Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
) is a French racing driver. Having won his class at the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...
in , and whilst driving GT cars, Canal became a staple of the
LMP2
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is a type of sports prototype race car used in various races and championships, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series, and Asian Le M ...
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
and
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
.
Early career
Single-seaters
After competing in
karting
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...
, where he finished third in the French Championship Elite in 2000, Canal stepped up to single-seaters in 2003. He raced in
French Formula Renault
The Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup (WEC) was a Formula Renault, Formula Renault 2.0 championship that replaced the Championnat de France Formula Renault 2.0 as of 2008,Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series in each of those four seasons.
GT racing
Canal switched to GT racing in 2007 when he started racing in the
Porsche Carrera Cup France
Porsche Carrera Cup France is a Spec racing, one make motor racing championship held in France. The cars are Porsche 911 GT3#Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.2) with 4.0 liters, Flat-six engine, flat-6 naturally aspirated engines that pr ...
. He finished ninth, tenth and eighth in the three seasons he contested, scoring one podium finish and two pole positions. In 2010 he took part in the
FFSA GT Championship
The FFSA GT Championship (''Championnat de France FFSA GT'') is a French Grand Touring-style sports car racing series that began in 1997. It is the main event of the ''Championnat de France des Circuits'' (formerly called ''Super Série FFSA'' an ...
.
He joined the
Larbre Compétition
Larbre Compétition is a French auto racing team founded in 1988 by racing driver Jack Leconte and based at the Circuit du Val de Vienne in Le Vigeant, France.
The team has had considerable success in a number of sports car racing series and major ...
team to race their
Saleen S7
The Saleen S7 is an American hand-built, high-performance sports car designed and built by American automobile manufacturer Saleen Automotive Inc. Developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept, direction and engine, Hidden Creek Indu ...
-R in the opening round of the
2007 Le Mans Series season
The 2007 Le Mans Series was the fourth season of ACO's Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans prototype and Grand Touring style cars broken into four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2. It began on 15 April and ended on 10 November after six r ...
at
Circuit Paul Ricard
The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has ...
, where they were the only team entered in the GT1 class. He returned to the team for the
2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 78th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 78''e 24 Heures du Mans'') was a non-championship 24-hour Endurance racing (motorsport), automobile endurance race for teams of three drivers each fielding Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Grand tourer, Grand T ...
, where they won the GT1 class. Canal remained with the team for the 2011 season, racing in the
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (shortened ILMC) was an endurance sports car racing tournament organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) started in 2010.
. The team's highlight came at
Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
once again, as Canal and
Gabriele Gardel
Gabriele Gardel (born 22 October 1977 in Milan, Italy) is a Switzerland, Swiss former racing driver. Having competed in Sports car racing, sports cars for most of his career, Gardel won the 2005 FIA GT Championship driver's title, and took home t ...
, as well as new teammate
Patrick Bornhauser
Patrick Georges Bornhauser (born 29 June 1957 in Orléans) is a French racing driver and businessman. In 2011 and 2012 he won the GTE-Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Racing career
Bornhauser started competing in hillclimbing and then rallyi ...
, repeated their victory, this time triumphing in the LMGTE Am class. Canal and the team returned to the LMGTE Am category in 2012, this time entering the newly-formed
FIA World Endurance Championship
The FIA World Endurance Championship, abbreviated as WEC, is a world championship for automobile endurance racing organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The se ...
. The year yielded three wins, which included Canal's third win at
Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
, with
Pedro Lamy
José Pedro Mourão Nunes Lamy Viçoso, OIH, known as Pedro Lamy (; born 20 March 1972), is a Portuguese former professional racing driver. He was the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a Formula One World Championship event, in the ...
making the pass for the class lead during the final hour. In 2013, Canal remained with Larbre for his fourth and final season with the team, getting two podiums and ending up fifth in the LMGTE Am standings of the WEC.
Prototype career
Canal switched to prototype racing for the 2014 season, competing in the
LMP2
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is a type of sports prototype race car used in various races and championships, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series, and Asian Le M ...
class with
G-Drive Racing
G-Drive Racing is a Russian sports car racing team. It is named after the commercial fuel distributed by Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of oil giant Gazprom. They made their debut in the LMP2 class of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship in a p ...
. Alongside
Olivier Pla
Olivier Pla (born 21 October 1981) is a French racing driver who competed in the Asian Le Mans Series for AF Corse.
Career
French Formula Campus and Formula Three
Born in Toulouse, Pla started his career in 2000 in French Formula Campus befor ...
and
Roman Rusinov
Roman Aleksandrovich Rusinov ( rus, Рома́н Алекса́ндрович Ру́синов, p=rɐˈman ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈrusʲɪnəv, born 21 October 1981 in Moscow) is a Russian auto racing driver who competed in the FIA World Endu ...
, the Frenchman garnered four victories, although a retirement at
Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
and a major accident for Pla caused by a brake failure at the season finale in
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
eventually consigned them to second in the championship. For
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, Canal remained with G-Drive, this time being joined by pro driver
Sam Bird
Sam Jamie Bird (born 9 January 1987) is a British people, British professional racing driver who is currently driving for McLaren#Formula E, NEOM McLaren in Formula E. He won the LMP2 title at the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, and was ...
along with Rusinov. In the burgeoning class, the trio led by Bird dominated, scoring podiums in all but one race and winning the title with four victories.
Canal moved to
Greaves Motorsport
Greaves Motorsport is a British auto racing, racing team, currently competing in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 2006, Greaves Motorsport, founded and run by Tim Greaves, entered the Le Mans Series (LMS) for the fi ...
in 2016, competing in the
European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
. He and
Memo Rojas
Guillermo "Memo" Rojas Jr. (born August 18, 1981) is a Mexican former race car driver. Successful in American sports car racing, Rojas is a four-time series champion in the Rolex Sports Car Series, a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, ...
failed to finish on the podium during the year, ended up sixth at
Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
, and finished seventh in the ELMS teams' standings. The following season, Canal returned to the WEC, this time partnering
Bruno Senna
Bruno Senna Lalli (; born 15 October 1983) is a Brazilian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . In endurance racing, Senna won the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class with Rebellion.
Born and raised ...
and
Nico Prost
Nicolas Jean Prost (born 18 August 1981) is a French professional racing driver. He most recently raced in the FIA Formula E Championship before quitting the series. Previously, he was a longstanding racer in the FIA World Endurance Championship ...
at Vaillante Rebellion. Their campaign began strongly, as three podiums in the opening four races propelled them into the title battle. After a win in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, however, the floodgates opened, with Rebellion winning the final three races and taking home the LMP2 title — Canal's second in the championship — following a resilient performance by Senna at
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
despite a late loss of power steering.
In 2018, Canal returned to the
ELMS
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
Will Stevens
William Jonathan Richard Stevens (born 28 June 1991) is a British racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota Sport, Jota. Stevens competed in Formula One from to . In endurance racing (motorsport), endurance ...
. After a number of points finishes, the team concluded the campaign with two podiums to end up sixth overall. Canal came back to drive Panis's
Ligier JS P217
The Ligier JS P217 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Onroak Automotive and named in a partnership with French racing driver Guy Ligier. The Ligier JS P217 was built to meet the 2017 FIA and ACO regulations for 2017 for the LMP2 category in the FIA ...
in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, though he, Stevens, and
René Binder
René Binder (born 1 January 1992) is an Austrian auto racing, racing driver who currently competes in the 2025 European Le Mans Series with Proton Competition. He is the nephew of former Formula One driver Hans Binder, and his father, Franz Binde ...
struggled to attain top results, leaving them 11th in the standings despite a mid-season switch to the
Oreca 07
The Oreca 07 is a Le Mans Prototype built by French manufacturer Oreca to meet the 2017 FIA and ACO LMP2 regulations. It made its official race debut in the opening round of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 24 Hours of Dayt ...
chassis. For the COVID-affected2020 season, Canal remained with the rebranded Panis Racing team, this time driving an Oreca 07 for the whole year together with Stevens and
Nico Jamin
Nicolas Jamin (born December 5, 1995) is a French racing driver who currently competes in the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports.
Open Wheel Racing
F2000
Jamin made his professional debut in the 2014 U.S. F2000 National Championsh ...
. Despite starting out with a retirement at the opening race, the trio bounced back with a third place at Spa; three further top-five finishes propelled Panis Racing to fourth place overall. Canal's
Le Mans 24 Hour
The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with the Monaco Grand ...
venture that year yielded a positive result too, as he scored his first LMP2 podium at the event since 2015 by finishing third alongside Jamin and
Matthieu Vaxivière
Matthieu Vaxivière (born 3 December 1994) is a French racing driver from Limoges. He has been a factory driver for the Alpine Elf Team, Alpine brand since 2021, as part of which he has competed in the Le Mans Hypercar, Hypercar class of the 2024 ...
.
Following that clean and successful year, Canal returned for another
ELMS
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
campaign with Panis, driving together with Stevens and fifth-year pilot James Allen. A podium at Barcelona started off the year, though it was a victory at
Monza
Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
, which was the team's first win in the series, that helped the Frenchman and his teammates in the championship. They finished third overall, having scored another podium in Belgium, meanwhile their
Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
success continued with another third place in class.
In 2022, Canal entered his final
ELMS
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
season with Panis, teaming up with Jamin and
Job van Uitert
Jacobus "Job" van Uitert (born 10 October 1998 in Dongen) is a racing driver from the Netherlands. He is currently racing in the LMP2 class of the 2024 European Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport Racing, IDEC Sport.
Early ca ...
. This turned out to be his magnum opus in the championship, as four podiums helped Panis to second place in the standings. After moving back to the WEC in 2023 with
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National P ...
, for whom he scored a podium at
Monza
Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
and finished seventh in the standings, Canal did not partake in any competitions during 2024.
Personal life
Canal operated a
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
restaurant in his hometown
Le Mans
Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
. As of 2022, Canal has opened 3 McDonald's restaurants in cities outside Le Mans.
Racing record
Racing career summary
† As Canal was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
† As Canal was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Complete European Le Mans Series results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
† There was no LMGTE Am drivers championship that year, the result indicates standings in overall standings. * Season still in progress.