R-ace GP Clinches Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Title at Silverstone
In a tightly contested event at Silverstone, R-ace GP’s duo of Hugo Schwarze and Hadrien David secured the Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 title after an hour and 50 minutes of racing. The pole-sitters demonstrated dominant performance, leading the majority of the race before a tense drag race to the finish against Forestier Racing’s #29 Ligier.
This victory marks their second consecutive win of the season and represents a significant milestone for Duqueine, becoming the first LMP3 chassis manufacturer to clinch a title under the new LMP3 regulations featuring Silver-Silver and Silver-Gold driver pairings. David expressed his excitement post-race, stating, “We started the year so badly, but ended up with the title. It was magic.”
The race concluded with the #29 Ligier finishing just a tenth of a second behind R-ace’s car after a fierce battle with Romain Favre. The #87 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325 secured the final podium spot following a late move that relegated Alvise Rodella’s #28 to third.
In the LMP3 Pro/Am category, High Class Racing’s #49 Ligier claimed class victory, finishing 11th overall. The #28 23 Events Racing and #66 Rinaldi Racing entries completed a Ligier 1-2-3, while the #64 Ligier faced penalties that hindered their race, finishing last of the classified runners.
The GT3 category saw the Iron Dames achieve their first victory of the season, with Vanina Ickx and Marta Garcia piloting the #83 Porsche 911 GT3 R to an emotional win despite facing pit time penalties and a spin incurred by a collision with Pierre Kaffer. This win also signifies a historic achievement, as the Iron Dames have now tasted victory across multiple series, including the Ligier European Series and FIA WEC.
The #51 AF Corse Ferrari, led by Alessandro Cozzi and Eliseo Dunno, finished in second place, 30 seconds behind the winners. The top two were the only cars in the class to finish on the lead lap following a safety car incident early in the race.
The next and final round of the Le Mans Cup season is scheduled for October 18th at Portimao.
