Bourdais, Pourchaire, Masson… The French drivers to watch at the 6 Hours of Imola

In Imola, the fans naturally only have eyes for the red 499Ps of Classic Ferrari for saleBearing numbers 50 and 51, the Italian public, their passion burning bright, roars for their drivers and especially for the Prancing Horse, an institution among institutions on the other side of the Alps. But on our side of the Alps, eyes will certainly be on the Ferraris, clearly dominant during the Prologue and FP1, but also – and above all – on our French drivers.

Fourteen drivers will take the start of the 6 Hours of Imola, including 11 in Hypercar, the premier category. Among them, how could we not mention the only all-French trio on the grid: at the wheel of theAlpine Number 36, the experienced Frédéric Makowiecki is once again teaming up with the versatile Jules Gounon, who is also preparing to compete in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with Max VerstappenThe two men were joined by Victor Martins, who is new to endurance racing. The champion of F3 2022 brings its speed to a crew that certainly doesn't lack it. They will be particularly ones to watch, if their A424 allows them to fight at the front. For Martins, it will be especially important to learn how to manage race traffic, particularly overtaking the slower LMGT3s, which is never easy for a rookie. Even less so on the narrow Imola circuit…

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Three Frenchmen at Genesis

At AlpineAnother Frenchman answers the call: Charles Milesi continues the adventure in car number 35 with Ferdinand Habsburg and newcomer Antonio Félix da Costa. Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans In LMP2 in 2021, the Chaumont (Haute-Marne) native is also the reigning European Le Mans Series champion with VDS Panis Racing. For several years, Charles Milesi has established himself as one of the best endurance drivers in the world, as evidenced by his victory at Fuji in 2025 with Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin.

Chatin has left Alpine to join the new Genesis project, where he shares the wheel of the No. 19 with, among others, Mathieu Jaminet, a defector from PorscheDon't expect the duo and their teammate Daniel Juncadella – who will be driving with Verstappen and Gounon at the Nürburgring 24 Hours – to shine at the start of this season. Genesis needs to learn to walk before it can think about racing, and it will take time to see the Korean Hypercars play leading roles.

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This will allow Mathys Jaubert, who will be driving the #19 Genesis, a necessary learning period. The former Porsche Junior driver shone in the Carrera Cup France (2nd in 2024, 4th in 2025) while dazzling in his first season in ELMS with IDEC Sport (3rd in the championship, three wins). He's already thrown into the deep end at 21. As the youngest driver on the grid, he'll need some time to adapt, but he can count on his experienced teammates, André Lotterer and Pipo Derani, for guidance.

In the beginners' section, Theo Pourchaire is also almost a rookie. The Frenchman already participated in the final round of the season in Bahrain in 2025 with Peugeot (10th), with a view to becoming a regular starter in 2026, but his experience remains limited. He will be able, like Mathys Jaubert, to count on the advice of a teammate particularly skilled in endurance training. The champion of F2 2023 is indeed associated with Loïc duval within car #93. At 43, the world champion and winner of the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans still has his burst of speed, and the wisdom of his 55 starts in the World Championship will help to channel the enthusiasm of the young Théo Pourchaire and Malthe Jakobsen (both 22 years old).

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Masson to watch in LMGT3

Loïc Duval is not, however, the oldest of the French volunteers: that distinction belongs to Sébastien. BourdaisAt 46 years old, he is also the oldest driver on the grid. Behind the wheel of the Cadillac, the Sarthe native can harbor high ambitions, as the American manufacturer was one of Ferrari's main rivals in 2025. However, Bourdais has yet to win with the V-Series.R. WECHaving only managed a podium finish in 2025 (2nd in São Paulo behind the other Cadillac, the No. 12) and a 10th place in the championship last year, the Le Mans native, who came agonizingly close to victory at Le Mans in the top category (four times runner-up in LMP1 with Peugeot), is aiming for a home win in Hypercar to add to his already impressive record, which includes a GTE Pro victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016.

Another Frenchman at Cadillac, Norman Nato, is driving the No. 12 car, which he shares with Will Stevens and Alex Lynn. Lynn is out of the first two races of the season due to a recurring neck injury requiring surgery. Fourth in FP1 at Imola behind the three Ferraris, Norman Nato and Will Stevens nevertheless have reason to be optimistic at Imola, a few months after their victory in São Paulo.

Finally, there will also be three French drivers competing in the LMGT3 category. François Hériau, as a Bronze driver, completes the trio in the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo. The French gentleman driver and his teammates Alessio Rovera and Simon Mann finished second in the championship and second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, making them one of the contenders for victory at Imola.

On the French team Akkodis ASP side, two French drivers will be at the wheel of the Lexus RC F LMGT3 #78: Hadrien David, former prospect of the car (French F4 champion in 2019, 2nd in FRECA in 2021), will be partnered with Esteban Masson. While this will be Masson's debut at this level of world endurance racing, Masson is starting to make a name for himself. Winner in the ELMS with Forestier Racing by Panis on April 12th in Barcelona, ​​the protégé of Toyota He aspires to a Hypercar seat with the Japanese manufacturer. To achieve this, he will need to prove himself this season in LMGT3 with the formidable Lexus, which won the rounds in São Paulo and Bahrain last year thanks to the #87.

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