After claiming pole position by nearly half a second in Round 2 at the Circuit Paul Ricard (Pictured Below), the 18-year-old had everyone watching his progress back up the field after dropping to 18th place after a lengthy pitstop to repair damage to the rear of the no9 ANS Motorsport Ligier-Toyota after contact with another car.
He made it into a podium position at the chequered flag but a post-race penalty for overtaking another car with all four wheels off track dropped him, and his teammate Maxwell Dodds, back to 4th. However, the speed and race craft that Louis Iglesias had demonstrated in the second hour of the race at Le Castellet had the entire paddock talking.
So how did Iglesias feel about the race and what are the positives he is taking forward to Le Mans? “It was an intense race,” he admitted. “Starting from pole and then dropping to 18th after the pitstop was tough mentally, but I just focused on pushing lap by lap and making up positions. Racing back through the field was actually exciting, I was in a good rhythm. Missing the podium due to the penalty is obviously frustrating, but the pace was clearly there. That’s the main positive I take to Le Mans I know we have the speed.”
The next race on the Michelin Le Mans Cup calendar and while this will be the first time Iglesias has raced on the full circuit, he did win on the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans in the French F4 championship last season. “Winning at Le Mans on the Bugatti circuit in French F4 was already a special memory, so coming back to race on the big circuit on the same weekend as the 24 Hours is something I couldn’t have dreamed of,” Louis Iglesias said. “I’ve never had the chance to attend the 24 Hours as a spectator, so experiencing it as a driver on track that same weekend makes it even more special.”
Is there any part of the Circuit De La Sarthe he is particularly looking forward? “I’m really looking forward to the Porsche Curves and the Hunaudières chicane,” he enthused. “I’ve never had the chance to experience them in a race car before, so discovering those sections in the LMP3 for the first time is something I’m really excited about.”
So how does the Ligier JS P325 compare what he has raced previously? “It’s a completely different world compared to F4. The downforce, the braking, the weight of the car, everything is on another level. The LMP3 is much more precise to drive. I’m adapting quickly and I enjoying it a lot.”
So, has Louis Iglesias worked with his British teammate Maxwell Dodds before this season? “I didn’t know Maxwell before this season, and we’d never raced together before. But I quickly realised he’s a very quick driver. We’re building a good working relationship and pushing each other, which is exactly what you want from a teammate.”
This year Road To Le Mans is a three-hour race, which is longer than any MLMC race. Does this change how the team will be approaching the race weekend any differently to the other events? “Three hours means strategy becomes even more important, tyre management, fuel, the timing of pitstop. We will work on it with the team to have the best call, we need to stay flexible and react to what happens in the race.”
Round 3 of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup is Road To Le Mans, which will be held on Friday 12 June at 10h00, with a 60-minute qualifying session on Thursday 11 June, starting at 10h15.
MLMC Live Streaming on FIAWEC+ App
The endurance ladder starts here. Watch the Michelin Le Mans Cup live for free on FIAWEC+, with official race coverage, replays and highlights from one of Europe’s most competitive LMP3, LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3 championships. Watch the Michelin Le Mans Cup live for free on https://plus.fiawec.com/en/michelin-le-mans-cup
