Jack Doohan's Podium Hopes Dashed by Late Failure in ELMS Return

Jack Doohan's return to racing ended in heartbreak as a right-rear failure in the final minute robbed him and the Nielsen Racing team of a podium finish in the European Le Mans Series' 4 Hours of Barcelona. The dramatic race was also marred by a severe opening-lap crash that resulted in a red flag and a driver being hospitalized with a fractured vertebra.

Why it matters:

For Doohan, the Alpine F1 reserve driver, strong performances in endurance racing are crucial for maintaining race sharpness and showcasing his talent. A podium in a competitive ELMS field would have been a significant confidence boost. The incident highlights the fine margins in motorsport, where a dominant stint can be undone by a single mechanical issue in the closing moments.

The details:

• Doohan, sharing the #24 Oreca 07 with Ed Pearson and Roy Nissany, took over for the final hour from outside the top five and charged to the lead.
• He engaged in a fierce battle for second place, making light contact with the #34 Inter Europol car to take the position with less than 10 minutes remaining.
• With a podium secure, the right-rear suspension failed on the final lap, forcing Doohan to limp the car home in sixth place.
• The team was later demoted to seventh after a post-race 10-second penalty for speeding under a Full Course Yellow.
• The Big Crash: The race start was chaotic, with a multi-car LMP2 incident triggered by Jonas Reid (Proton Competition) spinning at Turn 2 and being T-boned by Georgios Kolovos (CLX Motorsport).
  • The collision caused a chain reaction in the LMP3 class, burying several cars in the Turn 1 gravel and necessitating a red flag.
  • Kolovos was transported to the hospital where examinations confirmed a fracture of the L2 vertebra. He is reported to be in stable condition.

What's next:

The Nielsen Racing team vowed to "aim higher" at the next round, signaling their competitive pace was a positive takeaway despite the result. Doohan will look to rebound and convert his clear speed into a clean finish. The European Le Mans Series resumes on May 3 at Circuit Paul Ricard for the 4 Hours of Le Castellet.