Winning Start: Theodor Jensen Shines in ELMS Season Opener at Barcelona
The 2025 European Le Mans Series is officially underway — and Theodor Jensen is already making headlines. In his series debut, the 18-year-old Dane helped power CLX Motorsport to victory in the LMP3 category at the 4 Hours of Barcelona, delivering a standout performance that caught the attention of fans and paddock insiders alike.
After two productive test days at the start of the week, Theodor and the CLX crew arrived prepared and confident. “We made real progress with the car and with my driving during the test,” Theodor said. “It gave us a solid foundation going into the race weekend.”
That confidence was immediately reflected on track. The car topped the timesheets in Free Practice 1 on Friday, and while he didn’t drive in Saturday’s qualifying session, teammate Adrien Closmenil put the car on pole — a perfect position to start from in Sunday’s four-hour endurance race.
Come race day, the CLX trio of Paul Lanchere, Theodor Jensen, and Adrien Closmenil delivered a near-flawless performance. Lanchere took the start and kept the car in contention, recovering lost positions and handing it over cleanly. When Theodor jumped in for his middle stint, he wasted no time making an impact. Over the course of his run, he set the fastest average lap time of all LMP3 drivers in the race.
“It was a shorter stint than planned because of a VSC, but I gave it everything I had,” Theodor said. “The pace was really strong, and the car felt amazing. The timing of the VSC worked in our favor and gave us the perfect window to bring Adrien in for the final push.”
In the closing stages, Closmenil held firm under pressure from reigning champions RLR MSport, sealing the win for the #17. The margin at the flag? Just 1.9 seconds — a thrilling end to a race that had it all.
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“The whole weekend was close to perfect,” Theodor reflected. “Everyone on the team performed at such a high level — Paul, Adrien, our engineers and mechanics. We came into this weekend prepared, and we executed. I’m super proud of what we achieved.”
The win in Barcelona puts CLX Motorsport at the top of the LMP3 standings and confirms Theodor’s status as one of the brightest young drivers on the European endurance scene. Coming off his Asian Le Mans Series title win over the winter, he’s showing no signs of slowing down — adding another victory to his record on his very first attempt in ELMS.
Now, eyes turn to the next round: the 4 Hours of Le Castellet at Circuit Paul Ricard on May 4th.
“I’m already looking forward to Paul Ricard,” Theodor added. “It’s a great track, and we’ve got a strong car. We’ll keep pushing and aim to carry this momentum into the next round.”
Additional media:
Daily Sportscar: Young Stars Emerge In Thrilling ELMS Curtain Raiser