The European Le Mans Series has seen some tough competition, including former Formula 1 drivers Paul Di Resta and Robert Kubica.
A significant incentive for winning the ELMS championship is the entry will receive an invite to the next season’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Endurance racing is a very different discipline from single-seaters, with much longer races and teammates sharing a car.
Adaptability is also very important, as the track changes a lot throughout the race with varying grip levels and temperatures.
Some drivers combine single-seater racing with a campaign in an endurance championship to keep sharp and broaden their horizons.
According to sportscar365, one driver who has proven to be very versatile over his career is ready to focus on one particular path heading into 2025.
Ritomo Miyata is set to prioritise Formula 2 over endurance racing
Ritomo Miyata has already competed in many championships over his career, including many series in his native Japan culminating with Super Formula and Super GT entries.
He is backed by Toyota, which has helped his career progress. In 2024, Miyata also moved to Europe to race in Formula 2 with Rodin Motorsport.
Miyata combined a full season with Rodin in F2 alongside fighting for the ELMS LMP2 title with Cool Racing, for whom he also enjoyed a one-off appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class. Miyata finished third in the ELMS standings with two race wins.
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But the Japanese driver has struggled in the second tier of single-seater motorsport, taking just 29 points with two rounds of the F2 season to go and a best finish of fifth place.
Formula 2 is a notoriously tricky championship to grasp as the car is difficult to drive, with a lot of power and turbo lag.
Miyata didn’t ascend the traditional European junior single-seater ladder, which added an extra layer of complication over the season as he learned a host of new circuits.
Now, switching from Rodin to French team ART Grand Prix, who are struggling by their lofty standards in 2024, could be on the cards for Miyata next season.
They sit seventh in the teams’ championship behind Rodin, who won both races at the season opener in Bahrain through Zane Maloney.
Ritomo Miyata will be hoping to end his rookie F2 season on a high
Miyata has two rounds of his debut Formula 2 season left as the championship leaves Europe behind to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Both circuits are new to the Japanese driver, although Qatar is making its debut on the calendar which may level the playing field over the weekend.
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Qualifying could be very important as Pepe Marti feels overtaking may be slightly difficult in Qatar, despite the F2 cars having DRS on the pit straight.
Abu Dhabi also has its unique challenges with some sessions held at night and some in the daytime, which creates varying track temperatures.