2012 6 Hours of Castellet
# 2012 6 Hours of Castellet

The 2012 6 Hours of Castellet (6 Heures du Castellet) was the opening round of the 2012 European Le Mans Series season. It took place at Circuit Paul Ricard on 1 April 2012. Previously known as the Le Mans Series, it was the first race in the series' history where LMP1 was not contested in as LMP2 has taken over as the top prototype class. The Formula Le Mans (FLM) spec class has been renamed to Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC), the same name used in the American Le Mans Series. A new Grand Touring class was meant to participate in the opening round which was Grand Touring Challenge (GTC), but lack of entrants meant it did not participate.

## Qualifying result

Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold.

| Pos | Class | Team | Driver | Lap Time | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | LMP2 | No.46 Thiriet by TDS Racing | Mathias Beche | 1:48.171 | 1 |
| 2 | LMP2 | No.17 Status GP | Yelmer Buurman | 1:48.482 | 2 |
| 3 | LMP2 | No.1 Greaves Motorsport | Tom Kimber-Smith | 1:48.882 | 3 |
| 4 | LMP2 | No.24 OAK Racing | Guillaume Moreau | 1:48.977 | 4 |
| 5 | LMP2 | No.10 Pecom Racing | Pierre Kaffer | 1:49.068 | 5 |
| 6 | LMP2 | No.18 Murphy Prototypes | Warren Hughes | 1:49.122 | 6 |
| 7 | LMP2 | No.19 Sébastien Loeb Racing | Stéphane Sarrazin | 1:49.157 | 7 |
| 8 | LMP2 | No.38 JOTA | Sam Hancock | 1:49.687 | 8 |
| 9 | LMP2 | No.11 Race Performance | Michel Frey | 1:50.193 | 9 |
| 10 | LMPC | No.40 Boutsen Ginion Racing | Massimo Vignali | 1:55.338 | 10 |
| 11 | LMPC | No.42 CURTIS Racing Technologies | Phil Keen | 1:55.410 | 11 |
| 12 | GTE-Pro | No.83 JMB Racing | Jaime Melo | 1:57.630 | 12 |
| 13 | GTE-Am | No.75 Prospeed Competition | Marc Goossens | 1:58.388 | 13 |
| 14 | GTE-Am | No.67 IMSA Performance Matmut | Nicolas Armindo | 1:58.428 | 14 |
| 15 | GTE-Pro | No.66 JMW Motorsport | James Walker | 1:58.517 | 15 |
| 16 | GTE-Am | No.69 Gulf Racing | Stuart Hall | 1:58.532 | 16 |
| 17 | GTE-Am | No.60 AF Corse | Marco Cioci | 1:58.803 | 17 |
| 18 | GTE-Pro | No.61 Kessel Racing | Philipp Peter | 1:59.082 | 18 |
| 19 | GTE-Am | No.99 JMB Racing | Alain Ferté | 2:00.182 | 19 |
| 20 | LMP2 | No.44 Extrême Limite ARIC | No Time | No Time | 20 |
| 21 | LMP2 | No.45 Boutsen Ginion Racing | No Time | No Time | 21 |

## Race

### Race result

Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).

| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Tyre | Laps |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Engine | Tyre | Laps |
| 1 | LMP2 | 46 | Thiriet by TDS Racing | Pierre Thiriet Mathias Beche | Oreca 03 | D | 189 |
| 1 | LMP2 | 46 | Thiriet by TDS Racing | Pierre Thiriet Mathias Beche | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 189 |
| 2 | LMP2 | 19 | Sébastien Loeb Racing | Nicolas Marroc Stéphane Sarrazin Nicolas Minassian | Oreca 03 | D | 188 |
| 2 | LMP2 | 19 | Sébastien Loeb Racing | Nicolas Marroc Stéphane Sarrazin Nicolas Minassian | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 188 |
| 3 | LMP2 | 17 | Status GP | Alexander Sims Dean Sterling Yelmer Buurman | Lola B12/80 | D | 188 |
| 3 | LMP2 | 17 | Status GP | Alexander Sims Dean Sterling Yelmer Buurman | Judd-BMW HK 3.6 L V8 | D | 188 |
| 4 | LMP2 | 1 | Greaves Motorsport | Alex Brundle Tom Kimber-Smith Lucas Ordoñez | Zytek Z11SN | D | 188 |
| 4 | LMP2 | 1 | Greaves Motorsport | Alex Brundle Tom Kimber-Smith Lucas Ordoñez | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 188 |
| 5 | LMP2 | 11 | Race Performance | Michel Frey Jonathan Hirschi Ralph Meichtry | Oreca 03 | D | 186 |
| 5 | LMP2 | 11 | Race Performance | Michel Frey Jonathan Hirschi Ralph Meichtry | Judd-BMW HK 3.6 L V8 | D | 186 |
| 6 | LMP2 | 24 | OAK Racing | Jacques Nicolet Guillaume Moreau Dominik Kraihamer | Morgan LMP2 | D | 185 |
| 6 | LMP2 | 24 | OAK Racing | Jacques Nicolet Guillaume Moreau Dominik Kraihamer | Judd-BMW HK 3.6 L V8 | D | 185 |
| 7 | LMP2 | 10 | Pecom Racing | Luís Pérez Companc Pierre Kaffer Gianmaria Bruni | Oreca 03 | D | 183 |
| 7 | LMP2 | 10 | Pecom Racing | Luís Pérez Companc Pierre Kaffer Gianmaria Bruni | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 183 |
| 8 | LMPC | 42 | CURTIS Racing Technologies | Phil Keen John Hartshorne Alex Kapadia | Oreca FLM09 | M | 177 |
| 8 | LMPC | 42 | CURTIS Racing Technologies | Phil Keen John Hartshorne Alex Kapadia | Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8 | M | 177 |
| 9 | LMGTE Pro | 66 | JMW Motorsport | Jonny Cocker James Walker | Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | D | 176 |
| 9 | LMGTE Pro | 66 | JMW Motorsport | Jonny Cocker James Walker | Ferrari 4.5 L V8 | D | 176 |
| 10 | LMGTE Pro | 83 | JMB Racing | Jaime Melo Marco Frezza | Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | M | 176 |
| 10 | LMGTE Pro | 83 | JMB Racing | Jaime Melo Marco Frezza | Ferrari 4.5 L V8 | M | 176 |
| 11 | LMGTE Am | 75 | Prospeed Competition | Marc Goossens Maxime Soulet | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | M | 175 |
| 11 | LMGTE Am | 75 | Prospeed Competition | Marc Goossens Maxime Soulet | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | M | 175 |
| 12 | LMP2 | 44 | Extrême Limite ARIC | Fabien Rosier Philippe Thirion | Norma M200P | D | 175 |
| 12 | LMP2 | 44 | Extrême Limite ARIC | Fabien Rosier Philippe Thirion | Judd-BMW HK 3.6 L V8 | D | 175 |
| 13 | LMP2 | 38 | JOTA | Sam Hancock Simon Dolan | Zytek Z11SN | D | 174 |
| 13 | LMP2 | 38 | JOTA | Sam Hancock Simon Dolan | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 174 |
| 14 | LMGTE Am | 67 | IMSA Performance Matmut | Anthony Pons Nicolas Armindo Raymond Narac | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | M | 174 |
| 14 | LMGTE Am | 67 | IMSA Performance Matmut | Anthony Pons Nicolas Armindo Raymond Narac | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | M | 174 |
| 15 | LMGTE Pro | 61 | Kessel Racing | Michał Broniszewski Philipp Peter | Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | D | 174 |
| 15 | LMGTE Pro | 61 | Kessel Racing | Michał Broniszewski Philipp Peter | Ferrari 4.5 L V8 | D | 174 |
| 16 | LMGTE Am | 99 | JMB Racing | Alain Ferté Philippe Illiano | Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | M | 172 |
| 16 | LMGTE Am | 99 | JMB Racing | Alain Ferté Philippe Illiano | Ferrari 4.5 L V8 | M | 172 |
| 17 | LMGTE Am | 69 | Gulf Racing | Roald Goethe Stuart Hall | Aston Martin Vantage GT2 | D | 160 |
| 17 | LMGTE Am | 69 | Gulf Racing | Roald Goethe Stuart Hall | Aston Martin 4.5 L V8 | D | 160 |
| 18 | LMGTE Am | 60 | AF Corse | Piergiuseppe Perazzini Marco Cioci Matt Griffin | Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | M | 144 |
| 18 | LMGTE Am | 60 | AF Corse | Piergiuseppe Perazzini Marco Cioci Matt Griffin | Ferrari 4.5 L V8 | M | 144 |
| DNF | LMPC | 40 | Boutsen Ginion Racing | Thomas Dagoneau Jean-Marc Merlin Massimo Vignali | Oreca FLM09 | M | 111 |
| DNF | LMPC | 40 | Boutsen Ginion Racing | Thomas Dagoneau Jean-Marc Merlin Massimo Vignali | Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8 | M | 111 |
| DNF | LMP2 | 18 | Murphy Prototypes | Warren Hughes Jody Firth Luca Moro | MG-Oreca 03 | D | 64 |
| DNF | LMP2 | 18 | Murphy Prototypes | Warren Hughes Jody Firth Luca Moro | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 64 |
| DNF | LMP2 | 45 | Boutsen Ginion Racing | Bastien Brière Jack Clarke Sébastien Buemi | Oreca 03 | D | 27 |
| DNF | LMP2 | 45 | Boutsen Ginion Racing | Bastien Brière Jack Clarke Sébastien Buemi | Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 | D | 27 |
