RLR MSport targeting LMP2 Pro-Am glory in 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jensen, Pilet and Cullen

RLR MSport will take its place on the starting grid in the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (14-15 June) with an experienced and successful LMP2 Pro-Am roster that consists of Michael Jensen, Patrick Pilet and Ryan Cullen.

For RLR, 2024 turned out to be a momentous season, as the team took Jensen, Nick Adcock and Gael Julien to the ELMS LMP3 Teams and Drivers Trophies, to secure an automatic invitation to the 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jensen, who made his first and only Le Mans appearance to date in 2022, began preparing for his return to the French endurance classic with a championship-winning LMP2 programme in the 2024-25 Asian Le Mans Series.

There has been a noticeable upturn in the Dane’s performances since he stepped down from his super-demanding business commitments and, as a reigning European and Asian Champion, he will take confidence and momentum to Circuit de la Sarthe in June.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is such an iconic race and to be returning because we earned an entry by winning the ELMS makes it an extra special occasion for me,” said Jensen. “We’re going in with a great team and a strong, very experienced driver line-up, so confidence is high.

“I used to work very hard and stepping down from a business that demanded 80 hours per week has enabled me to focus 100 per cent on racing; getting proper sleep, and training harder in the gym and on the simulator has made a big difference. I can now pitch up at a racetrack and put all of my energy into the racing without any distractions.”

Jensen continued: “the success I have experienced in the past 12 months has given me a lot of belief – winning the ELMS and then taking the Asian Le Mans crown at the first time of asking is more than I could have ever dreamed of.

“I’m very competitive by nature and always want to win. Every team has a chance on paper, but there is always an element of luck and you can’t predict what will happen in endurance racing. What I do know is that we have a great team behind us and they will give us a fast car.”

Pilet became Formula Renault Champion while working his way through junior single-seaters in his native France, and he instantly marked himself out as a force in sportscar racing when he made the switch in 2007.

Title glory in that year’s Porsche Carrera Cup France served as a launchpad for a long and triumphant career as a works driver for the iconic Stuttgart-based brand, as together they have accrued two podiums in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as high-profile victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 24 Hours of Spa, Nürburgring 24 Hours and CREVENTIC 24H Dubai.

A three-time Petit Le Mans and Twelve Hours of Sebring winner, Pilet notably swept to both the IMSA GTLM Championship and the North America Endurance Cup in a super successful 2015 season with Porsche’s factory effort.

However, he has dovetailed his GT commitments with outings in LMP2 prototypes since 2020 and is bringing all of his success and experience to bolster the RLR bid for LMP2 Pro-Am glory at Le Mans.

“I’m really looking forward to joining RLR for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as it’s my favourite race in a season,” said Pilet. “I will bring all of my experience to the team with my ultimate goal being to finally win this one. I have come close to winning Le Mans a few times before, but it’s always extremely challenging. I’m excited to work with my new teammates, Michael (Jensen) and Ryan (Cullen), and although there are a lot of cars and strong opposition in the entry, I think we have what it takes to achieve a big result.”

Cullen began his racing career in 2012, honing his competitive skills in junior single-seaters but finding a home in sportscars when he took on the Formula 1-supporting Porsche Supercup in 2015.

A championship-winning Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East campaign preceded his maiden season of endurance racing in the 2018 ELMS, and the Irishman has been a fixture of LMP2 grids around the world ever since.

The 2019 Rolex 24 winner is back in the ELMS for a full season but now has a Le Mans outing with RLR to look forward to, and he said: “I’m delighted to be joining RLR MSport in the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a new project for the team, which last entered the race in 2019, but I believe we have a strong line-up capable of challenging for the LMP2 Pro-Am victory.

“I raced alongside Patrick (Pilet) in 2024 and I think he’s the best guy for the job, because he brings a lot experience and team spirit. Michael (Jensen), meanwhile, is driving brilliantly in LMP3, and I have seen him progress on his way to the 2024-25 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 title and in the two days of testing we have done with the RLR MSport ORECA 07-Gibson. He will be up against more seasoned LMP2 drivers, but he’s running at a high level and will surprise a lot of people. Our line-up can achieve front-running pace, and I hope he enjoys the challenge of his second 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

RLR MSport Team Manager, Lindsey Reynolds, said: “Holding an entry to the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans is always an honour, and to have earned it by winning the 2024 European Le Mans Series LMP3 Teams and Drivers Trophies will make the occasion all the more special. We’re delighted to have pulled together a driver line-up that’s rich in talent and experience, as both Patrick (Pilet) and Ryan (Cullen) have succeeded at some of the world’s biggest, most challenging endurance races. Just being at Le Mans is exciting, but we’re obviously going there for the LMP2 Pro-Am win and we have all the ingredients for a successful bid.”