The European Le Mans Series heads to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps this weekend for round four of the season, where 37 cars across the LMGT3, LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am categories will compete on Goodyear Racing Eagle tires.
Spa-Francorchamps presents one of the calendar’s toughest technical challenges for both drivers and tires. Its combination of high-speed corners and considerable elevation changes places sustained loads on tires throughout the lap, with the compression through Eau Rouge and Raidillon generating some of the highest vertical loads of the season.
LMGT3 teams will compete at Spa on the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium compound, which offers the versatility to perform across a wide range of conditions and meet the demands of drivers of varying styles and experience levels. The tire has already been used at Le Castellet and Imola this season, while teams also contesting the FIA World Endurance Championship will have additional experience from May’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am competitors will race on their own Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium, the category’s standard specification since its introduction at Le Castellet last season. This compound has now been used extensively in the European Le Mans Series and at the past two editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, giving teams an extensive understanding of its performance characteristics.
That familiarity is expected to shape race strategy this weekend. Goodyear expects broadly consistent strategies across both categories, with LMGT3 teams likely to maximise performance by fitting fresh tires at each stop, while LMP2 teams could opt for slightly greater strategic variation through double-stinting or split tire changes.
Across all three classes, championship battles are beginning to take shape as the season surpasses its halfway point. Only one point separates the #33 TF Sport Corvette and #75 Proton Competition Porsche teams atop the LMGT3 standings, while the #22 United Autosports outfit leads #29 Forester Racing by Panis by six points in the LMP2 standings. Algarve Pro Racing’s #20 car leads the LMP2 Pro/Am classification as it returns to the circuit where the team claimed victory in class last season.
“Spa-Francorchamps is a circuit that teams know well, and each category has built a strong understanding of their Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium tires,” said Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Program Manager. “That means we expect strategies to be fairly uniform across the field, with teams likely to focus on maximising performance with fresh tires at each stop. LMP2 could offer a little more variation depending on how teams choose to manage the race.”
Spa’s location in the Ardennes means conditions can be highly variable. In addition to the slick tires used in dry conditions, teams will also have access to the Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tire, featuring a tread pattern designed to disperse surface water and provide grip in wet conditions.
“The circuit places high loads on tires, particularly through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, and with slightly warmer conditions than we saw here in May, we could see a little more degradation if it stays dry,” Bickley added. “If conditions do turn wet, teams can rely on the Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tire as a proven solution.”
Goodyear Racing Eagle tires are also in action this weekend across the Atlantic in the NASCAR races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and in the NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
