Cem Bölükbaşı, who represents Türkiye in the Formula Two and Super Formula series, will compete in the renowned endurance series, the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), in the upcoming season.
Bölükbaşı will hit the track for the first time in the Barcelona race in April, driving for the Luxembourg-based DKR Engineering team.
Cem Bölükbaşı, transitioning from esports to open-wheel racing, is proudly representing Türkiye on the international stage in the Formula Two and Super Formula series.
He is now preparing to compete in a new series.
In the upcoming season, Bölükbaşı will compete in the famous European Le Mans Series, which takes place in different countries across Europe and features four-hour races that challenge drivers both physically and mentally.
Toughest category
Returning to the track with the Luxembourg-based DKR Engineering team, Bölükbaşı will race on some of the most technical and challenging tracks in motor sports, including Barcelona, Le Castellet, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, Mugello, and Portimao.
He will compete in the LMP2 Pro/Am category with the LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) car, which is the top-level car in the series.
ELMS is an important series for drivers aiming to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the pinnacle of these categories, the Le Mans 24 Hours races, where drivers compete in closed-top cars.
It features three different car classes: LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3, and LMGT3, offering the best in each category a chance to compete at the "top." At the end of the season, the champions and runners-up in LMP2, as well as the champions in LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3, and LMGT3, will earn the right to participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
In ELMS, the top 10 drivers in each class receive points as follows: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1 point, respectively.
There are two 90-minute Free Practice sessions, and the Qualifying sessions offer a 15-minute window for each category.
The driver who takes the pole position receives an additional one point.
Hosting pilots who have already competed in Formula One, Formula Two, and Super Formula series, ELMS stands out for its diversity in the grid.
Among these names are Formula One legends Juan Pablo Montoya and Robert Kubica and Pietro Fittipaldi, who have raced for various Formula One teams.
Other notable names include Formula Two drivers Clement Novalak, Oli Caldwell, and Marino Sato, 2023 Formula Two runner-up and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Reserve Driver Frederik Vesti, 2023 Super Formula Champion Ritomo Miyata, and Oscar, the world-famous film star with BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, Michael Fassbender.
The European Le Mans Series will take place in Spain, France, Belgium, and Portugal, with one race in Spain and two races in Italy. The race calendar for the Le Mans Series European Championship is as follows:
April 14, 2024 - Barcelona, Spain
May 5, 2024 - Le Castellet, France
July 7, 2024 - Imola, Italy
Aug. 25, 2024 - Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Sept. 29, 2024 - Mugello, Italy
Oct. 19, 2024 - Portimao, Portugal