In the first season of LMP3 competition in the 2015 European Le Mans Series Ginetta look a clean sweep of victories, with Sir Chris Hoy and Charlie Robertson taking the first ever Driver’s title at the end of the year with three wins from five starts. In 2025 Ginetta will make its full season debut in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with DKR Engineering, with the team also running a Ginetta G61-LT-P325-EVO in the 2025 ELMS.
From 2016 onwards teams moved to Ligier and Norma/Duqueine, with DKR Engineering taking four Michelin Le Mans Cup titles from 2017 to 2020, the first three with Norma and the last with Duqueine, and then the ELMS LMP3 crown in 2021 with a Duqueine-Nissan.
2025 marks a new era for the LMP3 category and DKR Engineering have accepted a new challenge, to take the ELMS and MLMC LMP3 titles with Ginetta after the Luxembourg team decided to run with this year with the new Toyota powered Ginetta G61-LT-P325-EVO.
DKR Engineering Owner and Team Principal Kendy Janclaes is looking forward to the challenge the 2025 season offers as the team prepares for the first race of the season in Barcelona.
Q. Tell us about the new Ginetta G61?After so many years and winning so many championships with Norma / Duqueine, what prompted the move to Ginetta.
Kendy Janclaes:“I think we were the first team to start with Norma. To be honest I was waiting a little bit for a new car, because everybody had a Ligier. So, then the Norma come out, and I thought okay, maybe it could be a good idea to buy the Norma.So that’s what I did, and it was successful. So, I hope I will have the same story with the Ginetta.
Q. How different is the new Toyota engine from the V8 Nissan?
KJ:“To be honest, it’s a little bit too early to get really an idea about that.It looks like the new car won’t be faster, but it will be more efficient because the car is a little bit heavier compared to last year. So, I think we have to take 50kg more.”
“For the new engine, I have no idea about that at the moment. I know the biggest difficulty will be to manage the engine cooling. I think it will be a little bit of a problem for each manufacturer. I think the beginning of the season will be difficult, but I hope after two or three races, it will be fine.
Q. Wyatt Brichacek is competing in both MLMC and ELMS with the car, tell us a bit more about your driver.
KJ:“It’s the second year that Wyatt will race with us, as we started with him last year and he's a really fast driver and, of course, a nice guy.We take him to race in both championships because it's a new car and we need to learn a lot. It will be easier for us to develop the car if you have the same driver in both championships. Wyatt will also have all the test data we will gather and that will also help to develop the car. So, this is the main reason Wyatt will be in the car for both the ELMS and MLMC, to maximise his time in the car.”
Q. We are returning to Silverstone in September, which is the home track for Ginetta.What are your thoughts on returning to the Home of British Motorsport and will it suit the new G61?
KJ:“Personally, it has been a really long time since I was last in Silverstone.It was with a GT car, 10 or 12 years ago, so it’s a really long time and we’ve never been there with an LMP car. But I am really looking forward to racing there again.
“Of course, as this is the home race for Ginetta, we will try to make a good result there. We will try to make a little bit more, maybe attend a test day there. As it’s Ginetta’s home track, it will be a little bit easier for us to test in Silverstone.We will do our best to get a good result there in September.”
