Jamie Chadwick takes first ELMS podium of 2026 at 4H of Spa
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Jamie Chadwick and IDEC Sport converted their consistent front-running pace into their first podium finish of the season in the European Le Mans Series, with the team's third place at the 4H of Spa promoting the crew to third in the overall standings.
Jamie Chadwick and IDEC Sport finally converted their consistent front-running pace into a podium finish in the European Le Mans Series at Spa-Francorchamps, with the #18 Oreca finishing fourth on the road before post-race penalties promoted the crew to third place in the LMP2 classification.
The result gives Chadwick, Valerio Rinicella and Laurents Hörr their first podium of the season after three consecutive fourth-place finishes in Barcelona, Paul Ricard and Imola, while Chadwick herself produced a particularly strong opening stint to keep the car in contention through a chaotic first half of the four-hour race.
Following a highly encouraging rookie LMP2 campaign in 2025, Chadwick returned to the ELMS this season with IDEC Sport alongside Rinicella and Hörr, and the combination quickly emerged as one of the most consistent crews at the sharp end of the field. The #18 Oreca had finished fourth in each of the opening three rounds, with Chadwick especially impressive at Paul Ricard when she helped recover the car from the back of the LMP2 grid after a qualifying penalty.
At Spa, the team arrived determined to finally break that sequence and immediately demonstrated that the pace was there to challenge for the podium.
IDEC Sport made an exceptionally strong start to the weekend, with Rinicella setting the overall benchmark in the opening practice session with a 2:02.110, almost a second faster than the next LMP2 car. Conditions became more difficult in the second session as rain affected the circuit, yet the #18 remained among the fastest entries, placing second overall with a 2:04.273. Chadwick also completed valuable running ahead of the race, continuing to build confidence around one of the most demanding circuits on the ELMS calendar.
The team's pace was confirmed in qualifying, where Rinicella again emerged as one of the main contenders for pole. The Italian initially went fastest with a 2:05.765 despite running slightly wide and touching the gravel, before improving to a 2:01.815, only for the lap to be deleted for track limits.
Rinicella responded immediately, setting a 2:01.268 to return to the top of the LMP2 order, and no rival could better the time before the chequered flag. IDEC Sport therefore secured pole position for the four-hour race, giving Chadwick the opportunity to start Sunday's contest from the front of the LMP2 field.
With the early-morning fog lifting and sunshine appearing over Spa-Francorchamps, Chadwick took the wheel of the #18 Oreca for the opening stint. Starting from pole, she made an excellent launch and immediately positioned the car perfectly through the opening corners, while incidents behind delayed several of her rivals. By the run towards Eau Rouge, Chadwick had already established a useful advantage over the cars behind.
Her early lead was however interrupted after just a few corners later when Bukhanstov crashed the #13 Inter Europol Competition LMP3 car at Kemmel, bringing out the Safety Car. The race returned to green three laps later, but Chadwick was immediately placed under pressure by United Autosports' Griffin Peebles, who managed to complete the pass for the lead at La Source. Chadwick dropped to second, but remained in control, with around two seconds separating her from Smiechowski's #43 Inter Europol LMP2 in third.
Chadwick then settled into a strong and consistent rhythm, running in the 2:08s and gradually extending the gap to the cars behind. Her pace was particularly important because the race was already becoming heavily disrupted by incidents, with frequent neutralisations making it difficult for drivers to establish a rhythm. By the time another Full Course Yellow was called around the 40-minute mark, Chadwick had built an advantage of more than ten seconds over third place.
The #18 came into the pits under caution on lap 18, with Chadwick remaining behind the wheel. After the pit-stop cycle she rejoined in second, maintaining the team's position near the front, before another Safety Car period neutralised the race. The interruptions continued almost immediately after the restart when the #74 Ferrari of Andrew Gilbert went off at the exit of Turn 7, forcing the field to slow once again.
Chadwick once again demonstrated excellent restarts, retaining second place when the race went green with just over two hours and 40 minutes remaining. Louis Rousset was now directly behind the IDEC Sport car, but Chadwick controlled the restart and kept the #18 safely ahead.
The race, however, refused to settle. Another incident involving Takeshi Kimura's Ferrari and the #8 Virage LMP3 car brought out another Safety Car, followed shortly after the restart by another crash involving the #59 Aston Martin at Turn 9. With barely a lap being completed at racing speed between some of the neutralisations, Chadwick's ability to maintain concentration and position became increasingly important.
When the race finally went green again, the #18 remained second, and Chadwick stayed out while several rivals pitted. She eventually brought the car into the pits on lap 35 after approximately one hour and 45 minutes of running, completing a highly effective opening stint before handing the Oreca over to Hörr.
The timing of the stop meant that the #18 emerged fourth in LMP2, as several competitors had been able to take advantage of the earlier Full Course Yellow periods to save time during their own pit stops. Hörr therefore had work to do, but remained within reach of the podium.
The German immediately showed his pace, although an ambitious move at the top of Raidillon while passing two lapped cars briefly cost him a position to Oliver Gray's #29 Forestier Racing Oreca. Hörr remained close behind Gray and soon began applying pressure, eventually recovering fourth place when Saucy was forced to take evasive action to avoid a spinning LMP3 car at the Bus Stop chicane.
The two cars then engaged in a close fight for position, running side-by-side through the Bus Stop, but Gray managed to hold on. Hörr ultimately remained fourth as the race approached the three-hour mark.
With just over an hour remaining, IDEC Sport brought Hörr into the pits and putting Rinicella back behind the wheel. The Italian had been exceptionally fast throughout the weekend and immediately put the #18 into podium contention, emerging third after the pit-stop cycle and setting a pace comparable with Dillmann's car ahead.
Rinicella initially held off pressure from Esteban Masson while steadily closing on the car in front, but the team still required another fuel stop before the finish. With 33 minutes remaining, Rinicella therefore made the final scheduled stop from third, dropping temporarily to sixth as the remaining cars completed their own pit cycles.
The strategy ultimately left the #18 in fourth, with Masson emerging ahead and a podium position approximately 14 seconds up the road with only ten minutes remaining. Rinicella pushed hard in the closing stages, but could not quite recover the deficit before the chequered flag.
The #18 IDEC Sport Oreca therefore crossed the finish line fourth, apparently extending the crew's run of fourth-place results to four consecutive rounds. However, post-race penalties altered the final classification, promoting the IDEC Sport entry to third place overall and securing Chadwick, Rinicella and Hörr their first podium of the 2026 ELMS season.
For Chadwick, the result was particularly rewarding after another race in which the British driver played a crucial role in keeping the car at the sharp end. In her opening stint, she negotiated a succession of Safety Car and Full Course Yellow restarts without losing the position that ultimately gave her teammates the opportunity to fight for the podium.
After four rounds, Chadwick now sits third in the ELMS LMP2 championship with 52 points, 18 points behind the championship lead, leaving the IDEC Sport crew in a strong position heading into the final rounds.
The championship now moves to Chadwick's home event, with the 4 Hours of Silverstone scheduled for 13 September, where the IDEC Sport driver will look to build on the team's first podium of the campaign.
