Chevrolet Corvette's high momentum. Part 3: ELMS

ELMS

Jul 24

For the first time in the European Le Mans Series an American manufacturer competes the full season thanks to TF Sport’s entry with #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

The team, which has been fielding the US manufacturer's car in the WEC since the 2024 season, lines up the fast Z06 GT3.R with Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Hiroshi Koizumi behind the wheel of the flashy chrome #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Despite strong opposition with last year winning Iron Lynx featuring a Mercedes-AMG GT3, Four-time LMGTE ELMS Champions Proton Competition, United Autosports with a McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo, Racing Spirit of Léman running the only Aston Martin Vantage and 7 Ferrari 296 GT3 entered by 5 different teams, TF Sport and its trio of drivers already managed to win the third round at Imola.

flashy chrome #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R — 📷© Luc Warnotte at 4 Hours of Le Castellet. Flashy chrome #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R first official appearance.

Yellow instead of flashy chrome at Barcelona

The flashy chrome Corvette Z06 GT3.R was set to make its 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) debut in Barcelona, but instead of the expected silvered livery, a yellow Corvette race car hit the track. Unfortunately, the affectionately named “Chromevette” was destroyed before the race, prompting TF Sport to ship a different chassis in as a last-minute replacement.

The Chromevette – also known as chassis 012 – was demolished in a crash during testing at Spa before it ever turned a lap in Barcelona. That left TF Sport without the silvery #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the inaugural 2025 ELMS race..

#82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R — 📷© Luc Warnotte at 4 Hours of Barcelona. #82 TF Sport Corvette Z06.R.

Rui Andrade, Charlie Eastwood, and Hiroshi Koizumi shared that bright-yellow Corvette Z06 GT3.R during the 4 Hours of Barcelona finishing 6th of LMGT3 class in the 2025 ELMS opener.

First race with the flashy chrome Corvette Z06 GT3.R

The second race of the 2025 European Le Mans Series at le Castellet saw the TF Sport flashy chrome Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R making its long-awaited debut.

#82 Chromvette — 📷© Luc Warnotte. #82 TF Sport Chromevette Z06 GT3.R debut at Le Castellet.

The trio drove the #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R between the 7th and 8th position in class until the TF Sport team had to abandon with 5 laps to go.

📷© Luc Warnotte at Le Castellet. #82 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Corvette score landmark ELMS victory at Imola

TF Sport's Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Hiroshi Koizumi captured victory in the Four Hours of Imola for the first European Le Mans Series win for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R as well as for Corvette Racing.

The TF Sport driving trio weathered changing conditions during the race and played the correct tire strategy as Eastwood took the checkered flag by 7.443 seconds in the #82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Koizumi drove from near the rear of the LMGT3 field to second in his nearly two hours of driving, Andrade kept the Corvette in contention on slick tires through a period of showers and Eastwood drove the final leg to score the first victory in a Corvette for all three.

The race featured a 20-plus-minute red flag period and a couple of periods of showers but no dramas for the TF Corvette. All totaled, the No. 82 Corvette led three times for 63 laps.

📷© Luc Warnotte at Imola. TF Sport’s #82 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Hiroshi Koizumi.

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, #82 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We had a really strong race. Hiro's stint to get us into the lead, everyone else was making mistakes throughout the race and what we’ve shown this year is that we've executed really well and just at times didn't really have the pace. Today we did and again executed a close to flawless race on that side. As always, though, in ELMS it gets a bit busy. I saw the VSC come out and thought 'OK, this is all going to be a little bit harder.' But yeah, it was good. (Miguel) Molina was chasing me down once nobody had to fuel save anymore. The gap started to get a little bit twitchy, to say the least. But the car just came alive when the fuel started to burn off. By the end, I was able to then just maintain the gap to them.

"I'm so delighted for both of these guys, the team, and it's my first win with Corvette. It hasn't been the easiest start to a change of manufacturer. I'm really happy to sort of get this off our back."

📷© Luc Warnotte at 24 Hours of Le Mans. TF Sport’s #33 Corvette with Keating, Edgar and Juncadella Sunday morning in “Les Hunaudières”

(On late-race FCYs) "I was actually speaking with our engineer, when you're trying to be a little bit conservative, of how early you slow down and how early you release the button because you think you've got a margin, you kind of blink and you end up losing three or four seconds when you know somebody like Molina is going to be pushing that to the limit. So by the last one, you're just attacking as much as you can, cutting every corner as much as you can under FCY. And yeah, we were able to maintain the gap to the end."

RUI ANDRADE, #82 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "It was very tricky conditions, obviously, coming out. The rain had just started. Obviously, Hiro had done a really good job at that point in tricky conditions to bring himself so high in the order. From there on, the pressure was on because I started to feel like I could get a really good result. I went out of the pit lane with cold right-hand side tires. It was very tricky, because as soon as I went out, the FCY was activated, so I didn't really have much time to get temperature in and then the rain got harder. So when it was time to go back to green I had no temperature in the tires. For two or three laps it was very tricky. A lot of cars were going off and making mistakes so I was happy to keep it on track. Then from there I was just surviving until the conditions improved and was lucky to be in a good place and build up the rhythm in the end and give the car to Charlie in a good position.

"It's always a pleasure to represent (Angola), but this win is even more special. I've been sharing a car with Charlie now for a year-and-a-half, and it felt like we've been quite close a few times. To get the win now is really special and also with Hiro; we were also teammates in different cars but teammates at TF last year in WEC. So for us all to come together and get this win not only for ourselves, but for the team and also for Corvette... the first win for Corvette in ELMS is really special. So hopefully this is a turnaround and we can keep the momentum going for the next rounds."

HIROSHI KOIZUMI, #82 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I knew the opening lap would be a little bit dangerous, and on the first lap I had to stop the car to avoid an accident. But in the end I felt like I did a good job and knew that something big was going to happen for us so I was really happy to do a good race. This is the best team and the best car with the best drivers, so I was really happy to give my teammates the car in a good condition. They did a great job." Source: Corvette Racing