Olympic cycling legend Chris Hoy believes LMP3 is the ideal steppingstone toward the Le Mans 24 Hours after taking his first motorsport race win in the class’ inaugural event.

Hoy, who raced in the British GT Championship last year, and teammate Charlie Robertson won the LMP3 class in the European Le Mans Series season-opener at Silverstone. Robertson started and finished the race in the Team LNT Ginetta-Nissan LMP3, with Hoy able to hold onto the lead during his stint in the middle of the four-hour event.

“It’s a steppingstone ideally towards competing at Le Mans next year or at some point in an LMP2 car,” said Hoy. “It’s a bridging vehicle between GT and LMP2, but it’s a whole different experience.

“That belief in the aero and the downforce is just something that you have to learn but I’m just trying to take in as much experience and information as I can.”

Hoy admitted that he went into the race hoping to claim a podium finish, but that Robertson’s strong first stint put on the pressure. His stint of around one-and-a-quarter hours is the longest he has ever completed in a race.

“I knew we had a good chance of making the podium, but when Charlie started and extended that lead I realised that I had to try and hang onto it,” he said. “I had a couple of scary moments, a couple of spins as the tires started to go, but other than that I had a great car.

“It’s my longest stint ever in a car, so it’s a new experience for me. With the LMP2 cars and the GT cars around as well, it’s challenging in traffic.”