In Pit Lane

Congratulations to Renee Gracie on her GT win at QR with Will Davison yesterday! 🏆

Her passion for the sport and determination to succeed—especially in the face of so much opposition from the idiots out there—is to be admired.

I haven’t had a lot to do with her personally, but seeing how she interacts with her fans at the track is impressive. The sad thing is, so many of the online comments since the win prove just how little we’ve evolved as a society.

The 24 Heures du Mans starts at midnight AEST unfortunately neither the WEC+ or Global TV feed on Stan and free for the first 2 hours on NineGO start until 11PM.
However if you want to enjoy and experience the unique and often very emotional build up to the greatest race then you need to listen to the team at Radio Le Mans.
The countdown to green is on now and the annual Roll of Honour will be soon.
Listen via https://player.radioshow.limited/ on RS1.
They also have a live video feed from the commentary booth with a countdown clock that allows you to sync up with the vision but still listen to the RLM feed.

RS Player

**New Asian Le Mans Cup Opens Fresh Pathway for Emerging Australian Talent**

As predicted the big news stories keep rolling out at Le Mans.
Along with the move of Australian driver Matt Campbell to Ford. (Which we did predict on Full Course Yellow about 6 weeks ago)
We got this news today as well.

A new endurance racing championship has been unveiled at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, creating additional opportunities for aspiring Australian drivers to compete on the international stage.

Announced during the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) press conference at Le Mans, the newly formed **Asian Le Mans Cup** will provide a dedicated home for LMP3 and GT3 competitors across Asia, running alongside the existing Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) calendar.

The move comes ahead of the arrival of Hypercar machinery in the Asian Le Mans Series from the 2026/27 season. With ALMS set to focus on Hypercar, LMP2 and GT competition, organisers have elected to establish a separate championship for LMP3 competitors, modelled on the highly successful Michelin Le Mans Cup in Europe.

The Asian Le Mans Cup will feature three classes: LMP3, LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3. The LMP3 category will be reserved for Gold and Silver-rated drivers, while both LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3 entries must include at least one Bronze-rated driver. Platinum-rated drivers will not be eligible to compete in the new championship.

For Australian drivers and teams, the announcement is particularly significant. The new series creates another realistic pathway into top-level international endurance racing, offering young talent the opportunity to gain experience in professionally run events associated with the Asian Le Mans Series while competing against strong international fields.

Australia has produced a growing number of successful endurance racers in recent years, and the addition of another Asian-based championship could make international competition more accessible for emerging drivers looking to build careers in sports car racing. It also provides a potential stepping stone towards higher categories, including the FIA World Endurance Championship and the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.

ALMEM and LMEM CEO Frédéric Lequien said the decision was designed to ensure continued growth for both LMP3 and GT3 competition in Asia.

"We are pleased to announce the creation of a new Asian endurance series for LMP3 and GT3 cars modelled on the highly successful Michelin Le Mans Cup," Lequien said.

"With the arrival of Hypercar in the Asian Le Mans Series it has been decided to give the LMP3 competitors the opportunity to race on the same weekends as the ALMS in a separate series, with GT3 cars also being eligible to race in the new Asian Le Mans Cup as well as in the ALMS.

"We are confident that the Asian Le Mans Cup will attract more teams and drivers to compete, which will become the first step on the endurance racing ladder with the ultimate goal of competing in the FIA WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

While the inaugural calendar has yet to be announced, speculation continues that Australia could again feature on the schedule. Rumours persist that a return to The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia remains a possibility, although no official confirmation has been provided by organisers.

Should Australia secure a round, it would further strengthen the country's growing links to international endurance racing and provide local teams and drivers with a valuable opportunity to compete at a major international level on home soil.

As expected, Hyundai luxury and performance brand Genesis has used its Le Mans 24 Hours media conference to unveil the striking Magma GT3 Concept. However, don't get too excited just yet; neither the road-going variant nor this new racing version has been officially greenlit for production.

While an earlier iteration of the road car concept was revealed in November 2025, this new GT3 concept outlines a potential future direction for Genesis Magma Racing as it looks to expand beyond its current tFIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar program. Conceived as part of a long-term motorsport strategy, the project reflects the growing relevance of global GT3 competition and its potential to bridge the gap between showroom models and the racetrack.

Developed in strict alignment with current GT3 technical regulations, the concept reflects a performance-led approach shaped entirely by motorsport requirements. Rather than being derived from an existing production model, this independent study explores how race-driven architecture, aerodynamics, and engineering principles could inform future Genesis performance vehicles.

Optimised for the track, the GT3 Concept features widened tracks, a prominent front splitter, enlarged cooling and intake ducts, and a door-mounted fin to enhance aerodynamic efficiency and cooling. Advanced thermal management strategies—alongside a race-focused rear structure incorporating a fixed wing and diffuser—ensure durability under gruelling endurance racing conditions.

Developed in collaboration with Hyundai Motorsport, the vehicle remains an exploratory project, with its exact architecture, components, and development pathways yet to be finalised. As one of several possible scenarios, it demonstrates how Genesis is evaluating opportunities beyond its current LMDh prototype commitments.

Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer of Genesis, said: “The Magma GT Concept and Magma GT3 Concept represent two distinct yet connected expressions of Genesis performance. The Magma GT Concept embodies our vision of luxury and athleticism on the road, while the Magma GT3 Concept translates that philosophy into the race environment... Together, they demonstrate how Genesis is exploring the full spectrum of high performance—from refined grand touring to uncompromising motorsport.”

Genesis has offered no official word regarding the power-plant, but a detuned version of the brand's current LMDh engine would be a logical fit, likely supplemented by a hybrid power boost for the road-going model.

While the possibility of seeing the car race locally at the Bathurst 12 Hour in the next few years remains low, there is every chance this beast could be taking on the Mount Panorama grid by 2030.

So it's official Silverstone is back on the WEC calendar.
Should never had been taken off it IMHO.
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Reviving a partnership that has created some of endurance racing’s most memorable moments, the 6 Hours of Silverstone will represent the third round of the campaign from 23-25 April, slotting into the gap between the 6 Hours of Imola and TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps as the calendar expands to nine events.

The Northamptonshire venue’s globally-renowned Grand Prix Circuit – the first iteration of which dates all the way back to 1948, with the modern-day, 5.891km layout in use since 2011 – features some of the sport’s most famous corners. From Copse and Stowe to Maggots and Becketts, it poses one of motor racing’s greatest tests.

FIA WEC has already staged eight events at the celebrated ‘Home of British Motorsport’ from 2012 to 2019, captivating fans with a succession of exhilarating encounters showcasing the very best of the long-distance discipline.

Prior to that, Silverstone’s history of hosting top-tier international endurance races stretches back half-a-century, witnessing victories across various eras for heroes such as Riccardo Patrese, Michele Alboreto, Jochen Mass and Stefan Bellof, not to mention 24 Hours of Le Mans legends Tom Kristensen, Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell, who between them count an astonishing 20 wins in the twice-round-the-clock contest.

The current crop of Hypercar heavyweights – including reigning world champion Ferrari, homegrown marque Aston Martin, 2027 arrivals Ford and McLaren plus Toyota, FIA WEC’s most successful manufacturer – will all be eager to add their name to the record books in Britain, and the championship’s headline act will be joined by a full field of LMGT3 cars.

The production-based category has proved an instant hit since its introduction two years ago, with triumphs for no fewer than seven different brands from 18 races to-date highlighting its fiercely-competitive nature. Both classes combined, no other series can lay claim to such a standout, high-calibre grid of true automotive titans.

Tickets for next year’s 6 Hours of Silverstone on 23-25 April will go on sale shortly.

Frédéric Lequien, CEO, FIA World Endurance Championship, said:

“We are excited to be returning to Silverstone next season, and I would like to thank Stuart Pringle and the British Racing Drivers’ Club for making this comeback possible. Silverstone is a venue steeped in motorsport history and boasts a long legacy of top-flight endurance racing, including eight hugely successful FIA WEC events from 2012 to 2019. It is a circuit beloved by competitors, and from a driving and engineering point-of-view, it presents a tremendous challenge.

“Not only that, but British fans are famously enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the sport, and we are delighted that they will once again be able to enjoy the indescribable thrill of a World Championship round up close on home soil.”

Stuart Pringle OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Silverstone Circuit, said:

“Our history with the FIA World Endurance Championship and its forebears runs deep, with more than 50 years of some of the greatest endurance racing this sport has ever seen. FIA WEC is a unique and exciting championship, and we are proud to welcome it back to a circuit that demands everything from drivers and inspires an atmosphere that must be experienced to be believed.

“The spectacle of FIA WEC is like no other. We cannot wait to see it back at Silverstone in 2027, and neither can our fans.”

BMW will start the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans from pole position after a pitlane infraction stripped Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA of the top spot in the closing moments of Thursday's Hyperpole session.

During the 15-minute shootout, Dries Vanthoor, driving the Team WRT #15 BMW, set a succession of fastest sectors to hold provisionally first place. On his final timed lap, Cadillac's Jack Aitken went faster by 0.005 seconds. However, Aitken was subsequently penalized for leaving the working lane to join the fast lane at the start of the session before receiving official authorization.

As a result, the #38 Cadillac's fastest lap was deleted, dropping the car to 10th on the grid and promoting the BMW—shared by Vanthoor, Kevin Magnussen, and Raffaele Marciello—to pole position.

"I’m super-happy to give everybody in the team who has worked so hard over the past months and years what they deserve," Vanthoor said post-session. "That said, we obviously shouldn’t be too happy yet, because our goal is to win the race so we need to keep it clean over the weekend, but it’s a great position to start."

Cadillac will still start on the front row, with Will Stevens qualifying the second car in second place. Alpine Endurance Team secured third with the #35 A424 of António Félix da Costa, following a strong opening session by teammate Charles Milesi. The second WRT-run BMW, the #20 entry driven by Robin Frijns, completes the second row in fourth.

In an impressive and somewhat unexpected Le Mans debut Genesis Magma Racing secured sixth and ninth on the grid with drivers Paul-Loup Chatin and André Lotterer.

In contrast, several traditional frontrunners struggled. The highest-placed Ferrari was the #51 499P in eighth, while both factory Toyotas failed to progress beyond the initial Hyperpole 1 session, leaving them 14th and 15th on the grid.

OFF-TRACK FOCUS: THE ANNUAL ACO STATE OF THE SPORT ADDRESS

With the grid decided, focus shifts to Friday's traditional media schedule. Friday is always one of the most fascinating days at Le Mans as it is the day that the ACO makes its annual state of sportscar racing statement.

Several key regulatory topics are expected to dominate the conference. Attendees will be watching out for the fine details of the new LMP2 regulations, as well as news on any plans to establish a more consistent set of rules between the ACO's LMH cars and the IMSA-based LMDh platform.

A 2027 race calendar is also expected but the current global uncertainty in the Middle East would make any such calendar very much provisional. There is speculation that a long overdue return to the Silverstone circuit in England is set to be announced but he preferred ACO date of mid April won't please the circuit or the fans with uncertain mid spring weather making any such race a bit of a lottery.

Manufacturer commitments are also a point of interest. Will we see any further official confirmation regarding Ford's future plans? Drivers? even a car reveal?. Additionally, with Genesis displaying their new planned GT3 car at the circuit, the media will seek further technical and operational details from the brand.
Finally, because a Le Mans without Porsche in the main class seems unreal, there is anticipation regarding whether Stuttgart will make any announcement concerning a return to full-time WEC competition.

It's all a part of the rich theatre that is the Le Mans 24 hours, and that's even before the race begins Sunday midnight AEST.

The race will be shown on STAN Sport with the first 2 Hours also free to air on Nine GO.
Uninterrupted live audio is as always on Radio Le Mans www.radiolemans.com.

We'll no doubt be talking a lot about the race on this week's Full Course Yellow LIVE at 8:30PM AEST Tuesday night.

Check it out on the In Pit Lane YouTube Channel and please subscribe and click that bell!

What a tough few weeks it has been with the loss of so many good people in the world of motor racing.
While I didn't know David Bowden personally I thank him for his great efforts in saving and maintaining so much that is significant in Australian motorsport history.
I did however know Matt Payne very well. In the early days of the show he was of great assistance in getting us guests and making sure we were kept in the loop in anything he was involved in.
He was only posting here on FB a couple of weeks ago recalling his time at the Indy 500 and the great memories he had from there.
At only 46 it is way too young.
To the families and many friends of both David Bowden and Matt Payne our most sincere condolences.