Bienvenue a la Circuit Paul Ricard en Le Castellet, France. Welcome to the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, France, in the southern portion of the country. We are ready for round one of the 2021 Le Mans Cup championship as the support race, for tomorrow's lid lifter for the 2022 European Le Mans Series. This event along with most others on the Le Mans Cup schedule is slated to be an hour and 50-minute-long race. Today's race is specifically for two different classes. LMP3 cars are the top category featuring the Ligier and Duqueine chassis, and the LMP3H2G which is powered via hyrodgen fuel. Each of these cars is propelled by the 5.6-liter Nissan built V8 engine codenamed the VK56DE. We will highlight the GT3 field as the race goes on.
Paul Ricard has been around since 1970. The Michelin Le Mans Cup is back under clear, blue skies with blustry winds. We will head to Italy twice and have two races at Le Mans as well as Belgium and Portugal. We are right next to Le Castellet airport too. We have two French visits. In a month's time we will go to Imola, then to Le Mans for two 55-minute races, followed by Le Mans, Monza, and Spa. 5.7 kilometers is Paul Ricard. We are pedal to the metal down the Mistral straight. We join Jonny Palmer and Graham Goodwin for the coverage. On pole in a lone Duqueine along with a dozen Ligier's, has the pole. Kratz sharing the #11 WTM Racing Duqueine with Leonard Weiss. An all-German team. We are going to look more at other teams.
WTM is being advised and looked after by Rinaldi Racing. We hear the theme of "The Avengers" superheroes series. Well, the racing drivers are our superheroes. We have brand new fuel for Le Mans Cup, clean burning, renewable, with the residual material from making wine of all things. In GT3, three Honda NSX GT3 Evo22's are ready to roll. We have a whole team of Danish drivers including Le Mans winner Kristian Poulsen and Jens Moller a former Le Mans driver for Lister. La Marseilles is sung, the French National Anthem. We will speak of the drivers and their cars as the race gets underway.
Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO is here. Fred Lequien is the CEO of the ACO. Of course, the ACO and FIA oversee the championship. TotalEnergies is overseeing the fuel used for these cars. No change in stint times for the cars in these races but at Le Mans it will be an 11 lap fuel stint when we get there in June. For the European Le Mans opener tomorrow, we will see 45 minute stints for fuel at the very least, for a four hour event. Some empty grandstands, but only because those stands are not open to the public this weekend on Easter. The Bronze rated drivers qualify the cars.
We see a lot of women in senior positions in racing and especially in sports cars. We have a lot of stories to tell. The front row has Rinaldi Racing and WTM Racing. Five minutes before we go racing. The Ligier is the most predominant LMP3 chassis we see in this motor race and we have the Duqueine of Torsten Kratz and Leo Weiss. Paul Ricard is favorite circuit for Torsten Kratz. He loves this place. We have young drivers, teenage drivers as well. Three minutes to go before rolling off on the recon lap, the formation lap. Now, one minute, as we are going to also keep a close eye on the GT3 class. Honda NSX's, Porsche's, Ferrari's, and one each from Porsche and Aston Martin.
23 degrees Celsius ambient temperature. There's grip, but this track is going to be greasy offline too. 31 LMP3 cars and seven GT3's for a total of 38 starters. Steve Parrow in the #66 Ferrari for Rinaldi Racing has to start the race from the pit lane. Four LMP3 entries from United Autosport. Optimum Motorsport are making their first LMP3 start with a Duquiene car. Frikadelli Racing also here with Klaus Abbelen and Felipe Fernandez Laser. So many cars, drivers, and stories. Ebimotors has had to replace their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 with a Porsche 911 GT3R.
Torsten Kratz and Jerome de Sadeleer are leading the field. Here we go. Green light! Go! Who will dive for the lead into turn one? It looks like Torsten Kratz over Jerome de Sadeleer. Alexander Matschull wriggles around and Freddie Hunt is moving up, the son of 1976 F1 champion James Hunt. Fabrice Roselli is in there and so is Charles Crews. Crews passing Hunt. The Duqueine is fending off all the Ligier's. Oh my! Huge wiggle there, look, for Hunt and Charlie Crews makes good his escape. Simmer down, mate. Simmer down.
You don't want to see a car weaving on the Mistral straight. Freddie Hunt behind the #23 United Autosport entry of John Schauermann. Jens Moller is making hay whule the sun shines in the red McDonald's liveried Honda NSX GT3. This is the same GT3 car we know as an Acura in the United States. The Aston Martin for Bullet Racing is chasing a Ferrari. #66, Steve Parrow is now in the race as Torsten Kratz leads Jerome de Sadeleer and Alexander Matschull, followed by Charles Crews and Fabrice Rossello. John Schauermann, Fabien Michael, Luis Sanjuan, and Martin Rich. Jens Moller is also in this fight. He has really distanced himself from teammate Kristian Poulsen.
In replay, we can see one of the cars slamming over the floppies and the serrated curbs. So, Torsten Kratz leads the motor race. Kratz leading de Sadeleer. We thought we would not see CD Sport but they are here. John Melson uncorks fastest middle sector at 1:29.2. Jerome de Sadeleer too, he is booking it and coming in a hurry. Two cars get drive through penalties, two of the three Honda NSX's and one of them is the GT3 leader! The #44 jumped the start, the first GMB Motorsports car of Jens Moller and Gustav Birch.
Jerome de Sadeleer is fastest in sectors one and three but does not have the oomph down the straight. Oh dear. John Schauermann has spun off the road from sixth place. Local yellow there as he gets back on the button. #44 in the lane for his drive through penalty and the sister GMB Honda for Kristian Poulsen takes the lead in GT3. There's a massive bump in turn one. Watch out for that. There's no getting the car back before you rotate. Steven Pattrick passes one of the Ferrari's and is chasing the second Honda #88. Pattrick in the #99 Bullitt Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3. He shars with Theo Nouet of France.
Alexander Bukhandtsov is in a battle with Icelandic driver Audunn Gundmundson. Steve Patrick, into Signes corner, knew the jig was up. Stopped on the road, the #61 Ferrari? No. Sticky transponder, maybe. Emmanuelle Busnelli in the Ebimotors Porsche is next up. #61 is the second AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 of Gino Forgione of Switzerland sharing with Italian veteran Andrea Montermini. Both Graff Racing cars are in the top seven. Martin Rich has RLR MSport up there and we are going to talk more about this team through the season. Good battle here, look between the #2 United Autosports car and the #28 MV2S Forestier Racing entry. Max and Shaun Lynn in #2 and #28 has Christophe Cresp and Emilien Carde, two Frenchmen.
Steve Parrow is looking to pass Emmanuelle Busnelli. Torsten Kratz continues on in the lead while the sister car of Steve Parrow is playing catch up. #44 has passed for second. Jens Moller ahead of Gino Forgionne. Kristian Poulsen is only 14 seconds ahead of Jens Moller. A spin there for Klaus Abbelen. He says away from the wall but in the spin has put dust all over the road. The rear bullets at the back of the car remain on the car, thank goodness. That was a cat on a hot tin roof moment! Cresp being chased by Jerome de Sadeleer and Alexander Matschull I believe. Maybe I missed one other driver in that serial. Through Signes and into Double Droite de Beauseilles. Alexander Talkinitsa is moving up and fast as Freddie Hunt is also on his recovery drive behind Louis Sanjuan.
Jacques Wolf and Racing Spirit of Leman, the team boss is being called to race control. No tea and biscuits for you, mate. Fabrice Rossello and Fabien Michel are having a ding dong scrap right now, half an hour on the board. Rossello ran in the Asian Le Mans Series with G-Drive and we saw those races back in February, so a couple months ago. Maurice Smith in the #69 Cool Racing entry. He is called Mo. Mo Smith will race in European Le Mans tomorrow too. Jonathan Brossard and Shaun Lynn are pressing each other for 20th spot. This team ran one race in 2021 with an Addess chassis but it didn't work ut Speaking of not working, this is a massive squeeze! The vice was closing and the key was lost! Yikes!
Louis Sanjuan was the man he was likely trying to pass. Both Nielsen Racing cars scrap with each other. Tony Wells sharing with Colin Noble in a Duqueine and a Ligier is the #4 with Matt Bell and John Melsom, two Brits and we saw Matt Bell do very well in Asian Le Mans earlier in the year. Torsten Kratz is pulling away but his competition is keeping up. Klaus Abbelen spins at Signes right at then end of Mistral straight! Yikes! Freddie Hunt speeds onto the Mistral Straight. Mo Smith pursuing Louis Sanjuan. There is a wee bit of gradient change here at Paul Ricard. Not too much though. Alexander Matschull is catching Jerome de Sadeleer. Matschull is comgin in a hurry, pouring on the steam.
Emmanuelle Busnelli through Virage du Pont in the Ebimotors Porsche, fourth in GT3 behind two of the GMB Honda's for Kristian Poulsen and Jens Moller. The Ferrari is next up with Andrea Montermini, former Formula 1 and prototype driver. #44 off the road and onto the paint. Kristian Poulsen leads and it was Jens Moller off the road followed by the Ferrari of Gino Forgione, overtaken by de Sadeleer and Matschull, both. Trouble too for the #6 at turn six. That's John Brossard in the ANS entry. Then we have Jerome de Sadeleer, not Hugo de Sadeleer. Goodness me. Matschull is moving in. He has Jerome de Sadeleer in his crosshairs with an hour and 20 minutes left on the board.
Torsten Kratz leads but is not getting away at all. De Sadeleer and Matschull are flying and moving in for the lead. More warning flags for track limits like Kriton Lendoudis and Mark Crater. Warnings only. Rob Hodes is being monstered by John Schauermann as well, look. Hodes driving for Team Virage as we will be under Full Course Yellow in 30 seconds likely for debris. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow. Kristian Poulsen has been delayed. We have no obvious immediate reason for the FCY. Maybe this is track cleanup. Break out the brooms boys and girls. We've run half an hour of this two-hour race. Breakneck speed. Debris at Virage de l'Hotel. A bollard has been squished. Toss it. So long, bollard.
Duqueine leads over the majority of the Ligier's in this field. 80 kilometers per hour, the Full Course Yellow speed. Leo Weiss says the race is going well with Torsten Kratz in the lead and he wants to win this thing. They are confident. These guys also race together in Prototype Cup Germany, another different championship. These two blokes are buddies. An ECU issue for Rinaldi Racing before the exited the lane at the start. Steve Parrow is caboose on the field in 38th spot. 20 seconds before we go green. 15 seconds to remove Full Course Yellow. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow removed.
Jerome de Sadeleer in second ahead of Alexander Mattschull. Side by side between DKR and Racing Sprit of Leman. Jens Moller is catching Kristian Poulsen hand over fist and there goes Alexander Matschull past Jerome de Sadeleer! Wow! Matschull, far more experienced and car #20, Mark Crader, overtaken by Shuan Lynn and in replay, there was a spin, look, for MV2S. There is a slow car as well with a punctured tire. Deary me. At Signes corner, the #33 Virage entry of Rob Hodes in 23rd place. Everything is going bonkers. Wheels falling off the wagon and there goes Jens Moller off the road! Jeepers creepers! He spun right behind Jerome de Sadeleer at Double Droite du Beauseilles! Yikes! The darn cheese wedge on the back of one of those cars is busted.
John Brownson is moving in and poor old Jerome de Sadeleer wass off to driver's right in the dust! We also see IDEC Sport nearly crunching into one of the Honda's! Charlie Crews nearly slamming into the Honda! Egad! Emmanuelle Busnelli in the Ebimotors Porsche has Steven Patrick in the Aston Martin right on his six. Spinning, the #43 entry of Jacques Wolff ing the Racing Spirit of Leman entry. He shares that Ligier with Josh Skelton, the Brit. Wolf is stopped at turn 13. Rob Hodes ahead of Alexandre Yvon for Team Virage. Virage du Pont is calamity corner. Massive tire damage for Racing Spirit of Leman after contact with DKR Engineering. The cheese wedge fell off and the tire deflated fast.
Abuse of track limits reported for #31. That is the AF Corse entry of Kriton Lendoudis of Greece sharing with Portuguese driver Rui Aguas. Steven Patrick pits and we see in replay a spin for one of the LMP3's. Charlie Crews is pressing hard as well, llook against the CD Sport entry. Not sure who is driving that at the moment. Three into one actually works at Virage de l'Hotel. Fuel stops coming. Charlie crews vs. Fabien Michal. Martin Rich in the lane and John Melsom will hand over to Matty Bell. Rob Hodes and the sister Virage entry have found each other. Hodes sharing with Ian Rodriguez from Guatemala. Leo Weiss is now focused on his stint ready to take over from Torsten Kratz. Kratz leading Alexander Matschull.
Fabien Michal has uncorked the fastest middle sector in the CD Sport entry. Freddie Hunt done with his stint and Steve Parrow has finished his stint too. Kriton Lendoudis off the road, again. Oy! Halfway home in four minutes. Fabrice Rossello stays out but Louis Sanjuan is called to the lane for Theo Vaucher to take over in the all-Swiss team. Poor old Kriton Lendoudis is handed a drive through penalty. You can't serve a penalty at the same time you make your scheduled pit stop. Jerome de Sadeleer is moving in and fast. Matschull gets shut off by the Ferrari, and side by side here comes de Sadeleer taking second spot back! Holy smokes! Brilliant move!
Charles Crews is moving fast and trying to pass. Fabien Michal has also been uncorking absolute best middle sector times. We have another driver in this fight too. Matschull dives for the lane. We are at the halfway mark. de Sadeleer's tires are totally busted. He has cubed them. He will lose out to Charlie Crews. Fabien Michal is pushing, pushing, pushing. Very sideways for C.R. Crews! Through the left, the right, and then Virage du Lac. Lake corner. Fastest lap for Tommy Foster in the #53 RLR M Sport entry. A local yellow, we see, and there will be a drive through for #14, the DKR Engineering car and Malthe Jakobsen is stopped on the road after taking over from Maurice Smith!
Side by side between Crews and de Sadeleer. Alexander Talkinitsa Jr. takes over from his father, Alexander Talkinitsa Sr. Torsten Kratz pits and hands the lead to Jerome de Sadeleer. A whole gaggle of cars in and Shaun Lynn hands over to his son, Max Lynn. Do not dip the pace. Traffic will be swarming you in front and behind alike. Remember, these pit stops are timed. WTM Racing seem to be in good shape. The second place GT3 car of Theo Nouet in the #99 Bullet Racing Aston, had a quicker pit stop. Jerome de Sadeleer is in the lane now. Leo Weiss has taken over from Torsten Kratz and now, Louis Rousset takes over the MV2S Forestier Racing car.
Leo Weiss has Tom Dillman right on his six. WTM vs. Racing Spirit of Leman. Into Signes, Leo Weiss has to give it up and Tom Dillman now leads. Shaun Lynn and Jerome de Sadeleer are ahead. Louis Rousset is now back into the motor race. Racing Spirit of Leman are going to be hounded here by Tom Dillman. Dino Lunardi for IDEC Sport is all over Leo Weiss like a cheap suit and Tommy Foster has a tangle with the Frikadelli car. Fosters spins. Lorents Horr, in 22nd spot, takes fastest lap taking the second DKR Engineering car over from John Brownson. Wow. Jerome de Sadeleer says it is his first LMP3 race and he is learning the ropes having to defend from the start.
Tire degradation has been strong and de Sadeleer syas he has come back. We are now once again under Full Course Yellow. Malthe Jakobsen will not get to race today. Game over for the #69 car and a drive through penalty for the #6 ANS Motorsports Ligier of Nicholas Schatz. Malthe Jakobsen is disappointed he cannot race today but will be racing tomorrow in European Le Mans Series racing. Stay tuned for that, tomorrow. Freddie Hunt is happy to race after not racing since last summer. Freddie Hunt was improving his lap times even though his tires were fading fast. It is Hunt's third season racing in LMP3. Tom Dillman leads by 2.5 seconds over Louis Rousset. Mads Siljehaug too, is racing against Matty Bell. This is for eighth place.
The #55 Honda NSX GT3 leads GT3 with Kasper H. Jensen at the wheel of it. Jensen sharing with Kristian Poulsen who raced in the earlier stint. Gustav Birch, the son of the team owner at GMB. He is being caught up by Andrea Montermini in the Ferrari. Stop and go penalty for the #99 Bullitt Racing Aston Martin for overdoing the maximum pit stop time. Michael Markussen has now taken over the Team Thor LMP3 car, the #77. Casper Jensen leads GT3. We are looking at the #88 of Mikkel Pedersen closing up to Luke Davenport in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari from 29th to 32nd overall. Daniel Keilwitz, the German, he has taken over the Ferrari from Steve Parrow. Fabio Babini is now in the #46 Ebimotors Porsche.
1-2 now for GMB in GT3 while their third car is seventh and last in class. Good scrap for Colin Noble and Ryan Harper-Ellam at the controls ahead of Matty Bell. Tommy Foster is running quicker on the road. Lorents Horr passes James Winslow in the battle for positions between the two DKR Engineering cars. Wayne Boyd actually at the controls of the United Autosport entry along with Max Lynn in the sister car. Horr and Winslow being chased by Garnett Patterson. Wayne Boyd runs a 1:55.691. Max Lynn is also coming in a hurry. Lorents Horr mvoes to 18th place and has the second DKR car right behind. The second MV2S entry is next up with Emilien Carde now driving and Emmanuelle Busnelli for Ebimotors serves a drive through penalty in his Porsche.
It is not Busnelli. It is Fabio Babini. Jens Moller admits he made a mistake to try avoiding a car he ran into. Co-driver Gustav Birch now driving. Mikkel O. Pedersen runs ahead of Luke Davenport, the Brit, in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari. Theo Nouet is ahead of Andrea Montermini after his pit stop. Nouet in the Aston Martin. Montermini ahead of Nouet and the timing is glitching right now. Casper Jensen leads over Gustav Birch, and then Andrea Montermini, Theo Nouet, Fabio Babini. Honda, Honda, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche. Matty Bell needs ten seconds to try and move in on Tommy Foster. New fastest lap, 1:50.480 to Lorents Horr.
Trouble in paradise for the #9 AT Racing Team Ligier for the Talkinitsa family, father and son. They have rejoined the motor race. It is the ANS entry. Sector two was a long lap. Dillman pulling away from Louis Rouset. Leo Weiss and Sean Thong come next. Then it is the scrap between Tommy Foster and Matty Bell. Colin Noble is getting back on form and wants to move ahead. Michael Markussen is running well and so is Irishman Cian Carey in the TS Corse entry, the #73 Duqueine he shares with Italian Pietro Peccinini. Mikkel O. Perdersen is steaming past Fabio Babini who cannot retaliate.
The Honda is far faster on the Mistral straight compared to the Porsche. Wayne Boyd in 14th leads Theo Vaucher. Tom Dillman still leads. No more pit stops needed for the race today. Good scrap, look, between TS Sport and then Kay van Berlo in the United Autosport car. A spot of bother for Alex Mortimer and a penalty for abuse of track limits. Team manager for the #2 United Autosport car of Max Lynn called to the stewards' office. CD Sport wide and nearly off the road with a nip and tuck rejoin onto the circuit too. Sean Thong at the wheel of it. Colin Noble passes Ryan Harper Ellam. Matt Bell is three seconds behind Harper Ellam as #2 goes deep into Virage du Pont. Max Lynn in that car. 20 minutes to go. Louis Rousset has his hands full with Dino Lunardi as well, look.
Rousset has to push. Poor old Alex Mortimer has a drive through penalty and will drop like a stone. We are into the last 20 minutes of the race. The fuse is lit. Anything can happen. Rousset through turn five as a Ferrari almost chops off Dino Lunardi. Ferrari #61 over the curbs with clear road for Andrea Montermini as Theo Nouet is flying and catching Montermini, the veteran Italian, hand over fist. Alexander Talkinitsa Jr. over the painted high friction runoff area. No gravel traps here at Ricard. Tom Dillman leads the motor race. Dino Lunardi, Leo Weiss, Tommy Foster. Max Lynn sails off the road and fortunately finds his way back on!
Wow. That was close. Potential GT3 history because if #55 or #44 win it will be the first ever global win for this current evolution of the Honda NSX. Their first podium came at Long Beach in IMSA last weekend for Gradient Racing. There might be a 1-2 finish in their future. #11 locks the brakes into the final turn. Cian Carey ahead of Wayne Boyd. Ireland and Northern Ireland for these two boys. They sail through Virage du Lac. Cian Carey in his second year racing for TS Corse. Wayne Boyd, a champion in LMP3. Boyd makes the pass. We are just outside ten minutes to go in this hour and 50 minute event.
In tenth place is the best placed debuting team in LMP3. Reiter Engineering vs. Team Thor. Mads Siljehaug vs. Michael Markussen. Sounds like a Scandinavian race to me. Norway, Denmark, Iceland. Drive through penalty for disrespect of the track limits for the #20 entry of Alex Mortimer in the Duqueine. Dino Lunardi is pushing hard and has uncorked a purple sector. Actually, it looks like it was Tommy Foster and Foster wants by Lunardi. Mads Siljehaug is being harangued by Michael Markusen. Markusen tries to go for it and Siljehaug slams the door in his face. Colin Noble two seconds down on Sean Thong.
Drive throughs for cars #30, #2 (Max Lynn), and #46 for abusing track limits. Poor old Max Lynn is having a tough old time. Deep on the rbakes into Signes, Siljehaug dodges Max Lynn! Yikes! That was ugly! Kay van Berlo is pressing hard in the second United Autosports car and a lockup for Reiter! This is fast and frantic with five and a half minutes to go. Tommy Foster still reeling them in. Rui Aguas pinged for track limits. Running wide, both cars and Markussen spins. Kay van Berlo threads the eye of the needle and wants to chase down Mads Siljehaug. Do not react. Markussen did that and Siljehaug has a tank slapper! Yikes!
Kay van Berlo is slashing his way past the other cars. CD Sport and Nielsen Racing as Colin Noble passes Shawn Thong into the top six. van Berlo is going for it down the Mistral straight. van Berlo must pass and he does. He goes 'round the outside of Siljehaug for 11th place. Tenth place, beg your pardon. Leo Rousset has seen off the challenge from Dino Lunardi with the clock running out. Matty Bell trying to force Ryan Harper Ellam into a mistake into Virage de l'Hotel. Graff Racing vs. Nielsen Racing for eighth place. We are getting to the end of this. One minute to go.
Matty Bell drives around Ryan Harper-Ellam! Wow! Final lap. Theo Nouet is right on Andrea Monterimini's gearbox! This will be the end of the race. The battle is on. Last chance for Theo Nouet and he passes Andrea Montermini! Wow! Nouet will get on the podium. Tom Dillman and Alexander Matschull will win the lid lifter for Le Mans Cup at Paul Ricard! GT3 honors go to GMB Motorsport in the #55 car! Casper H. Jensen and Kristian Poulsen!
Overall/LMP3: #10 Dillman/Matschull Racing Spirit of Leman Ligier JS P320 Nissan
GT3: #55 Jensen/Poulsen GMB Motorsport Honda NSX GT3 Evo22
So, that is a wrap for round one of Le Mans Cup! The next event is in Italy at the Imola circuit next month. See you on May 14th for round two. Also, looking forward to tomorrow for the opener for European Le Mans Series. Join us tomorrow. So long for now. Take care, everybody.
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