2018 LMP3 Champion Job Van Uitert will be taking part in his seventh 24 Hours of Le Mans and the second with IDEC Sport. Last year the 26-year-old Dutch driver took his first 24 Hours of Le Mans podium, standing on the third step alongside current teammate Paul Lafargue and Reshad De Gerus and is looking to take another leap up the podium steps in 2025.
The 2020 and 2022 ELMS LMP2 Drivers Vice Champion has not had the best start to the ELMS season in the opening two races.While the sister no18 IDEC Sport has enjoyed two wins in Barcelona and Le Castellet, Van Uitert, Lafargue and Paul Loup Chatin have finished 8th and 11th in the two events.
“So far, it's been a little bit of an unlucky start to the season,” said Van Uitert. “We lost a lot of time in Barcelona. We tried a different strategy that didn't work out once the safety car happened and everyone could have a free pit stop, and we didn't.
“Then in Le Castellet the race was more or less over for the first corner when Paul was spun around. So, yes, very unlucky.”
But are there any positives that can be taken from the first two races? “Yes, it's positive to see the sister car wins two races and that they that they are currently leading the championship.” He admitted. “The team has done a really good job building up everything, this whole structure for two cars, two cars to perform, and now it's up to us to also do races without mistakes, and then we should be, should be good for some good results.”
While the 24 Hours of Le Mans is not part of the European Le Mans Series it is the race that every driver wants to win. This year there are 17 LMP2 cars on the grid, 15 from the ELMS with the IMSA and ALMS championship winning cars also joining the grid.
Having finished third in 2024, what was it like to be finally standing on the most famous podium in endurance racing? “Standing on the podium in Le Mans is definitely a highlight in my career; words cannot really describe it.
“When you look over all those fans cheering you on the podium with the whole main straight full of people, that's a feeling that you cannot describe. It's a dream come true, and it was really nice to do it for IDEC. It was their first podium in the LMP2 class at Le Mans. I hope to do it again this year with them, so we will be pushing hard for that.”
The full 13.626km Circuit de la Sarthe is unique in motorsport but what makes it special for a driver?
“Le Mans is special because it’s Le Mans! It's a street circuit and it's road course. And that makes it that no one can really practice it. You only go there for this event.
“The speeds that you reach. It's very technical track with long straights, but also really high speed corners. My favourite section is the Porsche curves. I just love the flow through there, and the speed that you can carry with LMP2 is incredible.
“The other part is the night. The night will always remain special when you are just in your own zone all by yourself. You don't have many reference points at night, and you get into this flow, this different zone. There is just nothing really like it.”
This year Job Van Uitert and Paul Lafargue will be joined in the no28 IDEC Sport Oreca-Gibson by Spanish driver Sebastian Alvarez, who is replacing regular driver Paul Loup Chatin as he is racing in the Hypercar category with Alpine.
“Sebastian Alvarez is a good addition to the team. I've raced with him in Daytona this year, which we won on track but eventually got disqualified. So it will be a nice revenge for us to see if we can take the win in Le Mans and, at least, make it a little bit less bittersweet. Alvarez is a really nice guy. He's quick; he is very humble, which is a good. He’s a nice guy to work with, a very good team player, and I think the perfect guy to have in your team for this race.”
Before competing in six 24 Hours of Le Mans, Job Van Uitert competed in the Road To Le Mans in 2018 with RLR MSport, the year he won the ELMS LMP3 title. Did that experience to prepare him for his first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019?
“The Road to Le Mans was a very good experience to at least taste the full circuit before you go there in the big race. Even though it's not that you drive many laps, but any lap at Le Mans is valuable. It's not like the Nordschleife, where you can just go out and practice and buy yourself extra laps.
“At Le Mans you just learn how to build up to everything. It's not a track where you can just go out and perform straight away. You need to get into your rhythm. Feel how the car is built up to it, and it's just nice when you have that real life experience of the track.”
With 17 LMP2 cars, eight of which are with all pro driver lineups, what would be considered a good result for at this year’s event?
“That's an easy question. Obviously, a win would be a good result!
“No, but I mean, Le Mans, you just need to do aim for having a clean race, and then just give it your all normally, that doing a clean race is already enough to finish at the podium. But a clean race means no mechanical failures, no errors in a pit stop. The whole team of twenty people need to be flawless.
“Then you also need to have a bit of luck where the car also remains in one piece, and you can fight for the win with it. So, a clean race, and, if we have the luck, then we should be good for a podium. I would say that would be the goal, at least from my side, and I'm sure from the team as well.”
The 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place on the 14/15 June and is the 93rdedition of the world’s most famous endurance race.
