The GT4 European Series joins the headlining GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Series at the Dutch coastal circuit of Zandvoort as this fellow SRO sanctioned series also sees out their penultimate round of the season there.

This weekend’s entry of thirty-six cars again sees both full season Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4’s that will compete within the silver class for drivers Pedro Garcia and Clement Seyler aboard their #74 car as well as Florent Grizaud and David Kullmann who will be racing their #72 car within the Pro-Am class.

 

Despite previous championship winning credentials between both AMR powered crews, 2026 hasn’t necessarily been kind to either crew as a good start to the season for the #74 crew went completely the opposite was next time out with both a race ending crash and a DNS for race two at Monza whilst the team had to go looking for another driver to join Grizaud within the #72 car from round two after the original placement went walkabout.

Championship wise, the #74 silver crew are already out of contention being fifty-nine points shy of the present leaders but with a maximum of fifty-two points being available across the final four races of the season. For the Pro-Am #72 crew, their championship position is far worse, but they did enjoy a P2 finish in class in the second race of the weekend last time out at Misano.

 

Official track action begins as usual on Friday with Free Practice one and two before Qualifying one and two plus race one of the weekend on Saturday with the final hour-long race on Sunday morning.

Photo credits – Team / Series

 

 

The Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing powered team will have left Silverstone yesterday as equally as frustrated as they did the round before at Spa Francorchamps as yet another race within the European Le Mans Series saw them struggling for overall pace.

Having had to revise the three-driver line up for the third time in as many races with Frenchman Francois Heriau this time joining his countrymen Marius Fossard and Valentin Hasse-Clot within their #59 AMR Vantage LMGT3 for this penultimate round of the season.

 

The initial settling in period for their new driver looked promising within last Thursday’s private test where the #59 figured amongst the fastest in class over those two sessions before rebounding up, down and then up through their class again during the two Free Practice and bronze driver test sessions before then heading into Qualifying.

During that session, Heriau did eventually finish third fastest within class on track at least before he was (post session) adjudged to have impeded another car for which he received a three-position pace drop ahead of the start to Sunday’s four-hour race.

 

What had, however, gone unseen by us at the time was the change in BoP for their car in-between Spa and Silverstone which meant for a big reduction in both the car’s overall power and energy availability albeit touched with a slight reduction in its minimum base weight so with Silverstone always being a speed circuit – the loss of outright speed together with longevity on track would always come at a cost overall in performance.

Track action got off to its now usual chaotic self as the forty-five cars of the LMP2, LMP3 and LMGT3 classes jostled for position during those opening laps under what was still then a warm and drying track after some overnight rain left for some tricky conditions offline. During that time Heriau settled into a mid-class P7 racing position to end his first hour behind the wheel in a similar position.

 

As the race entered its second hour, the forecasted rain eventually arrived at the Northamptonshire circuit – gently at first and not necessarily presenting itself as too much of a problem before the rain slowly intensified over time with the ever-changing track condition lead to various issues on track with contact. The first major incident came at the ninety-minute mark when two LMGT3 cars tangled at the end of the International Straight that would bring out the Safety Car for the first time.

By the time the race got back to green some forty minutes later, it was definitely full wets all round as rooster tails became prevalent as the #59 car found itself unable to make headway in class as its bronze driver finished his minimum drive time.

 

Into the final ninety minutes and the #59 car did elevate itself up to as high as sixth in class with Fossard behind the wheel so there was still time on the race clock if only the car had the speed and control in the wet as further Full Course Yellows again interrupted the racing. Fossard would, however, become victim to the next such caution as he would spend an elongated visit to a gravel trap just prior to their final stop where he would eventually swap over to Hasse-Clot. However, the damage had already been done to the teams race as since lost a lap to its rivals in class and like their memories of Spa – once you lose the lead lap, there is nothing that you can do about it with the series not operating any wave arounds.

The #59 car would again finish the last of the LMGT3 runners, tenth in class but with championship hope already long gone that mattered not other than yet another dent to their already dented pride as the series moves onto Portimao in a months time.

 

 

Yesterday’s penultimate round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series from Silverstone certainly threw some metaphorical spanners within the works during that two-hour race that saw one Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered team potentially lose the class win whilst making for a very nervy final round of the championship as far as their title hopes go.

Friday saw two Free Practice and one bronze driver test ran within remarkably warm and dry track conditions (once the residual of Thursday’s overnight rain had burned away) leaving for some very pleasant conditions both on and off track for the combined LMP3 and GT3 grid entry of forty-four cars.

 

The #11 Code Racing Development entry had, however, seen a further driver crew change since the last round at Spa Francorchamps with Belgian racer Stephane Lemeret joining young Brit George King behind the wheel as he (King) continues his transition from small prototypes into the GT3 category.

The #91 Blackthorn AMR car of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning was also back and in one piece after their technical issues in Belgian alongside the then GT3 Championship leading #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot. After a points blip in Belgium, with a decent points haul at Silverstone having the possibility of securing them the title one race early – other finishes dependent.

 

Going into Qualifying, pace had been good across the three Aston Martin’s so far but it would again be the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Lemeret who would secure class pole position with the #91 Blackthorn car of Bovet an encouraging third but with Sager again struggling with the Silverstone layout in seventh.

With the Am drivers taking the start, the opening hour was at least warm and dry as (as usual) the dominant LMP3 based entry went about tripping over each other and restricting the early laps of racing with multiple yellow flag/Full Course Yellow incidents. Whilst Lemeret looked comfortable out front, Bovet was having an entertaining battle with those behind to maintain his third spot, but Sager’s race was already going badly as, having dropped to eighth on track – he got an early ten second time penalty at their stop for not following Race Control instructions at the start.

 

First half hour done and it was the first Safety Car period for both debris on track and for another LMP3 car stopped on track – something that negated Lemeret’s then 3.5 second lead in class. Once the race got going again, Sager was fortunate not to be collected by the LMP3 car that he had just pushed wide coming out of Becketts and onto the Hanger Straight next time around.

With a very restrictive ruleset on drivers minimum and maximum drive times, the natural slot for the compulsory stop was just before the hour where most (not all) had stopped for both new driver and (then) new slicks at the first availability. The #11 car held out for as long as they could before eventually pitting from P8 overall with King going out again on slicks. Then came the rain!!

 

At first at just around parts of the circuit before it became a deluge around all of it as those who had gone out again on slicks were forced to pit again for wets with the #11 car of King having an (unseen) off track experience to drop them down to fourth as a consequence. Ten minutes later – the rain was gone and the track was drying quickly again forcing most to return to pit lane for a third time for slicks again.

Pushing hard too quickly on those slicks saw another LMP3 go off into the gravel – something that elongated second Safety Car period leaving just a twenty-five-minute dash to the flag. For the #11 crew, their race winning hopes had been washed away in that rain as King could do no more than maintain their then P4 position to the end whilst Tom Canning was suffering similarly within his #91 Blackthorn car for a P7 finish in class.

 

For the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman drivers’ championship chasing crew – Silverstone became something of a nemesis for them again as they eventually finished two laps down in nineth. That saw their earlier points domination in class slashed to just five points going into that final round of the season from Portimao in a months’ time.

 

 

With nearly one hundred multi-classed cars competing within two ACO rules series next weekend gives the destination of Silverstone as a mighty fine choice if you’re looking for something worthwhile to watch at not so bad a price.

The European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup Series are just part of next weekend’s racing line up as the two European series battle out their penultimate rounds of the season with forty-seven LMP2, LMP3 and LMGT3’s featuring within the ELMS event and further LMP3 and GT3 based cars within the LMC event.

 

Last time out within both series at Spa Francorchamps just three weeks ago we saw driver changes enforced up several of the four Aston Martin Racing powered team entries as both diary clashes and changes in personal circumstances too effect – as well as the effects of current motor racing pressures.

Within the ELMS, the #59 Racing Spirit of Lemans AMR Vantage LMGT3 had seen both Clement Mateu step away from the remainder of his envisaged 2026 racing programme with co-driver, Valentin Hasse-Clot also suffering from a diary clash with his ever-increasing IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship commitments leaving just Marius Fossard holding the fort.

 

In stepped both Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson to co drive the #59 car with Fossard in Belgian but having claimed class pole position, an unseen error/incident towards the end of McIntosh’s stint that saw the car nose-dived into the tire wall. Whilst the car was recovered to the circuit (relatively undamaged) the time and laps lost during that recover meant that their race was all but done as they eventually finished last in class and a lap down.

This time around for Silverstone, both Hasse-Clot and Fossard are back in the saddle and will be partnered by fellow Frenchman Francois Herieu – another bronze graded driver already well versed with the pressures of ACO rules racing within the FIA World Endurance Championship.

 

Then, within the Le Mans Cup Series we welcome back the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage GT3 of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot alongside the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Pascal Huteau and Viny Beltramelli as well as the #91 Ecurie Ecosse by Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning.

Again, Hasse-Clot was absent from this race in Spa as his place was taken by Fossard who, alongside Sager protected their championship lead by coming home fourth in class whilst the two debuting drivers within the #11 Code Racing developments entry claimed a much-deserved P3 podium finish at the first time of asking. The #91 crews run of bad luck within the series sadly continued as an apparent brake issue/fire forced Canning to stop on track whilst then running in a podium contending position for yet another DNF upon the timing and scoring screen.

 

Hopefully, all that incident and accident is now firmly behind then as the ELMS entry look forward to another four-hour race on Sunday with the LMC grid starting their penultimate two-hour race on Saturday.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

Mid-race misfortune unfortunately affected an otherwise solid run from the impromptu Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 crew yesterday as they tried to convert their earlier class pole position into something more meaningful.

Racing in what was the fourth round of the European Le Mans Series from the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, the #59 Racing Spirit of Le Mans team had already been forced to seek out another capable and adequately funded gentleman driver after the shock news beforehand that Clement Mateu was stepping aside for both family and financial reasons.

 

The team fortunately found that American racer Anthony McIntosh was again willing to put his money where his mouth was with the team having exercised a similar option last year with the team when their FIA World Endurance Championship driver Derek DeBoer found himself in a similar position. He would bring with him his more usual co-driver of parker Thompson to race the Aston Martin alongside the more established team driver Marius Fossard.

We understand that McIntosh may have been feeling under the weather going into this race weekend and had at a point considered his continuation within the programme but his effective last lap dash in the very damp conditions of qualifying to claim the LMGT3 Class Pole Position would have persuaded him otherwise.

 

Getting underway for this four-hour race on Sunday, McIntosh secured his position at the head of the pack during the usually chaotic few laps (and as would again prove correct) with many of those in prototypes thinking that they could win the race within the open hour with the first Safety Car intervention called before the end of the opening lap. McIntosh would go onto use his race experience gained within the FIA WEC to maintain his class lead throughout these early cautions, but he would eventually lose the lead thanks to a longer first stop.

Dropping down to fourth in class, all was still looking well within the #59 car as lap times remained competitive to those around him but continued and multiple car incidents on track again forced Race Control to intervene – again destroying the fluidity of the race itself but it was at the restart to the Safety Car period just short of the second hour where the race would all go horribly wrong for the #59 crew.

 

Having been backed up and tightly together behind the Safety Car for some notable time whilst two cars were extracted from the gravel, unseen events around the #59 car would eventually see the silver machine nosed into the tyre wall at turn nine after the downhill rundown from the tighter hairpin at Bruxelles. Replays would suggest no apparent contact, but the result of the event was never in doubt as they lost track position and then (more importantly) a lap to the pack just as the bronze drivers minimum drive time was coming to an end.

Despite being towed out of the gravel with damage no more visual than two missing door mirrors, the race for the #59 crew was still effectively done as the series does not operate a wave around system when behind the Safety Car, so there was no chance of recouping that lost real estate to the pack.

 

Whilst the #59 crew would not be finishing last as others either faltered on track or crashed out of the race, they would be the last of the runners as the final two hours of the race passed by and through to the bitter end with the crew eventually being classified as finishing twelfth in class – one lap down to their peers.

Next stop for the series is at Silverstone in about three weeks’ time.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media

 

 

 

The fourth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series has just concluded around the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium where the capacity LMP3 and GT3 based grid again provided another two hours of excitement – albeit of not all of it was entirely welcome and beneficial for those involved.

With torrential rain having blighted the circuit in the build-up to todays race, early rainfall again affected this morning’s qualifying process for the ten GT3 runners that again included the three from the Aston Martin Racing stable.

 

The #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning was the only one of the three not to have driver changes imposed upon them due to necessity as the GT3 Championship leading #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car had seen Pro driver Valentin Hasse-Clot otherwise detained this weekend in IMSA (with his place taken by ELMS team-mate Marius Fossard) alongside full season racer Philipp Sager. The Code Racing Development AMR had also seen a new crew of Pascal Huteau and Viny Beltramelli take charge within their #11 car for what is the third (?) driver change this season so far.

Qualifying was extremely wet for the GT3 field as they went out on track for the first time and their tentative nature to the situation went without surprise as it was again the gentleman drivers behind the wheel. A last lap lunge from Sager saw him lift himself up to P5 at the end with Huteau just being outdone by Bovet at the end as they picked up a P7 and P8 start for this afternoons race respectively.

 

With at least the track having dried out in time for the start of the race, the actual tone of the race was to be quickly set after the #51 Ferrari spun off heavily along the barrier at Les Combes, bring out the Safety Car for its first of too many interventions within the next two hours. Indeed, both the #11 and #91 Aston Martins were fortunate not to pick up damage from that spinning Ferrari as it came back across the track – forcing the #91 onto the grass and broadside relative to the direction of the circuit.

A 10–12-minute clean operation quietened the race before finally a wrath of LMP3 incidents for (usually) cars off track brought the Porsche Safety Car out again or a Full Course Yellow for a further three occasions before the end of the first hour with the #11 car running highest of the three Aston’s in 3rd, the #10 in 5th and the #91 in 8th in class.

 

With driver changes down across the classes at or about the hour mark, further race time was lost to further LMP3 related issues on track leaving little over half an hour left to go but the excitement was not over yet. A very over ambitious move by an LMP3 car (driven by a former F1 driver) with the #10 RSLM Aston Martin saw the #10 extremely fortunate to survive in a raceable state as the LMP3 first passed for track position being immediately over braking into a spin in front of it. Only pre-emptive anticipation from Fossard kept his car in the race and in the fourth place in class it was then running in behind the #11 Code Racing Development entry.

Further heartache would, however, come back to haunt the #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn entry with Canning at the wheel as (only a few minutes later) the #91 was seen to have stopped at the top of the circuit with black smoke pouring from the front quarter of the car with a suspected brake fire. Another Safety Car required for both that and the LMP3 car involved with the #10 RSLM incident.

 

A final fifteen-minute dash to the flag saw the Code Racing Development secure (on track at least) only their second race finish to the season so far as they completed the class podium in third and with the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car just hanging on to their fourth place finish at the end for what should still be (albeit now) a reduced Championship lead as the series moves onto Silverstone in just three weeks’ time.

To put this race into perspective – it was two hours long but only thirty-six laps were completed by the GT3 leaders with all results still subject to ratification by the series and Race Control.

 

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

All being well next weekend, it should be back to a full three Aston Martin Racing powered contingent for the fourth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series from the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

As surmised with our previous European Le Mans Series preview also at the circuit next weekend, the only change affecting these three AMR Vantage GT3 entries will be within the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman team as Valentin Hasse-Clot will be stateside and racing within the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship.

 

That means that his fellow ELMS co-driver, Marius Fossard will indeed be taking his countryman’s place within the #10 car which he will now share alongside GT3 Championship leading Am driver Philipp Sager. After winning the class this years extended Road to Le Mans race back in June, the Sager/Hasse-Clot combination now lead the ten strong by twenty-seven points going into this round, but any points scored in Belgium by the #10 car will obviously now be at the detriment of Hasse-Clot.

 

They in turn will again be joined by the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Sebastian Moreno but with a co-driver yet to be confirmed after two have already completed racing duties with the French outfit so far – an outfit that has shown real pace in qualifying but have so far been unable to secure the points finish at the end. Their P5 finish at Le Mans in June has been their best result to date despite taking two pole positions at both Barcelona and Paul Ricard earlier in the year.

We also welcome back the #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR Vantage GT3 of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning after Bovet found himself unable through apparent injury to participate at Le Mans which in turn saw both Giacomo Petrobelli and Romain Leroux take their places in the event. History shows that this year’s Road to Le Mans race was not a happy event for the team with both cars retiring after just a handful of laps for the opening driver.

 

The team and usual crew have, however, been testing at Spa Francorchamps over recent days in preparation to this race next weekend but it appears we may also be enjoying yet another livery design for that car too!!

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

 

In the rather timely manner in which they operate, the European Le Mans Series confirmed their entry list earlier today ahead of their fourth round of the season from Spa Francorchamps, Belgium next weekend.

Only yesterday were we writing about the unfortunate departure of Clement Mateu from the Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 powered team and the series with us (then) just how that would have impacted upon the team for the remaining half of the 2026 season.

 

Well, today’s news from the series has confirmed that Anthony McIntosh will indeed be returning to the team (for at least this event – maybe more) in lieu of Mateu having done similar last season when Derek DeBoer also found himself unable to complete the second half of the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Swiss based squad.

Thanks to another clash between the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship and the ACO rules ELMS series, the #59 RSLM driver Valentin Hasse-Clot also finds himself committed to racing stateside next weekend meaning that there were actually two seats going spare within the #59 car. Today confirmation has seen Hasse-Clot’s position being taken by Canadian racer Parker Thompson whilst the remaining full season driver, Marius Fossard completes the driver line-up for the team as they run a bronze/silver/silver format this time around as the #59 car makes up the confirmed forty seven car line-up.

 

 

With the Le Mans Cup Series also supporting the ELMS in Belgium, Hasse-Clot’s absence will also enforce a driver change within the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 entry that he shares with fellow class championship leader, Philipp Sager. We understand (although not yet confirmed by the series) that Fossard will be double dutying between series for the team this time around.

That change will come off the back of their class win at Le Mans.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

 

 

 

Misano finally gave the two Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 powered crews something to cheer this weekend as both silver and Pro-Am classed crews took home silverware for their efforts in the GT4 European Series.

Hitting the back stretch to the 2026 season, recent races have been difficult for team especially for the #74 Pro-Am entry which needed a new driver after the opening round to partner Florent Grizaud with Kevin Kullmann eventually stepping forward at the eleventh hour. The #72 silver class entry of Clement Seyler and Pedro Garcia started well at Paul Ricard but since then, mistakes have been made by both drivers.

 

Starting race one into the late afternoon saw the #74 getting a decent starting slot P9 overall with the sister car not too far behind in P13 as both Seyler and Kullmann took the start with the Safety Car annulling the first starting charge thanks to a stranded car in track. Both cars held their relative places on track through the two starts and up until the start of the pit stop window.

Whilst Garcia did hold station when he got behind the wheel to the #74, Grizaud did drop back in the overall stakes but did still hold onto P6 in class at the time. As the shadows got longer towards the end, Garcia found himself defending heavily from the McLaren behind for what would turn out to be a P4 overall finish for the Seyler/Garcia combination with Grizaud/Kullmann car finishing P8 in class at the end.

 

For Sunday’s race, the grid had already been determined in qualifying yesterday with Garcia claiming a P11 overall starting position over the P25 place for Grizaud.

Another clean start to the race but another early Safety Car was avoided after two slow cars on track managed to find places of safety beside the track without causing any further issues. Like race one, the #74 car ran safely within the top ten whilst the #72 car this time ran fourth in class by the time of the pit window.

 

Stops over and Seyler maintained their top ten position whilst Kullmann soon moved up to second in class with just over twenty minutes remaining before a smoky Mustang brought out a Full Course Yellow seven minutes later.

 

Getting back to green with little over five minutes to go had of course brought the pack back together bringing on three very busy final laps of the race. Originally crossing the line sixth overall, a post-race penalty for a car ahead elevated the #74 car up to fifth with the #72 car second in Pro-Am for their first podium finish of the season. Garcia would also be awarded the Rookie of the Race award to sweeten previous racing disappointments in the series.

Photo credits – Team / Series

 

 

 

 

The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Series are back out again this weekend at Misano, Italy for what is still only their second round of the season with the GT4 European Series again in support.

Since the season opener from Brands Hatch back in early May, the Endurance Cup Series has then taken precedence within the race calendar as they built their way up to the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa event at the end of June but this and the next three rounds of Sprint Cup will now follow in quick succession.

 

Forty-four crews have been confirmed for this weekend’s two one-hour long pit stop punctuated races with both the Comtoyou Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport teams fielding five Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered crews between them.

Nicki Thiim and Kobe Pauwels again head the Comtoyou Racing entry with their #007 Pro class entry alongside their #11 bronze class entry of Marcello Tomasoni and Felice Jelmini and the #21 silver classed entry of Oliver Soderstrom and Arthur Dorison.

 

Within the Walkenhorst camp, they will again field two silver classed entries for both Mateo Villagomez and Jamie Day aboard their #34 and Maxime Robin and Gaspard Simon aboard their #35 car.

The best results of last time out in the UK came from the #34 Walkenhorst car after they secured (after post-race penalties had been applied) P3 in race one and P4 in race two so for the other crews – there is much to improve upon this time out with the #11 Comtoyou Racing car competing within their first race of the year having skipped Brands Hatch.

 

Within the supporting GT4 European Series, thirty-eight crews have been confirmed within the provisional entry with both Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4’s again being listed.

David Kullmann and Florent Grizaud again compete within the teams #72 Pro-Am entry with Clement Seyler and Pedro Garcia within their #74 silver classed entry within what will be for them, their fourth round of the season having raced already in France, Italy and Belgium.

 

Last time at Spa Francorchamps during the SRO’s Speed Week became something of a torrid affair for the two full season entries with neither crew finishing higher than P11 in class having been outshone by the guesting Grange Motorsport AMR from the British GT Championship.

They too will race two one-hour pit stop punctuated races over the course of the weekend.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite their pace, this weekend’s European Le Mans Series visit to the picturesque circuit of Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari at Imola, Italy proved itself to be another disappointing affair for the Racing Spirit of Leman LMGT3 powered team.

After Clement Mateu had narrowly missed out upon a class podium starting position for today’s four-hour third round of the season for the #59 Aston Martin Racing Vantage powered car that he shares with Marius Fossard and Valentin Hasse-Clot, all of that effort eventually counted for nothing as heavy contact at the midway point of the race left the car stricken at the side of the track.

Starting just after midday with air temperatures quickly rising into the early thirties, Mateu initially held his ground at the start as the pace setting Corvette scampered off during the opening laps. The race quickly descended into multiple periods of Virtual and full Safety Car periods which then gave teams options on strategy and by calling Mateu in early, that did drop him down to seventh overall in class as the race again tried to settle.

Those early efforts were quickly hampered by Race Control after Mateu was given a Drive Through Penalty for a start line infraction and that did drop them down to near the rear of the fourteen strong class for the bulk of Mateu’s double stint.

 

As the race was approaching its midway point and the end to Mateu’s time within the car, the Frenchman had elevated himself back up the order to seventh and was looking to improve that still further as he attempted a possible double overtake going into Variante Tamborello. Realising his error, Mateu attempted to cut the first section of the corner only to impact heavily into the side of the #63 Mercedes which left that stranded in the middle of the gravel and the Aston Martin sidelined just a little further along with each car paying no further part in the race.

 

The team and crew will now have to regroup and go again at the next round of the season from Spa Francorchamps in late August.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media