Just like the Asian Le Mans Series yesterday, today saw the supporting Asian Le Mans Cup Series confirm further driver involvement ahead of its inaugural race weekend next weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France.

Seventeen cars confirmed earlier ahead of the first running of this new for 2026/27 season LMP3 and GT3 powered series which featured two Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 crew within its modest array of five GT3 entries with today finally revealing the identity of those four drivers.

 

Continuing his part-time Michelin Le Mans Cup endeavours with the French based Code Racing Development AMR squad sees Sebastian Moreno pair up with Mexican racer Esteban Gonzalez Beckmann within the #10 car. Whilst Beckmann is a new name to use, Moreno certainly proved his pace within that other ACO rules series after the Columbian secured GT3 class pole position on multiple occasions only for misfortune within the race to spoil that advantage for him and the team.

 

As expected, team boss Pablo Burguera will be joined by another of the teams 24H Series drivers in Antonio Sainero within the #90 E2P Group AMR Vantage GT3 entry into the series for its two shorter (compared to the AsLMS) double header races over the three weekends in Europe between now and last February 2027.

Photo credits – 24H Series

 

Philipp Sager and the Racing Spirit of Leman team finally landed the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series GT3 Drivers, and GT3 Teams championship wins from the Autodromo Do Algarve circuit near Portimao earlier today although that achievement was still far from simple.

Going into this final round of the ACO rules with just a slender five-point advantage of the chasing #21 Kessell Racing Ferrari, bronze driver Sager would again be leaning heavily upon his co-driver Valentin Hasse-Clot to help him get over that line first having both fallen just short of that achievement last season with their #10 Racing Spirit of Leman prepared Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3.

 

Like the previous five rounds so far the #10 car was again supported by the #11 Code Racing Developments AMR Vantage GT3 with another new driver line up for this race in American racers Antoine Comeau and Nicky Hays whilst the #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning were also there to fulfil what has been for them to be a challenging season too.

Whilst the #91 Blackthorn car would suffer from technical issues during Qualifying to start last in class for today-s final two-hour race, the #10 was given a lifeline after the pole setting #21 car was later disqualified from those results for failing the post session ride height check which resulted in both the #10 and #11 cars moving up one to start the race P2 and P3 respectively.

 

The gain for the #11 car of Comeau would however, last only as far as turn one of lap one before the #11 found a wrong way facing LMP3 car in his tracks to impact heavily with each other at the start. Despite being able to limp back to pit lane, their day was already over even before it had really begun.

With any series running LMP3 cars these days, that incident again set the tone of the race with multiple incidents stagnating the race at near regular intervals as first Full Course Yellows, local yellows and then Safety Cars were needed to “pick up the pieces’.

Despite the #21 car having now run though the GT3 class pack with their Pro driver to now lead the class and the championship at that moment in time, Sager needed to push as his points buffer to the #21 had already by surpassed on track but his eagerness to go after one such caution period earned him a ten second penalty at their scheduled stop for a FCY procedure infringement.

At the halfway mark and the final pit stop sequence of the season, the #10 car found itself down in sixth and a near lap down to the #21 car thanks to the timing of the last Safety Car intervention and their additional penalty time. It was time for Hasse-Clot to play his part within the car itself rather than just via the headset.

 

Now the roles were reversed for both the #21 and #10 cars as the #21 quickly became the hunted with their bronze now behind the wheel but with everyone else with their Pro’s aboard thanks to the penalty imposed upon the #21 for their earlier technical infringement.

Steadily but surely the #21 was passed on track for position by others as Hasse-Clot did what he could from the second half of the class as the race entered its final quarter. The Blackthorn’s season would unfortunately end with another mishap for them as Canning was seen spinning off at the fast final corner to impact rear on into the tyre wall and into immediate retirement. Was that self-inflicted or not was hard to tell, there were other cars around him at the time, but it changed nothing for them at the end of the day.

 

That left just the #10 car representing the brand with still everything to gain but also everything to lose as the Frenchman finally stopped that agonising wait to claim a P6 result in class at the final – enough for Sager to claim the GT3 Drivers Championship (VHC missed a round due to other commitments) as well as securing the GT3 Teams Championship win for those supporting the car and the two drivers.

Any congratulations to everyone involved.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

It was something of an unfortunate whimper to end the year with as the SRO sanctioned GT3 Revival Series saw out its inaugural race season earlier today from the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, as just over a handful of cars took the chequered flag at the end of the final forty-minute race of the year.

Seeing the early entry lists to this new series swell from the low thirties for the opening round of the at Paul Ricard to nearly fifty cars at the round from the Spa Classic next time around, this weekend’s entry list did mention a respectable eighteen cars for this finale but even some of those didn’t arrive.

 

Within those who did turn up was the Fanta Racing By Code Classic with their former #62 R-Motorsport V12 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 for Pascal Huteau as well as the #16 Britec Motorsport supported #16 V12 AMR Vantage GT3 of Dr Afshin Fatemi.

There was much excitement around the running of race one on Saturday just as an impending rainstorm reached the circuit with the cars already upon the grid, but they did at least get off behind the Safety Car with the #62 Aston leading the way from pole position. Many laps later with doing battle with the #20 Ford GT, a brief interlude was had by all as all served their compulsory stop.

 

Coming out again, however, had witnessed the rain intensify to a point where it was now flooding the circuit and the #20 Ford already in the grave at turn one, the red flag was shown on the grounds of safety. With the rain continuing, that would prove to be the end of all racing at the circuit for the day with the #62 car given the race win on countback.

Race two on Sunday was at least at a circuit filled this time with clear blue skies and warming sunshine but sadly at a cost with only ten of yesterday’s fifteen cars running took the start on Sunday. The #62 car was one such car missing but the #16 car was at least there having missed both qualifying rounds and the first race with technical issues.

Making up for lost ground, Fatemi soon elevated himself up the order to run as high as P4 overall by the start of the pit window. Having made its scheduled stop, all was looking good for the #16 car until about six minutes before the end when Fatemi was pulled to pull off track at turn 2 with an apparent continuation of his technical issues of earlier to another unfortunate DNF to end the year with.

Hopefully, all will have seen just what this series is all about with the possibilities of a diverse grid, driving abilities and a wide range of circuits being visited through the season and just maybe, the grid sizes can be maintained throughout the year in 2027.

Photo credits – Series / social media

 

 

Forty-seven cars and crews of the ACO rules Michelin Le Mans Cup Series will soon be making that long road trip down to southern Portugal in time for next weekend’s sixth and final round of the season with one Aston Martin Racing powered team with a class title to confirm by the end of that two-hour race.

As races at Barcelona, Paul Ricard, Le Mans, Spa Francorchamps and most recently at Silverstone, the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage GT3 of Philipp Sager still heads the GT3 class going into this final round after something of a disaster last time out which has now cut his championship lead to just five points.

 

Supported again this season by Valentin Hasse-Clot for all rounds bar Spa (for which the young Frenchman was pre-occupied with his IMSA commitments for which Marius Fossard stepped up the plate), the #10 crew secured three out of three podium finishes out of the first three races before finishing fourth in race five to muster a healthy lead going into the penultimate round of the season last time out.

Silverstone is clearly a circuit that the Austrian just does not like as he also suffered from multiple on track penalties that eventually saw him and Hasse-Clot finish with just two points whilst their nearest rival clawed back sixteen more points to cut their deficit to just five.

 

The #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR Vantage GT3 of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning also feature again within the entry list as does the #11 Code Racing Development AMR but with another driver pairing.

Last time out on their home track of Silverstone, the #91 Blackthorn car secured their best qualifying to date with a second row start in class before returning a P7 finish for their efforts – only their second points scoring finish of the year unfortunately.

 

For the #11 Code Racing Developments entry, it was again class pole position at Silverstone (their third of the season so far) for their then crew of George King and Stephane Lemeret but that has again been changed for this last event. The team now list American registered racers Antoine Comeau and Nicky Hays within the car. Both drivers have Lamborghini Super Trofeo racing experience with Hays also competing within this year’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series with Random Vandals.

Track action for this series will begin on Wednesday with private testing before going through two Free Practice and bronze driver tests before qualifying on Friday before the two-hour race is waved off at 09:30hrs local on Saturday.

 

Sunday will also see the ELMS and LMC rookie tests take place at the circuit before the annual awards ceremony later in the evening.

Podium Photo credit – Team

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

 

 

An interesting announcement from both the Comtoyou Racing and Code Racing Development teams earlier this evening confirming a new joint venture to joins resources and opportunities with the creation of the Comtoyou Junior Team by Code in time for the 2027 season.

With both teams already well established within the GT3 field, this new venture would establish another ladder system through the two Aston Martin Racing powered teams with particular emphasis being placed upon the competitive GT4 market competing within the likes of the GT4 European Series, FFSA GT4, ADAC GT4 Germany Series and alike.

 

The project looks set to be based around two new Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4’s with a third car initially earmarked for testing only – all featuring the colour scheme of the green and yellow Comtoyou Racing team.

With no definite plans or commitments before confirmed within the announcement, 2027 should be another interesting season for both squads.

Photo credits - Teams

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running their longest race within the history of the Series at the Circuit de La Sarthe earlier today, proved itself to be another eventful one albeit not always in a positive way as far as the four Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3’s were concerned.

Qualifying was all sorted yesterday as the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman entry of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot this time bucked the trend in beating the #10 Code Racing Development AMR Vantage of Sebastian Moreno and Ethan Ischer to be the highest placed Aston Martin on the Road to Le Mans grid fourth in class to the #10 cars P7.

 

The two Blackthorn AMR cars of #90 Charles Bateman and Kobe Pauwels as well the late crew replacements of Giacomo Petrobelli and Romain Leroux within the #91 car (who would replace both Claude Bovet and Tom Canning due to an apparent injury to Bovet) would figure towards the rear of the fifty-eight strong grid.

An early start to the three-hour race on Friday morning saw of the crews struggling to get warmth into their tyres and brakes with the inevitable contact between cars on the opening lap saw race hobbling damage for many. One of those was the #90 car of Bateman who would return to pit lane with what appeared to just be a rear puncture but was something obviously a bit more sinister as the car only lasted another seven laps before being retired.

 

Their #91 of Petrobelli was also seen with front quarter damage which appeared to be ‘raceable’ from what little viewpoint we had of the car but that also was retired from the race on only the next lap to their sister to make for a forgettable race weekend in France for the team.

Leaving just the #10 and #11 cars to the AMR name, the race never settled until about half an hour had passed after a quick sequence of slow zones during the opening laps had again spoiled the start but only at the hour mark did we see the Safety Car for the first time after a heavy off into the safer barrier at the Porsche Curves.

 

Sager and Moreno meanwhile were keeping out of trouble circulating P6 and P10 in class respectively as their stint length was coming to an end before their Pro or silver classed drivers took over to the end. Both Hasse-Clot and Ischer quickly made their mark as the elevated their cars up to P4 and P8 with little under an hour still to go and they were both forced to pit for their final time.

Losing time to the repositioning of the car relative to their refuelling rig, the #10 car re-emerged in third as the two leading McLarens were circulating faster than what the Frenchman could cut down so a lower step of the podium was looking probable. Last lap contact between the two class leaders, however, saw the long-time leader sidelined with terminal damage allowing the #10 car to easily pass for position.

 

At the flag, the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin took second in class whilst the #10 Code Racing Development go their first finish of the season with a post-race time penalty adjusted seventh in class – all subject to official confirmation.

 

 

 

An expanded fifty-eight car entry will be preparing themselves for next week’s inaugural three-hour round of the Road to Le Mans race from the Circuit de La Sarthe with now four Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered runners within its midst.

Not really any surprise their when the full entry list was confirmed by the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series earlier this week as the full season Racing Spirit of Leman, Code Racing Development and Blackthorn AMR runners are this time joined by a second car from the British based team.

Two rounds already in the bag for the usually European Le Mans Series support package after races in both Barcelona and at Paul Ricard, but instead of previous years two one-hour long races, the race organisers have this time elected to take the event more into the endurance arena at the home of endurance racing after all and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

 

The four Aston Martins will be part of an eighteen strong GT3 class with the balance of entries split between the two available LMP3 classes as the first track action for this event will start early on Wednesday morning ahead of a 10am (local) start to the race on Friday.

 

No driver changes are forecasted for the three full season entries as Valentin Hasse-Clot again pairs up with Philipp Sager in their #10 RSLM entry with qualifying hotshot Sebastian Moreno again with Ethan Ischer aboard their #11 CRD car whilst Tom Canning and Claude Bovet pair up within the #91 Blackthorn. They will be joined by their sister #90 Blackthorn entry for drivers Kobe Pauwels and Charles Bateman.

After two podium finishes to date, including a race win in Spain, the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman crew continue to lead the GT3 Drivers Championship by twelve points.

Photo credits – Teams / series / social media