Lilou Wadoux battles for the podium on IMSA LMP2 return

Returning to IMSA after her victory at the Glen, Lilou Wadoux delivered another outstanding performance at the Petit Le Mans, consistently setting some of the fastest laps in the LMP2 class and leading the race after her first stint, before a late-race shuffle denied her team a podium finish, ultimately crossing the line in P6.

Lilou Wadoux made her return to the IMSA SportsCar Championship for the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, four months after taking a historic victory in the LMP2 class at the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen.

Wadoux, again partnering Luis Perez Companc and Niklas Nielsen in the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca in the LMP2 category, was the protagonist of a stellar first stint, where she brought the car up into the class lead and consistently ran among the fastest drivers in class. The strong trio was only denied a chance at a podium in the final minutes of the race when a late safety car shuffled the pit strategies, and Nielsen fell to sixth in class at the end of the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans.

It was a tightly contested race in the LMP2 category, starting from the practice sessions, where 23-year-old Wadoux—fresh off her first podium finish in Super GT in yet another historic achievement for the young Ferrari factory driver—focused on learning the track, which she was visiting for the first time in her career.

The team was eighth fastest in the first practice, then improved to sixth in FP2, gradually closing in on the top of the class in FP3, where seven cars were covered by barely two-tenths of a second.

Bronze-rated driver Perez Companc took the wheel of the #88 LMP2 for the 15-minute qualifying session. His first representative lap was a 1:15.170, placing him eighth fastest in LMP2. After a red flag caused by contact between Serra's Ferrari and the #12 Lexus of Thompson, action soon resumed, and Perez Companc improved to 1:14.432, holding onto 8th in a highly competitive LMP2 field.

The final race of the IMSA season, the prestigious 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, took place on a sunny Saturday. Luis Perez Companc started in the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca in the LMP2 category. He had a solid, clean getaway, holding his position at the start as the field settled into its rhythm.

Perez Companc's pace increased steadily during the early laps, allowing him to close the gap on the #20 MDK by Hugh Class Racing Oreca driven by Andersen. In a decisive move, the Argentine driver overtook Andersen to climb into P7. Shortly after, the race's first incident occurred on lap 14 when the GTD leader in the #80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes spun into the gravel, bringing out the Safety Car just 20 minutes into the competition.

With the pits open under caution, Perez Companc took advantage of the opportunity to refuel and rejoined the race in P9. At the restart, he immediately found his groove, overtaking the cars of Farano and Merriman to regain P7 by lap 30. Showing good pace and consistency, he continued to push forward, moving up into sixth position within the first hour of the race.

As the race evolved, a significant crash involved Ben Keating in the #2 United Autosport LMP2 and the #4 Corvette of Tommy Milner at Turn 1, triggering another Safety Car period. During this caution, the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca pitted, and Perez Companc handed over to Lilou Wadoux, marking her first stint in the race.

Wadoux rejoined the action in P6 and immediately set about closing the gap to the cars ahead. Demonstrating her exceptional talent, she wasted no time in setting competitive lap times, passing Bijoy Garg to move up to P5 in class. Her pace continued to improve as she skillfully navigated through traffic, eventually engaging in a thrilling three-car battle for the podium positions with Boulle and Garg.

Capitalizing on a drive-through penalty for the TDS Racing Oreca, Wadoux moved up into second place. With relentless determination, she hunted down the leading #99 AO Racing Oreca driven by Paul-Loup Chatin, closing the gap with each passing lap. Wadoux's efforts were rewarded when she overtook Chatin for the lead, opening up a 10-second gap and maintaining her dominance at the front.

Three hours into the race, Wadoux handed over to Niklas Nielsen, who took over the #88 Oreca with the team in a strong position. Nielsen faced stiff competition from Mikkel Jensen in the TDS Racing car, who began closing in rapidly with a series of quick laps. Despite the pressure, Nielsen defended well, keeping the battle alive with mere tenths of a second separating the top two LMP2 contenders.

Navigating through intense traffic and dealing with heavy pressure from Jensen, Nielsen fought valiantly to maintain his place at the front. The top two LMP2 cars built a substantial gap over third place, holding a lead of over 30 seconds on Dillmann’s InterEuropol Oreca. Eventually, Jensen made his way past Nielsen, who continued to manage the gap to the following pack.

With six hours to go, another crash involving the #2 United Oreca brought out a caution, leading the Richard Mille AF Corse team to pit once more. Perez Companc resumed driving duties during this period, reclaiming the lead as the race shuffled through its pit stops. The Argentine driver showed remarkable composure, maintaining his pace against the other bronze-rated drivers while extending the gap to the cars behind.

At the halfway mark, the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca was running strongly in second place, with Perez Companc delivering consistent laps. After a solid stint, he pitted for fuel and fresh tyres, falling to third but remaining in contention as the battle among the LMP2 leaders continued.

Returning to the cockpit for her second stint, Lilou Wadoux was once again one of the fastest in class. Her speed allowed her to rapidly close in on Burdon in the #74 Riley Oreca, repeatedly putting pressure on her rivals. Cycling between 7th and 3rd in class through the pit stops, Wadoux remained one of the standout drivers on track in the LMP2 class.

With three hours remaining, Niklas Nielsen rejoined the race behind the wheel of the #88 Oreca. Although the TDS Racing car began to stretch its advantage at the front, Nielsen stayed focused on his own battle, overtaking Burdon to reclaim second place. A dramatic moment unfolded on lap 326 when Nielsen went off track during a three-way battle into Turn 1. He skillfully avoided the barriers and rejoined the race, though he had fallen back to fourth.

As the race entered its final stages, a major incident involving the #10 Acura, the #55 Proton Mustang of Corey Lewis, and the Wright Motorsport Porsche triggered a Safety Car period.

The field bunched up once again, bringing Nielsen back into contention for a podium finish. After pitting for fuel, he rejoined the fight in the lead pack.

In the closing 34 minutes, the battle for the LMP2 podium positions intensified, with the top three cars running nose-to-tail. Niklas Nielsen found himself locked in a thrilling duel with Connor Zilisch’s ERA Motorsport Oreca and was eventually overtaken by Dillmann and Vesti in the frantic closing stages. With one final pit stop required for a tyre puncture, the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca finished the race in P6, just missing out on a return to the podium.

Despite the challenges and missed opportunities in the final minutes, the team delivered a strong performance throughout the race; Lilou Wadoux was a particular highlight, her driving during both stints showing her incredible potential as she consistently set some of the fastest lap times in the LMP2 field.

In just a few outings in the IMSA series this year, Wadoux has proven herself to be a rising star in LMP2 machinery, establishing her as a consistent front-runner.

Looking ahead, Wadoux will return to her duties behind the wheel of her PONOS Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 at Autopolis for the sixth round of the 2024 Super GT championship on October 19-20, as she continues her impressive rookie season in Japan's premier sportscar series.