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In qualifying for the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) 4 Hours of Silverstone on Thursday, April 17, 2025, Tom Dillmann powered the No.43 Inter Europol Competition entry to overall pole position, edging out a competitive LMP2 field.
Dillmann’s flying lap set the benchmark early and remained unchallenged as the 15-minute session unfolded. Adrien Closmenil took second in the No.37 CLX Motorsport car, while Oliver Gray claimed third in the No.29 Forestier machine. The Pro-Am class pole went to Steven Thomas in the No.14 TDS Racing car, while LMP3 honors were claimed by the No.17 CLX entry driven by Louis Iglesias.
LMGT3: Mercedes Dominates, Ferrari Retires
Fourteen LMGT3 cars took to the track for their Bronze-driver session, but the No.50 AF Corse Ferrari was withdrawn after a crash in FP1. Early pace-setter Francois Heriau (No.59 RSL Aston Martin) managed a 2:01.324 before Duncan Cameron (No.55 Spirit of Race Ferrari) shaved off two-tenths. Then Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi in the No.62 Qatari by Iron Lynx Mercedes dropped a 2:00.643, later improving to 2:00.011—a time no rival could match.
Blake McDonald (No.33 TF Sport Corvette) found two tenths late in the session to leapfrog Heriau for second, but Al-Khelaifi’s commanding pace secured pole by nearly half a second. After the session, Heriau received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Martin Berry (No.77 Porsche), dropping him to fifth in class.
Behind the top three, the order was: No.55 Ferrari, No.57 Ferrari, No.63 Mercedes, No.75 Porsche, No.54 Porsche, No.77 Porsche, No.74 Ferrari, No.51 Ferrari, No.23 McLaren, and No.86 Ferrari bringing up the rear.
LMP3: Late Battle Sees CLX Hold On
Mikkel Gaarde Pederson (No.5 Rinaldi Racing) had a door issue early, pitting to fix it. Louis Iglesias (No.17 CLX) set early pace with a 1:56.016 before Matteo Quintarelli (No.8 Team Virage) dropped a 1:54.364. Hugo Schwarze (No.4 R-ACE GP Duqiene) briefly took provisional pole, but Iglesias responded with three purple sectors to lead by 0.5 seconds.
Both drivers improved on subsequent laps, with Schwarze putting in a 1:53.2 to go top. Iglesias, however, found time in the final sector to retake the lead by less than a tenth. Neither could improve on the final lap, giving Iglesias and CLX pole position. Schwarze will start second, with Quintarelli third.
LMP2 Pro-Am: Thomas Prevails in Bronze Shootout
The Pro-Am session saw Bronze drivers battle for 15 minutes. Michael Jensen (No.20 Algarve Pro Racing) led early with a 1:48.282 before John Falb (No.19 Rossa Racing by Virage) improved to a 1:47.0. Steven Thomas (No.14 TDS Racing) then took over, with Georgios Kolovos (No.47 CLX) going half a second clear with six minutes left.
Jean Glorieux (No.3 DKR Engineering) slotted into second, but Kolovos reclaimed top spot with three purple sectors. In the final two minutes, Thomas found more time to edge ahead by 0.2 seconds, securing pole for TDS Racing. PJ Hyett (No.99 AO Racing) backed out of his lap after a spin at The Loop. Glorieux also spun but resumed.
The final order behind Thomas: Kolovos, Roda (No.30), Hyett, Jensen, No.3, No.19, No.7, No.83, No.88, No.21, No.27.
LMP2 Overall: Gray Sets Early Pace
In the final pro-driver session, Oliver Gray (No.29 Forestier) laid down a 1:43.498 early, but the focus remained on Dillmann’s earlier benchmark. The No.43 Inter Europol crew’s consistency sealed overall pole, setting up a tight race for the 4-hour classic.
What to Watch on Race Day
With seven different car winners across the four classes so far this ELMS season, Silverstone promises unpredictable conditions. The Mercedes LMGT3 looks dominant, but the Ferrari contingent could bounce back. In LMP2, the battle between Dillmann and Closmenil may hinge on pit strategy. The LMP3 class remains wide open after Spa’s disqualification drama for Rinaldi Racing. All eyes will be on the No.17 CLX entry as it aims to extend its championship lead.
(Reporting from Silverstone)
