24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winner Jakub ‘Kuba’ Smiechowski has rejoined the ELMS grid this season after a break of five years and has already taken a podium finish alongside teammates Nick Yelloly and Tom Dillmann, finishing second at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet last month from pole position.
The 33-year-old driver from Warsaw, and Inter Europol Competition’s Team Principal, enjoyed success in the Asian Le Mans Series, taking the LMP2 title in 2019, and in the FIA World Endurance Championship, finishing as LMP2 Vice Champion at the end of the 2023 season thanks mainly to a celebrated victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Albert Costa and Fabio Scherer.
Smiechowski took another Le Mans podium in 2024, finishing second with Vlad Lomko and Clement Novalak, the Inter Europol Competition run Oreca 07. The car crossed the line just 18 seconds behind the winning United Autosports Oreca at the end of a dramatic 24-hour race at La Sarthe.
We caught up with Kuba as the team prepare for another attempt at LMP2 glory at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Q. You had a better result in Le Castellet with Nick taking pole position and you, Nick and Tom taking second place.After the opening two rounds how would you sum up the ELMS season so far?
Jakub Smiechowski: “The opening round was a disaster due to a technical issue, and, as you mentioned, Le Castellet performed better. It's a bit disappointing because I believe we should have accumulated more points by now. However, there are still four races left in the season, so I am optimistic that we will have more opportunities for strong results. Let's see where we stand in the championship standings after Portimao.”
Q. Next up is the 24 Hours of Le Mans.While it is not a round of the ELMS it is still the most important race on the endurance racing calendar. With almost all of the LMP2 category coming mainly from ELMS competitors, it is almost like a round of the championship. What are your thoughts on the competition you will face in this year’s race?
JS: “Competition at Le Mans is always strong, no doubt about it. There are a few cars that will be a major threat for sure, but I strongly believe we have the pace and the crew to fight with them for the top step of the podium. To be honest the grid in 2023 was the toughest we will see for a long time, just from the number of cars that took the start. With the new regulations, sadly we have much less LMP2’s, but the quality of opposition is as strong as it’s ever been.”
Q. The Circuit de La Sarthe is unique in many ways and is always a tough challenge.Can you describe how you feel when you race at Le Mans?
JS: “To be honest it’s difficult to describe. The atmosphere and spirit you feel coming to this track is just amazing. Anywhere you look you see people that love racing, and this always puts a smile on your face. The track itself is one of the best I have ever raced on, and the feeling you have driving it at night leaves you speechless.”
Q. What is your favourite part of the track and why is it your favourite?
JS: “It's very difficult to highlight just one part of the track because almost every corner has something unique.
“However, if I had to choose, my favourite section would be Indianapolis. You approach it at over 300 km/h, and if you're feeling brave, you can enter this banked corner without braking. As you prepare to brake for the left-hander, you find yourself facing directly towards the wall. You know that if you misjudge the braking point by even a little, you could end up crashing into it. This section is one of the scariest on the track, but it leaves you eager to try it again and again.”
Q. With the inclusion of the Hypercars at Le Mans, how do you approach the issue of traffic compared to an ELMS race where LMP2 is the top category?
JS: “It’s always going to be more challenging, especially with the lower power, which means you don’t clear the LMGT3 traffic as easily as in ELMS. The number of hypercars this year is staggering; they are incredibly fast on the straights and might attempt a late dive into a braking zone. You have to stay focused at all times, particularly at night when visibility is much lower.
“Last year, I raced in IMSA, where there were many cars on shorter tracks, so the traffic doesn’t intimidate me. However, a significant factor is where you encounter the traffic, as this can greatly impact your performance - you can either lose a lot or gain a lot compared to the competition. Unfortunately, this is something we cannot control.”
Q.Bearing in mind the results from the last two seasons, what would you consider to be a good result in the 2025 race?
JS: “For me, we should be fighting for the win, as this is clearly the goal this year. Last year, I was a bit disappointed with second place because I knew that we had everything to finish first, if not the technical problem in the early stages of the race. If this year there are cars that outpace us, I will be happy with a podium.”
