A Strong Start to the Season
It is with its new blue and gold colors that the #28 IDEC SPORT arrives in Barcelona for the first meeting of the 2024 season. Led by a new trio of drivers consisting of Paul Lafargue, Reshad de Gerus, and Job Van Uitert, the #28 quickly makes its presence felt at the front, with the second-fastest time set by Reshad de Gerus from Reunion Island during qualifying. The French team misses the podium at the 4 Hours of Barcelona but secures a strong fourth-place finish.
For the second meeting, IDEC SPORT is at home at the Paul Ricard circuit. The French team shines right from qualifying, with Dutch driver Job Van Uitert securing pole position. At the start, Paul Lafargue maintains the lead and delivers an excellent stint. The #28 crosses the finish line of the 4 Hours of Castellet in fourth place.
The deliverance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
After the first two ELMS races of the season, IDEC SPORT heads to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The desire is strong after several missed opportunities in Sarthe. Job Van Uitert once again places the IDEC SPORT Oreca on the front row with the second-fastest time in the Hyperpole (the second consecutive one after the 2023 edition). The race is controlled from start to finish, both on track and in the pits, despite unpredictable weather. IDEC SPORT climbs to the third step of the podium at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. A unique and unforgettable moment for all the team members in their eighth participation in the legendary race.
Marco Siebert replaces Paul Lafargue
The driver lineup is changed for the 4 Hours of Imola. Paul Lafargue is absent and is replaced by Argentine Marcos Siebert. The team once again delivers a strong performance in the race, finishing in fifth place at the 4 Hours of Imola, just one second behind third place. The mechanics also shined in the pits, winning the pit-stop challenge for the second consecutive year.
The fourth meeting takes place at the beautiful Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Marcos Siebert again teams up with Reshad de Gerus and Job Van Uitert. This time, the effort pays off, and the #28 crew secures third place. IDEC SPORT then occupies third place in the provisional overall standings.
Title hopes fade during the final two meetings
For the final two meetings, young Chilean Nicolas Pino replaces Marcos Siebert, who is committed to his GT obligations.
The end of the season is difficult for IDEC SPORT, with zero points scored in the last two races, the 4 Hours of Mugello and the 4 Hours of Portimão. The #28 car was involved in a contact with a GT3 in each race.
IDEC SPORT finishes in sixth place in the 2024 European Le Mans Series standings, tied on points with the fifth-place team.
The Debrief by Minass
Although there were some regrets, Nicolas Minassian, team principal, expresses satisfaction and shows full confidence in the team:
“Looking back, I’m very happy with the season. It’s a season where we were competitive all year, with a great team and a reliable car. However, in the championship, our final position doesn’t reflect our year. The last two races affected the result. Unfortunately, we don’t control all aspects on the sporting side. We do everything we can to control what we can control, but in racing, there are unpredictable factors. And the traffic with the GTs didn’t work out for us. I think the podium at Le Mans remains the highlight of 2024. We just did a great job. And being on the podium at Le Mans isn’t something that happens every day. We finally achieved a result, and on top of that, we finished just 32 seconds behind the winner.”
Looking ahead to the off-season at IDEC SPORT
“During the winter, we dismantle the cars. We had two test days in November. Now, we’re reviewing everything. The same goes for the equipment. Everything needs to be optimized for the next season. Winter is already part of the season. There’s also the engineering side, with performance research by studying all the data from this year, and then we get started again. I’m confident for the next season. Patrice (Lafargue) allows us to implement everything we need, and it’s working. We progress every year, and this season, we really saw that. So, next year, we want to continue like that. Given the level of the championship, we’ll have to.” projects Nicolas Minassian.
