Preview: 4 Hours of Spa

Everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s race in Belgium

Published

22 AUG 2025

Est. reading time

3 min

Jamie Chadwick and her No.18 IDEC Sport teammates return to action this weekend for Round 4 of the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS), as the campaign heads to Belgium and the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

After back-to-back victories in Barcelona and Le Castellet, Jamie, Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella encountered their first setback of the season at Imola last time out. A disrupted race – featuring a red flag, tricky restarts and changing weather – ultimately saw the trio battle through to P11 in class after a mid-race incident.

Despite the disappointment, IDEC Sport remain firmly in championship contention, holding P2 in the LMP2 standings on 50 points, just one behind the leaders as the second half of the season gets underway.

Race recap

Imola delivered its fair share of drama for Jamie and her teammates. Starting from P9, Jamie battled through the opening stint before the race was red flagged 45 minutes in, with the No.18 car sitting P11.

Clever pit strategy vaulted the team to the front of the order once the action resumed, and Jamie led the field into the restart, defending hard against the No.48 VDS Panis machine. Despite eventually yielding the lead at Variante Alta, Jamie held P2 strongly until handing the car over to Juncadella.

But as rain began to fall, conditions caught many drivers out – and the No.18 was no exception. Juncadella lost control at Variante Alta, making contact with the barrier. The team recovered to finish the race, but any hope of a podium was gone, leaving them to salvage P11 in class.

The No. 18 will be looking to bounce back after Imola

Track guide

Now attention turns to Spa-Francorchamps – one of the most revered circuits in world motorsport. At 7km long and set deep in the Ardennes forest, Spa presents a unique mix of high-speed straights, sweeping corners and technical sections.

Eau Rouge and Raidillon remain the focal point of this venue, one the most famous corner sequences anywhere on the planet.

The venue is also notorious for its unpredictable weather, with sunshine on one side of the circuit often accompanied by rain on the other – something the team will need to keep in mind across the weekend.

“It’s got so many great, unique characteristics,” Jamie shared in her track guide, exclusively on her website and app. “I really enjoy going to Spa every time I’m watching racing there, but to drive, it’s really special!”

Click here to watch her full track guide.

Maximum attack

Team Principal Nicolas Minassian has outlined a target of big points for IDEC Sport, with Spa offering another stern test against a highly competitive LMP2 field.

“I'm very happy to be back at Spa,” he shared. “I love this circuit, which is great fun to drive but also offers lots of possibilities in terms of strategy and car setup.

“We're clearly approaching this race weekend with the aim of scoring big points, both in the 28 and the 18. The drivers and the team have worked hard, both on strategy and performance. Maximum attack!”

Anything else to know?

With the title fight finely poised, every point will count as the season moves into its second half and IDEC Sport are eager to bounce back from Imola with a strong showing at Spa.

Free Practice 1 is scheduled for 11am local time (CEST) on Friday, followed by FP2 at 9am on Saturday.

Qualifying will take place later that day at 1:35pm, before the race gets underway at 1pm CEST on Sunday.