Dumas Returns To Le Mans as Driver and Team Owner
2016 24 Hours of Le Mans Winner to Race in LMP2 Pro/Am
Romain Dumas first raced at Le Mans in 2001 and since then has won the famous race several times in both LMGTE and LMP1. 2026 marks a new beginning for the former FIA World Champion, taking part in LMP2 Pro/Am category alongside Fred Poordad and Tristan Vautier not only as a driver but also as the team owner.
As a factory driver for Porsche, the Frenchman from Ales has won almost every accolade in endurance. In 2008 Dumas established RD Limited, a team to challenge in the worlds of rallying, hill climb and off-road, quickly becoming a force in all three disciplines, with winners’ trophies and championship titles quickly following.
For the past two seasons, RD Limited has been competing in the Asian Le Mans Series, the team winning on their debut in Sepang at the start of the 2024/25 season
We caught up with Romain Dumas as he prepares to race in the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend.
Q: You’ve raced at Le Mans a few times in your career, winning in both LMGTE and in LMP1. But this will be your first as a driver AND a team owner. What does this mean to you?
Romain Dumas: “Well, the event, you know, is something special for sure, even more when you are French, and now with your own team. It will be my 24th time here, so it's difficult to believe that in 2001 it was the first time, because it seems like it was yesterday. It's a special race with a lot of stress all the time, even after 24 times, but I’m so happy to be here with, for me, for the team, for everybody around, so it's a great pleasure.”
Q: The team has done two seasons in the Asian Le Mans Series, how important were those races for getting RD Limited to this point in Le Mans?
RD: “For us to do Asia was step number one. It was clear we wanted to do that, just to learn. We started very well because we won our first race straight away, and it's perfect training us. This year the competition was very high, you had nearly all the team from the ELMS who were there, so it was good for us also to continue to improve, to push ourselves. However, Le Mans is another story.
“The biggest difference compared to ALMS, in Le Mans you cannot practice. You are coming here, you know, and ‘bam’, it’s the race. Also, most of the LMP2 grid are always here in the past, so they have a chance to practice a lot more than us. So, for sure, here it's, let's say, a different story. We have to fight a lot harder to understand, to find the right setup. So far, we are not there, clearly, but I guess it's the price to pay when it's your first year.
“So first of all, we need to be happy and proud to be here for the first year. You know, we are newcomer in Le Mans, but we can all only be proud and happy to be here.”
Q: What makes the circuit here at Le Mans special for you as a driver?
RD: “Le Mans is the nicest, the biggest, the craziest event of the year. When you are French, it's a big advantage to be in Le Mans, and big disadvantage because you are busy, people you know all want to share moments with you. I started here in 1995 when I was 17, I live in Le Mans, was at school in Le Mans, so I can tell you I know Le Mans very well, and people know me very well in Le Mans. So, I think it's also why a lot of people are happy to see our team here. A French team with a French driver, with Romain Dumas driving. I think a lot of spectators, journalists and people are very happy about that. So, that's very nice.”
Q: Do you have a favourite corner or sequence?
RD: “The Porsche Corner I think is the most exciting. Indianapolis also, but it's a tricky one. However, the Porsche Corner is very, very nice for me.”
Q: After Le Mans you head to America to compete at another iconic event, the Pikes Peak hillclimb, which you have also won a few times. Tell us more about your involvement in this event.
RD: “Well, when I was a kid, I was passionate about all motor sport, coming from endurance to F1 to rally and to hillclimb. I knew all the details of all the races and all the drivers. So, for me, it was clear that my target was to do Le Mans in my life, like doing Monte Carlo, and also doing Pikes Peak. The last and unique step that I will never get, would be to do Monaco in Formula One, but all the rest I’ve done it with more or less success. So, for Pikes Peak, it was clear that for me in my mind, in my dream, and we started in 2012. Since then, we are back nearly every year with my team, or with me driving for factories. Pikes Peak, is also something crazy.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place this weekend, starting at 16h00 on Saturday 13 June and concluding 24 hours later on Sunday 14 June. You can watch the race live and uninterupted on the FIAWEC+ app. You can sign up HERE.
