2024 Alpine Elf Cup Series champion Charles Roussanne moved up to the Michelin Le Mans Cup this season, racing alongside fellow French driver Luciano Morano for Forestier Racing by VPS, the same team he raced with to the title the previous season and the Mitjet International series title in 2023.
So far Roussanne and Morano have taken two fourth place finishes from four starts, just missing out on a podium by just 1.1 seconds in Le Castellet and 0.6 seconds in the first race at Le Mans.
The all-French team, founded in 2021 by reigning ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am Champion Matthieu Vaxiviere, Aurélien Panis and Raphaël Serrano, are currently lying in 7th place in the LMP3 standings and just 21 points behind the leaders as the series heads in the second half of the 2025 season.
We caught up with Charles Roussanne ahead of the next race in Spa-Francorchamps to talk about the season so far and the challenge ahead for the final three races of the Michelin Le Mans Cup season.
Q1: After three fourth place finishes in a row, how would you sum up the start of the season from your point of view? What lessons are you taking forward to the next race in Spa?
Charles Roussanne: “Since Barcelona the team and us (drivers) made a big step with the car and we have accumulated some experience in every race. So all those results are really encouraging for the rest of the season. We know what we need to work on and improve for Spa.”
Q2: You just missed out on a podium finish in Le Castellet and Le Mans. Was that a source of disappointment for you or was it encouraging that you and Luciano were fighting for the win in such a competitive field?
CR: “I will say that it’s really encouraging for Luciano and me, because we knew what we was able to achieve, we just needed to put everything together to can go on that podium in both of the races, but we keep the positive of it because we have been consistent.”
Q3: You've won two titles in the two years after karts. How important was winning those titles in helping you prepare for the challenge in the MLMC this season?
CR: “Winning the Mitjet International and Alpine Elf Cup Series championship with VPS Racing, have been really helpful for me, to can have a solid entourage with Matthieu, Aurélien and Raphael. But also to learn how to manage a championship, to know that to win a championship you don’t need to win every race, that it’s all about consistency. All those tips have been helpful for me to go in such a competitive championship as the MLMC, because in 6 races you can’t make mistakes if you want to in the Top 3 at the end of the season.”
Q4: The opposition in the LMP3 category is very competitive. How do you rate the championship this year?
CR: “Honestly, after having looked to the races and rankings from the past years, I think that the championship have one of the most competitive grid since the beginning of the MLMC 10 years ago. This is also due to the new category Silver/Silver. I think that it’s a really good championship to can aim even higher in the future.”
Q5: Looking ahead to the next race in Belgium. What are your thoughts on the track, and do you have a favourite corner or sequence?
CR: “Next round is in Spa Francorchamps, it’s a track that I really appreciate with all the fast corners like the Raidillon, Pouhon etc. It’s a track that brings a lot of sensations, with some good opportunities to overtake.”
Q6: What would you consider to be a good result for you and the team in Spa?
CR: “I think that the team, Luciano and I are aiming for a win in one of the final rounds. That would be a great result after showing strong consistency and speed in the previous events. We’re just focusing on taking things step by step each weekend.”
