Paul Loup Chatin will attempt to revive his 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) title challenge when IDEC Sport contests its home race at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet.
The two-time LMP2 champion will share the #28 Oreca 07-Gibson with Paul Lafargue and Job van Uitert at Circuit Paul Ricard. The French venue sits only a short distance from IDEC Sport’s headquarters and therefore carries additional importance for the team.
Chatin will make his 12th ELMS LMP2 appearance at Le Castellet and his ninth at the circuit with IDEC Sport. Although he has finished second three times at the venue, victory has continued to elude him.
Furthermore, IDEC enters Round 2 seeking a response after a difficult Barcelona opener failed to reflect the pace that the team displayed throughout the Prologue and practice sessions.
Chatin searches for elusive Le Castellet victory
Chatin has finished second at Le Castellet in 2014, 2019 and 2024. He also came close to victory in 2023 before a late technical failure ended IDEC’s challenge.
As a result, the Frenchman understands how small details can determine the outcome at Circuit Paul Ricard. Teams must strike an effective compromise between straight-line speed and aerodynamic performance, particularly because the final sector rewards downforce and stability.
Meanwhile, the circuit’s frequent winds can change the car’s behaviour from one lap to another. Chatin therefore considers predictability just as important as outright speed.
“Yeah, I’ve never won here. We were super close in 2023, but we had a failure at the end of the race. What is the secret? It’s a good question. I don’t know, as I never won, I think it’s to find the good balance with the car between top speed and aero, because you need a lot of aero for the last sector. Then it will help you also to manage in a good way, your tyres.
“One particularity of this track to me is the wind; most of the time it’s windy. It’s important to have a fast car, but it’s also important to have a predictable car.”
That balance will also influence tyre management across each stint. While additional downforce can help protect the tyres through the faster corners, teams must avoid sacrificing too much speed on the Mistral Straight.
Consequently, IDEC must provide all three drivers with a car that remains stable as conditions and tyre performance change throughout the four-hour contest.
Final sector provides Paul Ricard’s greatest challenge
Chatin particularly enjoys the section from Signes through the final corner.
The sequence combines high-speed commitment with significant aerodynamic load. Therefore, the driver must trust the car while maintaining precision through a section where small mistakes can carry a substantial lap-time penalty.
“My favourite sequence is the last sector, starting from Signes to the last runner. It’s really a section that I appreciate a lot, you need to be brave, you need to have good aero car, and, in terms of driving skills, it has a lot. For me, it’s quite fun.”
That final sector also reinforces the set-up compromise that Chatin identified. While the long straights encourage teams to reduce drag, Signes and the following corners demand confidence, downforce and a predictable rear end.
Moreover, drivers must continue managing slower LMP3 and LMGT3 traffic through the same sequence. A poorly timed encounter can cost several seconds or force an LMP2 driver away from the preferred racing line.
Paul Ricard allows greater freedom in traffic
Multi-class traffic will play a decisive role throughout the race, particularly as the field spreads out and the leading prototypes begin lapping slower cars.
Chatin does not necessarily consider Paul Ricard easier for overtaking than Barcelona. However, the French circuit’s large run-off areas give drivers more room to react when a slower car behaves differently than expected.
“I’m not sure it’s easier. It’s just safer, in a way that you can allow yourself to take a bit more risk, because if, for any reason, the behaviour of the car you try to overtake is different compared to your expectation, you have place to open the steering wheel and go wide. Okay, you will lose time, but you will not damage the car. It’s safer, so that makes it easier.”
That extra space can reduce the risk of contact, although leaving the circuit still costs valuable time. Therefore, Chatin must judge when to commit to an overtake and when to wait for a more suitable opportunity.
The championship’s competitive LMP2 field will intensify that challenge. With small gaps separating the leading cars, even a brief delay behind traffic can alter track position or disrupt a pit-stop strategy.
IDEC relationship carries family atmosphere
Le Castellet also represents a significant race for Chatin because of his long association with IDEC Sport.
The Frenchman has worked with the team and Lafargue for approximately a decade. Most notably, they won the 2019 ELMS LMP2 championship together, giving Chatin his second category title after his first success in 2014.
Their relationship now extends beyond a conventional driver-team partnership. Chatin values IDEC’s competitive standards, but he also appreciates the friendships and close working environment that the team has developed.
“For me, working with IDEC is something special. It’s a bit like if you race with your family, with your friends, and we share a lot of good moments with Paul and IDEC for 10 years now. It’s always something amazing as a driver to experience to be on the racetrack, having an amazing time on track, but also outside of the track. With IDEC, we are here to perform. I think the team is set to perform as good as possible. We have the best engineers, the best mechanics and the best management. But we also get to have a good time all together.”
That familiarity should help IDEC respond to its disappointing opening round. Chatin and Lafargue already understand each other’s preferences, while Van Uitert adds further pace and experience to the #28 crew.
Furthermore, the home event gives the team’s personnel, partners and supporters an opportunity to attend. IDEC will therefore enter the weekend with additional motivation as it pursues its first major result of the campaign.
Modern LMP2 field demands near-perfect execution
Chatin has witnessed a considerable transformation in ELMS competition since he won his first LMP2 championship in 2014.
During his earlier campaigns, only a limited number of teams consistently challenged at the front. However, the modern grid features established professional operations, former champions and drivers from several leading international categories.
Consequently, no single element can guarantee success. Teams must optimise the car, strategy, pit stops and driver performance because even a minor weakness can remove them from victory contention.
“For me, the main difference is the fact that in the past, only a few teams were at the top level, and in those only a few had top drivers, even if all drivers were super good. Now we can see that drivers are coming from top categories, from everywhere, to do LMP2 now. We have only good teams, only good drivers, and more cars. So, to get a good result is harder than before, and all details matters now. It was always the case, but what is sure is that the amount of perfection we need to put into the process today is crazy. Every year, every race, we had to improve; to continue to work hard. The experience and the professionalism of the teams, plus drivers, make the championship super hard and super interesting.”
The identical Oreca 07-Gibson package further increases that emphasis on execution. Without major differences in machinery, teams must find advantages through engineering, preparation and decision-making.
Accordingly, IDEC cannot rely solely on its previous success at Paul Ricard. The team must deliver across every phase of the weekend to compete against the championship’s other leading LMP2 entries.
Barcelona pace gives Chatin renewed confidence
IDEC’s Barcelona weekend ended with disappointment, but its performance before the race gave Chatin reasons for optimism.
The #28 crew regularly featured inside the top five throughout the Prologue and practice. Therefore, Chatin believes the team demonstrated enough pace to challenge strongly during the rest of the season.
However, the race did not develop as IDEC expected, leaving the crew without the result that its preparation appeared to promise.
“I think it was difficult for us, the way we finished the week. It was a super positive until the race. It was important for us to start the year directly in a good mood and we were super happy with what we showed during the Prologue and during practice. We were always there, always fighting in the top five. Unfortunately, the race did not have happened as we were expecting, so it was a bit difficult for the team, but it’s racing.
“I’m still super positive about Barcelona, because what we showed there gives us a lot of confidence for the entire season. So, we just need to continue to work hard and I’m sure the pace will be good this weekend. I hope the result will be also good”
IDEC must now convert that underlying pace into championship points. A strong result at Le Castellet would quickly restore confidence and prevent the leading crews from creating a substantial early advantage.
Home race offers opportunity to restart title challenge
Chatin knows what a successful ELMS title campaign requires after winning the LMP2 crown twice. However, the strength of the 2026 field gives IDEC little room for another disappointing result.
Circuit Paul Ricard offers an ideal setting for the team to respond. Chatin possesses extensive experience at the venue, Lafargue shares his long-standing connection with the operation, and IDEC understands the circuit through years of testing and competition.
Nevertheless, Chatin still seeks his first victory at Le Castellet after several near misses. Securing it this weekend would end that wait while also giving the #28 crew an important boost in its pursuit of the 2026 championship.
