Tom Dillmann will return to one of his most successful circuits when Inter Europol Competition contests the 2026 ELMS 4 Hours of Le Castellet.
The French driver shares the #43 Oreca 07-Gibson with Jakub Śmiechowski and Nick Yelloly for a second consecutive European Le Mans Series campaign. The trio won the LMP2 category at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished second in the ELMS championship after recording five runner-up finishes from six starts.
Inter Europol retained the complete line-up as it attempts to take the final step and secure the 2026 title. Before the team turns its attention towards defending its Le Mans victory, however, Dillmann wants to add another Paul Ricard success to his record.
Inter Europol salvages fifth after Barcelona setback
Inter Europol opened its season with a fifth-place finish at the 4 Hours of Barcelona despite battling a persistent power-steering fault.
The problem affected Śmiechowski, Yelloly and Dillmann throughout the four-hour race and caused the #43 to lose significant time. Nevertheless, each driver managed the unpredictable issue without making contact or sustaining further damage.
“We kept having the power steering issue for all three drivers,” said Dillmann. “It was switching off randomly, so we lost time all throughout the race but I’m glad we managed it and didn’t have any incident when it happened.
“Our race after the first hour went under the radar but in my book it was an amazing job by the whole team. We were a lap down and behind most of the LMP2 Pro/Am cars and managed to climb back to P5 and salvage 10 points. It was a great recovery with pace, clever strategy and execution. I’m very proud of the whole team.”
The team therefore limited the damage during a race that could easily have ended without points. Moreover, its recovery demonstrated the pace and operational strength that carried the crew to five podium finishes during the previous season.
Although fifth place fell below Inter Europol’s expectations, the result kept the #43 within reach of the early championship leaders before the second round.
Paul Ricard brings a record of success
Dillmann has enjoyed repeated success at Circuit Paul Ricard since moving into endurance racing.
He won the Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 race at the French venue during his 2022 championship campaign with Alexander Matschull. He then claimed an ELMS LMP2 victory there in 2024 before returning to the top step after the 4 Hours of Le Castellet two years later.
Inter Europol has also regularly displayed strong pace at the circuit. Consequently, Dillmann expects the venue to suit the team better than Barcelona, where the Polish operation has historically struggled to maximise its package.
“Paul Ricard usually suits us as a team,” the French driver admitted. “We have won there in 2024, and last year we believe we lost it due to a penalty. The pace is always very strong whereas Barcelona as not been an easy track to master for us, in fact P5 is our best result in the last 3 seasons even though this year, we clearly had the pace for more.”
The #43 crew can therefore approach the weekend with confidence. However, Inter Europol must still execute cleanly against an LMP2 field that features several established champions, Le Mans winners and factory-level drivers.
Dillmann prefers Paul Ricard’s faster layout
The ELMS introduced the chicane in the middle of the Mistral Straight to its Paul Ricard configuration during the 2025 season.
That change reduced the uninterrupted length of the straight and altered the set-up decisions available to teams. Previously, engineers could choose between lower-downforce configurations that favoured straight-line speed and higher-downforce approaches that improved performance through the circuit’s faster corners.
Dillmann prefers the layout without the chicane because it gives teams more strategic and technical freedom. Nevertheless, he believes Inter Europol can perform strongly with either configuration.
“I must admit that I prefer the track without the chicane because it adds an element of choice between medium and high downforce and different gear ratios as well. I enjoyed the challenge of playing with that. But we have been strong on both layouts.”
Therefore, the revised configuration should not reduce Inter Europol’s ambitions. Instead, the team can draw on its recent experience and previous success as it searches for its first victory of the season.
LMP2 field rewards complete execution
Dillmann has achieved success across several major prototype championships since switching his focus towards endurance racing.
Alongside his 2022 Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 title, he secured the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship LMP2 crown before winning at Le Mans in 2025. Those achievements have given him extensive experience of closely matched prototype competition.
The ELMS LMP2 category uses identical Oreca chassis, Gibson engines and controlled tyres. As a result, teams cannot rely on major differences in machinery to compensate for mistakes. Instead, car set-up, driver performance, strategy and pit execution determine the outcome.
“I love the challenge of LMP2 as the racing is very pure. There are no excuses, we all have the same material, it’s up to the team and drivers to set up a good car, drive well and execute perfectly. The level is so high that you need all those elements in order to win. I know fans also love categories with different manufacturers, different looks, different sounds and I get that. But in terms of sport and competition, LMP2 is the purest meritocracy you can find in sportscars.
“Between the line ups you also have different compromises which is also interesting, you have what I call the “real silvers” going against younger silvers that have not been upgraded to gold yet. And then a mix with some cars having established professionals and some with aspiring professionals, different compromises.”
Those different driver combinations create another strategic variable. Some teams pair experienced professionals with established Silver-rated competitors, while others use younger drivers who may soon receive a higher grading.
Consequently, every line-up carries different strengths across Qualifying, opening stints and the closing stages. Inter Europol, however, can rely on a trio that already understands how to perform together across both four-hour races and the demands of Le Mans.
Le Mans defence follows Le Castellet challenge
After Le Castellet, the ELMS will pause until July’s round at Imola. However, several championship teams will contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans during that break.
Dillmann, Yelloly and Śmiechowski will return to the Circuit de la Sarthe as defending LMP2 winners. Their 2025 victory gave Inter Europol another major endurance racing success and fulfilled one of Dillmann’s most important career goals.
Even so, the Frenchman has not allowed that achievement to reduce his motivation. Instead, he intends to approach the title defence with the same focus that helped the crew win the previous edition.
“Winning Le Mans is very special,” said Dillmann. “Let’s say that when I retire, knowing I have achieved such a win will give satisfaction. Going to Le Mans in 2025 I said before the race that we were the favourites in my mind; I had a lot of confidence in our team and my teammates. I haven’t seen all the line ups for this year but I’m sure there will be five or more with a chance to win and we are certainly amongst them. I feel peaceful going there having won it already, but with full focus and motivation as if I hadn’t won it yet.”
The unchanged crew should give Inter Europol an important advantage as it prepares for the 24-hour race. All three drivers already know their individual roles, while the team can build directly on the procedures and strategies that delivered victory in 2025.
Dillmann sets one clear objective
Before Inter Europol begins its Le Mans defence, the team must first maximise its opportunity at Le Castellet.
The Barcelona recovery gave the crew 10 championship points despite its technical difficulties. However, another result outside the podium could allow its title rivals to establish an early advantage.
Paul Ricard has traditionally brought out the best in both Dillmann and Inter Europol. Therefore, the French driver has set an uncompromising target for the second round.
“To win!”
After narrowly missing the ELMS title in 2025, Inter Europol cannot afford to settle for repeated second places. The #43 crew now returns to one of its strongest circuits determined to convert its proven pace into victory and strengthen its championship challenge.
