Lilou Wadoux triumphs on home soil with first ELMS win at Paul Ricard
- MIKA BÖCKER
- May 5
- 5 min read
Lilou Wadoux claimed her first ELMS victory in the LMGT3 class at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet with a great drive in the final stint aboard the Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari, securing the win after a tense mixed-weather and strategic race.
After a wet start to the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, the second round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series, Lilou Wadoux took over the reins of the #50 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari for the final, crucial stint. She delivered a flawless drive to climb into the lead, then held off mounting pressure with a masterful defense in the closing laps to secure her first ELMS victory in the LMGT3 class—remarkably, in only her second start.
Wadoux, 24, became the first female Ferrari factory driver, unlocking a wealth of elite sportscar opportunities. The Frenchwoman has since competed in LMP2, GTE, and GT3 machinery—claiming victories at the highest levels.
Her win at Paul Ricard adds another milestone to an already impressive resumé, which includes a historic class win in the FIA World Endurance Championship—where she became the first woman ever to win a race in 2023—alongside success in IMSA and a podium in Super GT, where she was the first woman in nearly 30 years to step onto the podium.
In 2025, Wadoux joined the #50 crew of the Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside Riccardo Agostini and Custodio Toledo in a highly ambitious trio. At the season opener in Barcelona, the team showed strong pace, running consistently at the front of the LMGT3 field. However, penalties and setbacks ultimately derailed their race, and they finished ninth. The second round at Circuit Paul Ricard marked their shot at redemption.
In the pre-event test, the team immediately showed top-five pace, and performance continued to improve during official practice. In FP1, Agostini posted a 2:03.744 lap, just 0.028s behind the sister #51 AF Corse Ferrari. In the bronze-rated driver session, Custodio Toledo placed fifth, showcasing competitive speed. In FP2, Lilou Wadoux took center stage, setting a 2:03.621—a new LMGT3 benchmark for the circuit that would remain unbeaten all weekend.
Qualifying was held in dry conditions. Toledo was initially fastest among the GT3 field but dropped down as lap times improved. After a brief stop, he delivered a strong final effort, setting a 2:05.500 that earned fourth on the grid—an impressive result for the bronze-rated American.
Rain had fallen before the race, leaving the track damp but drying. Most GT3 teams—including the #50 Ferrari— opted to start on slicks. However, as the formation lap neared its end, rain returned.
As expected, the wet start triggered chaos, especially for the LMP2 cars on slicks. Several prototypes spun in the opening corners, and the LMP3 field also struggled. The GT3 class, aided by electronic driver assists, navigated the conditions more calmly. Toledo made a strong start, moving up to third and challenging Mateu.
The charge was interrupted by a safety car on lap 2 following a heavy collision between two prototypes, which left debris on track. Rain intensified, but pit stops were not yet permitted under caution. The caution lasted two laps, and racing resumed on lap 4.
Toledo pitted the next lap, but a misunderstanding resulted in an aborted stop. He returned the following lap to switch to wets, rejoining in 12th. As more cars came in for wet tyres, the #50 car climbed to ninth, five seconds behind Mateu. Kessel Racing's delayed stop handed Toledo another position, and he later passed Ried’s Porsche, still on slicks.
Just under 50 minutes in, the Iron Dames completed their first stint and also switched to wets. Around the same time, Toledo passed Mateu for fifth, but a spin on lap 19 dropped him back to eighth. He quickly re-passed Wainwright and began recovering time. Another safety car was deployed when the #37 LMP2 hit the wall, neutralizing the field and bringing the gaps down again.
Racing resumed on lap 24, and Toledo resumed his charge. He gained ground on laps 26 and 27, retaking fifth. On lap 32, he passed Mateu again; when Koizumi received a drive-through penalty, Toledo moved into third. With Cameron pitting early, the #50 Ferrari was promoted to second. A full course yellow for debris after 94 minutes then paused further progress. Four minutes later, racing resumed and Toledo pitted to hand over to Riccardo Agostini.
Agostini rejoined in fifth and soon found himself in traffic behind Fleming, eventually losing the position. However, as pit stops cycled through, he climbed back to fourth. Just after the two-hour mark, Cameron stopped again for a driver change in the Spirit of Race Ferrari, promoting Agostini to third.
As the track dried around the 2h19m mark, teams began switching back to slicks. On lap 58, Agostini pitted from the lead for the final driver change, handing over to Lilou Wadoux.
Wadoux rejoined in fifth, but another safety car—triggered by the #28 hitting the wall at Turn 6—disrupted the rhythm again. On the restart on lap 68, she initially dropped a position. Wadoux admitted afterward: “I had a difficult first stint and struggled a bit, but I knew I could fight”.
She recovered fifth when the Spirit of Race Ferrari kicked off the final pit cycle with 56 minutes to go. Additional stops by rivals elevated her to third. Then, while challenging the leaders, the #51 spun off, and the leader pitted on the same lap—handing Wadoux the lead.
Slightly off sequence, Wadoux had to pit for a splash of fuel but retained the lead, remaining on the old tyre.
In the final minutes, she had to manage the closing gap to the #63 Iron Lynx Mercedes. With calm under pressure and textbook defensive driving despite the older tyre, the experienced Ferrari driver kept the chasers at bay and crossed the finish line to claim a landmark victory—her first in ELMS.
“The car was good and we had a good strategy”, she said. “We did a good job and I think we were happy with the strategy.“
“It’s nice to win in France, especially here”, she commented about the win on home soil. “Every win is good, even more so here, but it’s always a good feeling to finish near the front. It’s also nice to be back in Europe; recently I’ve only been to Japan and the USA, but it’s good to be back.“
Next up for the European Le Mans Series is the 4 Hours of Imola on July 6th—but before that, Lilou Wadoux will take on the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
