Nick Yelloly is no stranger to the endurance racing paddock, but the 2026 season presents a unique dual challenge: racing for Inter Europol Competition in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 class while simultaneously piloting an Acura in the IMSA LMDh category. In an exclusive interview with Motorsport Week at Silverstone, the British driver explained how he manages the transition between two machines that look similar but possess vastly different technical characteristics.
The ELMS season did not start smoothly for the Poland-based team. Although the #34 car has finished in the points in every race and won at Spa, they currently sit fifth in the standings, 28 points behind the leader. Yelloly himself missed the Le Castellet round due to an IMSA clash and now lies sixth with 34 points, a significant gap to the top.
"The first couple of rounds, we didn’t quite have the pace we started with last year. We had a few unfortunate events and just didn’t get it quite together," Yelloly recalled. However, the team bounced back at Le Mans. As defending LMP2 champions, they lifted the trophy once again, securing back-to-back class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the same lineup. "Then we went to Le Mans, we obviously were able to win Le Mans for the second year running, which is a great feat. And then we came to Spa and we were competitive straight as we rolled off the truck, so that was awesome. And we managed to win the race quite convincingly I feel," he added.
With two rounds remaining—Silverstone this weekend and Portimao next month—the opportunity to fight for top championship positions is still alive. "If we talk about our last few races that we’re coming to now, I feel like we should be pretty competitive here and in Portimao. We were last year, we finished second here I think, and we’re really fighting for the lead in the wet weather conditions at the end there," Yelloly said optimistically.
Alongside his ELMS LMP2 programme, Yelloly also races for Acura in the LMDh category in IMSA. Switching between a Hypercar and an LMP2 car is no easy task, but it is something Yelloly has become accustomed to throughout his career. "So when I first did Hypercar I was jumping between a GT car and a hypercar. So I got used to transitioning quite a lot. I would say because the visuals are very similar in LMP2, corner speeds I would say are actually higher in LMP2 in the ELMS spec than the Hypercar. It’s more similar, so jumping between the two probably takes me a run or two to get in between, particularly when I come back to LMP2. In the Hypercar it doesn’t take me any time at all for some reason."
Rather than the outright difference in performance, Yelloly says the biggest challenge when switching between a spec LMP2 car and a factory Hypercar comes from the subtle technical differences that can be felt behind the wheel. "Probably the way that the rear axle behaves under braking..." he hinted, suggesting that adaptation is not just about speed but also feel and precision.
With the crucial remainder of the ELMS season ahead, Yelloly and Inter Europol Competition must maximise every race to close the gap. The combination of experience across classes and rapid adaptability could be key. If successful, they might finish the season higher up, proving that a driver's versatility is a valuable asset in an increasingly competitive endurance racing era.
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