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Inter Europol Wins Wild Spa ELMS as Penalties Upend Results
Six safety cars, fierce late clashes and post-race penalties reshaped the podium after a chaotic four-hour encounter at Spa-Francorchamps.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-08-24T09:36:00.000Z - 3 min read
The 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps delivered a chaotic endurance spectacle dominated by early caution periods and high-stakes post-race penalties. Inter Europol Competition finally returned to the top step of the European Le Mans Series podium for the first time since Le Castellet in 2024. Jakub Smiechowski, Nick Yelloly and Tom Dillmann steered the number 43 Oreca to victory after an intense battle that unfolded across rapidly changing track conditions.
The opening half of the race proved exceptionally punishing for the field, requiring six separate Safety Car deployments to clear incidents and manage debris. These early interruptions fractured strategic plans and compressed gaps throughout the LMP2 grid. Amid the disruption, the front-running squads had to adapt their stint lengths on the fly while navigating heavy traffic through the Ardennes forest.
At the chequered flag, the number 10 Vector Sport entry crossed the line just 3.3 seconds behind the leaders. However, the result evaporated in the stewards' room following a post-race investigation. Officials determined that Pietro Fittipaldi had driven one minute and 15.791 seconds below the mandatory minimum driving time. A subsequent penalty of one minute and 50.791 seconds dropped the Vector Sport Oreca down to 17th overall and ninth in class.
The time penalty dramatically altered the podium order. Forestier Racing by Panis inherited second place with their number 29 machine, while IDEC Sport was promoted to the final step of the overall podium. The dramatic reversal handed the championship contenders a crucial points swing as the season enters its final stretch.
Tensions also boiled over in the LMP2 Pro/Am category during a fierce late duel between Matthieu Vaxiviere and Louis Delétraz. Vaxiviere, sharing the number 83 AF Corse Oreca with François Perrodo and Antonio Fuoco, defended aggressively against the charging AO by TF entry. The two prototypes collided at Les Combes in the closing stages, sending Delétraz into a spin while Vaxiviere utilized the escape road to retain his position. The AF Corse car survived the contact to take the class win ahead of Algarve Pro Racing, with Delétraz recovering to finish third in class.
Further down the pit lane, LMGT3 honours went to GR Racing after a tense tactical duel. Lorcan Hanafin brought the number 86 Ferrari 296 home a narrow 2.7 seconds clear of Proton Competition's Porsche, with Team Qatar by Iron Lynx capturing another consecutive podium finish in third. For GR Racing, the triumph marked their first victory in the championship since 2015.
The LMP3 class experienced its own dramatic post-race disqualification after the chequered flag. The number 5 Rinaldi Racing Ligier had initially secured a dominant victory, crossing the line 54 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. Technical checks revealed non-compliance regarding the maximum capacity of the fuel tank, resulting in a strict exclusion under steward decision number 76. CLX Motorsport was consequently elevated to the class victory, with R-ace GP and Eurointernational rounding out the revised podium.
With the Spa-Francorchamps chapter concluded, teams now face a rapid turnaround before the penultimate round of the campaign. The European Le Mans Series paddock heads across the channel next for the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone, scheduled for Sunday 13 September, where the championship battles will resume under renewed pressure.