Interview with Gérard Neveu (4/4) – The overhaul of the 2020 ELMS calendar

After season 8 of WEC and the next one, let's now talk about theELMS. Was the process similar to that which guided the reshuffling of the world championship calendars?

The problem is completely different because we are in a European championship, which had not yet started, unlike the WEC. For the moment, no sporting issues are involved and there are many more races to fit in (than the WEC. Editor’s note). However, in Endurance, we cannot do a race every eight days. For reasons of cost, wear and tear on machines and people, we do not recover in the same way (than for a sprint race. Editor’s note). The second problem concerns spare parts and consumables. Today, Michelin and Goodyear do not manufacture tires. However, the 24 Hours of Le Mans arrive in September, there is a WEC race beforehand, etc. We will have to give them time to work properly. Finally, we must integrate a different factor compared to the WEC: if by chance a race had to be run behind closed doors, this would not be a major concern because the “public” part is not inherent to the business model. However, it goes without saying that we do not want that.

See also:

• Part one: The coronavirus, the process of redesigning calendars…
• Second part: The new 2019-2020 WEC calendar
• Third part: The return to classic seasons from 2021

What guided your choices?

We tried to leave three weeks between races and above all not to degrade this championship by not changing the destinations which make it so rich. We also tried not to change the formats. Obviously, the changes announced also concern the Michelin Le Mans Cup and the Ligier Cup, which are held as a curtain-raiser to the ELMS. Once again, just as for the WEC, the calendar may change depending on the date the crisis ends and the way in which it is carried out.

So what will be the Programs ?

We did not manage to enter six races and therefore kept five (Silverstone has disappeared from calendar, which you can find here. Editor’s note). It’s also a way of giving a little breathing room to the most fragile stables. It's always the same, it's a matter of compromise. We therefore plan to start on July 19, if possible, with the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, which will be preceded by tests on July 13 and 14. We then hope to go to Spa on August 9th. It will be back-to-back with the WEC, in order to promote savings for partners and certain teams. For example, Goodyear and Michelin will not have to reassemble their structures or bring back semi-trailers. Same thing for teams like AF Corse and United Autosports or even for us organizers. We will then head to Barcelona on August 29 with a race at the end of the day, before heading to Monza on October 11. I am delighted to have managed to organize a meeting there, because we wanted to show solidarity with this circuit and the people who work there, to whom we are attached and who live difficult hours. Then we will finish as usual in Portimão, on November 1st.