Duqueine Academy 2027: Young Driver Talent Programme

🏁 Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles: A New Opportunity for Young Endurance Racing Talents in 2027

The future of endurance racing starts with identifying the right talent and providing the support needed to reach the next level. With this ambition at its core, the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles is launching its 2027 young driver identification programme, continuing its commitment to helping promising drivers progress towards the highest levels of motorsport.

Following a successful first edition in 2026, which supported young French driver Jules Caranta, the Academy is now preparing to select the next talent who will benefit from its programme. The reward is a significant opportunity: a €150,000 grant, excluding VAT, awarded to a Duqueine team chosen by the winning driver to support their participation in an ACO-labelled championship.

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A Programme Designed to Identify Tomorrow’s Endurance Racing Stars

The Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles aims to identify promising young drivers and provide them with concrete opportunities to continue developing their careers in endurance racing.

For emerging talents, progressing through the motorsport ladder requires more than speed alone. Consistency, technical understanding, the ability to work with a team and the capacity to deliver under pressure are all essential qualities. The Academy’s selection process is designed to assess these skills and identify drivers with the potential to succeed in increasingly competitive endurance racing environments.

After giving Jules Caranta an opportunity to develop his endurance racing career in 2026, the programme is now opening a new chapter. The 2027 campaign will once again bring together eligible young drivers competing in a Duqueine D09 LMP3, offering them a pathway towards further opportunities in the discipline.

Who Can Apply for the Duqueine Academy 2027 Programme?

The programme is open to drivers under 25 years of age who have competed in a full season at the wheel of a Duqueine LMP3 prototype in one of the eligible championships.

To qualify, candidates must have participated in a complete season in one of the following series:

• Prototype Cup Europe
• Michelin Le Mans Cup
• European Le Mans Series (ELMS)
• Asian Le Mans Series
• IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

This eligibility framework ensures that candidates have already gained meaningful experience in prototype racing and have demonstrated their ability to compete over a full season.

For young drivers looking to establish themselves in endurance racing, the Academy represents an opportunity to turn that experience into a tangible next step. It also reinforces the role of the Duqueine D09 LMP3 as a platform for developing talent and preparing drivers for the demands of prototype competition.

A Multi-Stage Selection Process Focused on Performance and Potential

The selection process for the Duqueine Academy 2027 has been designed to evaluate candidates through several complementary stages, combining sporting results with practical assessment.

1. Application Review and Candidate Selection

The selection committee will begin by reviewing the applications submitted by eligible drivers. The process is designed to give qualified candidates a fair opportunity to demonstrate their potential.

As part of this initial stage, the committee commits to retaining at least one driver from each eligible team. This approach helps ensure that the selection process considers talent across the participating teams rather than focusing exclusively on a limited group of competitors.

2. The Shootout at Pôle Mécanique d’Alès

The selected candidates will then take part in a dedicated shootout on 23 and 24 November 2026, at the Pôle Mécanique d’Alès in France.

This evaluation will give the committee an opportunity to assess drivers in a focused environment, with particular attention to the qualities required to perform consistently in endurance racing.

The assessment will be based on four key criteria:

• Performance: the ability to demonstrate speed and competitive potential on track.
• Consistency: the capacity to deliver repeatable performances and maintain a high level of execution.
• Technical debriefing: the ability to analyse driving behaviour, communicate clearly with engineers and provide useful feedback.
• Understanding of the car: the driver’s technical knowledge and ability to understand the behaviour and characteristics of the prototype.

Together, these criteria go beyond outright lap time. They reflect the combination of speed, consistency, technical feedback and adaptability required to progress in professional endurance racing.

3. Winner Announcement Within Seven Days

At the conclusion of the shootout, the selection committee will determine the programme’s winner.

The successful driver will be announced within seven days of the shootout, providing a clear timeline for the conclusion of the selection process and the next stage of their racing career.

A €150,000 Grant to Support the Winner’s Next Step

The winner of the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles 2027 will receive a significant form of support: a €150,000 grant, excluding VAT.

Rather than being awarded directly to the driver as personal prize money, the grant will be allocated to a Duqueine team selected by the winner, provided that the team competes in an ACO-labelled championship.

This mechanism is designed to support the driver’s sporting progression by contributing to their participation in an eligible endurance racing programme.

For a young competitor seeking to move forward in prototype racing, access to this level of support can represent an important opportunity. It connects the identification of talent with a practical pathway towards further competition, helping the winner pursue their ambitions within the endurance racing ecosystem.

The programme therefore reflects a central principle of the Academy: recognising potential is only the beginning; helping talented drivers progress is what makes the difference.

Jules Caranta: The First Driver Supported by the Academy

The first edition of the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles, launched in 2026, supported Jules Caranta, an emerging French driver whose career has already included significant achievements across several categories of motorsport.

His progression illustrates the importance of combining early success, competitive experience and the opportunity to develop within endurance racing.

From Karting to Single-Seaters

Caranta first made his mark in karting, winning the IAME Euro Series X30 Junior in 2022.

He subsequently progressed to single-seater racing, finishing third in the 2024 French Formula 4 Championship with four victories. In 2025, he continued his development in the Eurocup-3 championship, where he finished sixth while competing with Campos Racing.

His performances also earned him a place in the Red Bull Junior Team, further underlining his potential as a young driver progressing through the international motorsport landscape.

Discovering Endurance Racing in 2026

In 2026, Caranta took an important step by moving into endurance racing. He competed in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Nielsen Racing, driving a Duqueine D09 LMP3.

Alongside his European programme, he also participated in several events in the United States with Forbush Performance, gaining additional experience in a different competitive environment.

His American campaign delivered encouraging results, including a podium finish at Road America, followed by pole position and two victories at Road Atlanta in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, held alongside IMSA meetings.

These performances highlighted his ability to adapt to different circuits and racing conditions while continuing to build experience in prototype competition.

Preparing for the Next Challenge

Caranta’s progression is set to continue in 2027, when he is due to compete in a full season of IMSA LMP3 Endurance with Forbush Performance.

Before that programme, he also took part in the European Le Mans Series Rookie Test following the Portimão finale, driving a Nielsen Racing Oreca 07 LMP2. He quickly demonstrated his pace by recording very encouraging lap times, gaining valuable experience at the wheel of a higher-category prototype.

His journey demonstrates how opportunities in endurance racing can help young drivers expand their experience, develop their technical understanding and prepare for increasingly demanding challenges.

🏆 Continuing Duqueine’s Commitment to Young Driver Development

With the launch of its 2027 talent identification programme, the Duqueine Academy by Debard Automobiles is continuing its commitment to supporting the next generation of endurance racing drivers.

The initiative combines a clearly defined eligibility framework, a structured selection process and meaningful financial support. By assessing not only on-track performance but also consistency, technical feedback and understanding of the car, the Academy seeks to identify drivers equipped for the broader demands of professional endurance racing.

For eligible drivers under 25 who have completed a full season in a Duqueine LMP3, the programme offers an opportunity to demonstrate their potential and take a further step towards their ambitions.

Following Jules Caranta’s first experience as an Academy-supported driver, the focus now turns to the next selection. The shootout at Pôle Mécanique d’Alès on 23 and 24 November 2026 will be a key milestone in identifying the talent who will benefit from the programme in 2027.

The next endurance racing talent could be among this year’s candidates.