDS Racing entry went to the top of the timing screens with a 1:45.611. When the chequered flag was shown, it was Thomas in the #14 TDS Racing entry who was on class pole with Georgios Kolovos in the #47 entry in second. Georgio Roda was third quickest with a 1:46 .592.

As the LMP2 session got underway, it was Oliver Gray in the #29 Forestier Racing entry who set the first quick lap with a 1:43.598 followed by Job Van Uitert in the #28 car with a 1:47.132.

Gray improved by a tenth of a second as Adrien Closmenil in the #37 CLX Motorsport Oreca went second quickest with a 1:43.886. However it was Tom Dillman in the #43 Inter Europol Competition entry who went quickest with a 1:43.279.

As the chequered flag came out it was Dillman on pole position with Closmenil second. The #29 Forestier Racing entry with Gray at the wheel was third quickest.

The 4 Hours of Silverstone gets underway at 12:00 on Sunday September the 13^th.