Next week the European Le Mans Series will return to Silverstone for the first time in six years and there is a lot of excitement ahead of the return to the Home of British Motorsport, especially amongst the British teams and drivers.
The LMGT3 category is in its second full season and there are four British teams - United Autosports, JMW Motorsport, TF Sport and GR Racing - and seven British drivers entered for the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone.
We have spoken to two of the British drivers competing in LMGT3, Wayne Boyd and Tom Fleming, about their thoughts on returning to Silverstone.
Boyd took a podium finish in LMP3 for United Autosports in the 2019 race and he will be racing for the Yorkshire based team once again, but this time in LMGT3 in the no23 McLaren 720S.
This will be the first time Tom Fleming has raced in the ELMS at Silverstone and he will behind the wheel of the very distinctive black and orange liveried no86 GR Racing Ferrari 296 LMGT3. The 22-year-old will also be in action in the Michelin Le Mans Cup on the same weekend, competing with Northamptonshire based team Nielsen Racing alongside Scotland’s Colin Noble in the LMP3 category.
So, what do Wayne and Tom think about the ELMS returning to Silverstone after six years? “Silverstone is one of my favourite circuits,” said Wayne Boyd. “We just haven't raced there on any of the calendars so, for me, to get back to racing at Silverstone is mega. Obviously, it's a lot easier for me to get to Silverstone than a lot of the other tracks. So, yeah, I can't wait.”
“Going into Silverstone, there's obviously going to be a lot of expectation for every single British driver out there,” Fleming said. “As every young kid coming through the ranks, the one thing you want to do is be on that podium at Silverstone. So, to be there in front of the home crowd, with my friends and family being all present there. It's going to mean a lot to be able to do well there.”
What do the drivers like about the Silverstone track? “I think everyone will say the same thing, that their favourite part of the track is Maggots-Becketts,” Boyd said. “We did a test there the start of the year, and I hadn't been in a couple of years, and it's still so, so good. There are literally no other corners that we go to that are as good as that sequence. It's one of those ones, if you get it right, it feels amazing.”
Tom Fleming agreed. “I think it's a little bit cliché but Maggots and Becketts is definitely one of the top sections. However, I also really like Abbey and Farm Curve. I think with the GT3s because they have so much more downforce than a typical touring car, you're able to carry really good speed, and the thing is just on edge all the way around. If you're able to do it correctly, similar to Maggots and Becketts, it's extremely satisfying and the delta always goes green, which is always a good sign.”
Will the wide Silverstone circuit suit the LMGT3 cars, and will it help with traffic management during the race? “It can either go one or two ways,” Boyd admitted. “Sometimes it's better to be a little bit narrower, to catch them in your mirrors, but, overall, I think it'll be a good thing. The last time we raced there, I don't remember it being a big problem there. There are other circuits that are definitely a bit more chaotic. I think with being longer straights for the LMP2 cars to have more opportunity to pass the GT3s and P3s will help actually.”
“I really enjoyed testing there in the McLaren,” Boyd continued. “I do think that one of the McLaren strengths is in the high speed corners, and there's obviously a lot of straights around Silverstone as well.In the tests we were actually very competitive against other GT cars that were there, so I’m pretty positive that we can get a good result.”
Tom Fleming did have a concern about getting offline when being passed by the faster Le Mans Prototypes. “While the track is really wide, the racing line, or the optimal line that you can take, is extremely narrow. So, with the various speeds that you have out on circuit, with the LMP3 and LMP2, you can be really put off very hard, and almost pretty hard done by an LMP2, going into Maggots and Becketts. So, whilst it is extremely important to focus on the corners coming up in front of you, you also need to spare a bit of mental thought for what's behind you as well to best position yourself.”
“Silverstone is always quick no matter what car you're in, especially at the faster corners,” Fleming continued. “The Ferrari 296 is particularly impressive versus other cars that I've driven. I think the GT3s in general very much suit that type of circuit. I think everybody can expect some really good racing.”
The Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone is Round 5 of the 2025 European Le Mans Series and will take place on Sunday 14 September.
