Michelin Le Mans Cup: R-ace GP Claims Victory at Spa
In a commanding performance, Hugo Schwarze and Hadrien David secured a flag-to-flag victory in the #85 R-ace GP Duqueine D09-Toyota, marking the French team’s first Michelin Le Mans Cup win since Mugello in 2024.
The race, held at Spa-Francorchamps, witnessed significant drama, starting with a pre-race collision involving four leading GT3 cars. The incident sidelined the pole-sitting #17 Kessel Racing Ferrari and led to a drive-through penalty for driver Lorenzo Innocenti.
The LMP3 Pro/Am category resulted in a thrilling finish for Belgium’s Eric De Doncker and former champion Gillian Henrion. Despite needing to finish over five seconds ahead due to a penalty, Henrion crossed the line more than ten seconds clear of the competition, securing De Doncker’s first Cup victory since 2017.
Kessel Racing’s #33 Ferrari climbed from the back of the grid to clinch its second win of the season. Murat Çuhadaroglu navigated early chaos to hand over to David Fumanelli, who dominated the GT3 class, finishing over 30 seconds ahead of the field.
Two safety car deployments punctuated the race. A critical incident occurred with the #30 CD Sport Duqueine suffering a mechanical failure, leading to repairs and prolonged cleanup. This disruption handed tactical advantages to several teams, notably the #83 Iron Dames Porsche, which benefitted from the turmoil and temporarily took the GT3 lead.
In the closing stages, Fumanelli maintained a significant lead in GT3, while Henrion mounted a comeback in LMP3 Pro/Am, navigating a post-penalty strategy to secure victory. He outpaced Horst Felix Felbermayr, finishing first ahead of Rinaldi Racing’s Griffin Peebles.
As the chequered flag fell, several post-race penalties reshuffled the standings, promoting the #51 AF Corse Ferrari to second place.
Race Results:
- Overall Winner: #85 R-ace GP Duqueine D09-Toyota (Schwarze/David)
- LMP3 Pro/Am Winner: #98 Motorsport98 Ligier (Henrion)
- GT3 Winner: #33 Kessel Racing Ferrari (Fumanelli)
The next event in the series will take place on September 13th at Silverstone, marking the penultimate race of the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup season.
