Proton Competition kick-off ELMS programme in Barcelona

With Proton Competition’s FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons already well underway, it’s now time for the start of the third major championship in the team’s 2025 calendar. The European Le Mans Series kicks off on the weekend of 4 to 6 April, with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya playing host to the 4 Hours of Barcelona.

As in 2023 and 2024, Proton Competition will be entering four cars in the ELMS for 2025, this time spread across three different classes. At the head of the field, Jonas Ried, Macéo Capietto and Matteo Cairoli will be teaming up once again in the #9 Oreca 07 after a promising 2024 that included one race win and a pole position.

There’s no reason to change a winning formula in Proton Competition’s LMP2 Pro/Am effort either: In the #77 Oreca 07, Giorgio Roda, René Binder and Bent Viscaal will be looking to build on their successful 2024 as a trio, which yielded a class win and three further podiums on their way to third in the championship.

In the LMGT3 category, Proton Competition will be fielding a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 R in the hands of the #60 crew of Matteo Cressoni, Claudio Schiavoni and Alessio Picariello and the #85 Iron Dames team of Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting and Célia Martin.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has been a happy hunting ground for Proton Competition in the past, with the team having secured multiple class wins and podiums at the track. The team have particularly fond memories of the season-opener in 2023, when Ryan Hardwick, Alessio Picariello and Zach Robichon set the tone for their LMGTE championship-winning season in the #16 Porsche 911 RSR with the first of two class victories that year.

Following the season-opener in Barcelona, the European Le Mans Series takes in a further four rounds at Circuit Paul Ricard, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone before concluding with the 4 Hours of Portimão in October. Fans can catch all the action from each race and qualifying session live and for free on the ELMS YouTube channel.

Schedule

Friday 4 April
11:50 – 13:20 Practice 1

Saturday 5 April
10:10 – 11:40 Practice 2
15:05 – 16:35 Qualifying

Sunday 6 April
12:00 – 16:00 Race

Photos for download:

All pictures are free for editorial use. Copyright: Proton Competition (Paola Depalmas)