ELMS @ Portimao decisive for 3 titles
The LMP2 Team title was wrapped up at Spa-Francorchamps last month by Orlen Team WRT, and their drivers Louis Deletraz, Robert Kubica and Yiffei Ye took the Driver one. With 36 points ahead of their closest rival, there is no title at play in the class anymore except for a second invitation at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans granted to the second of the class.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
But it is a different story in the other classes. Let us review the situation class by class as well as for the invitations to the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans .
LMP2: still one invitation to the next 24 Hours of Le Mans in play.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
The fight for the vice-champion seat (invitation at 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans) will be heated between G-Drive Racing Aurus #26, United Autosports #22 and Panis Racing Oreca #65. There are only 7 points separating Franco Colapinto-Roman Rusinov (Aurus #26) and Jonathan Aberdein-Phil Hanson-Tom Gamble (Oreca #22). Julien Canal and Will Stevens (Oreca #65) have a gap of 9,5 points with the #22 trio.
Tight battle in LMP3
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
With 2 wins in Barcelona and Red Bull Ring, 2 second places in Circuit Paul-Ricard and Spa-Francorchamps, Matt Bell, Nicolas Maulini and Niklas Kruetten with their #19 Cool Racing Ligier hold a tiny 5-point lead to the #4 DKR Engineering Duqueine of reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 champion Laurents Hörr.
Victory for either team in Portugal will secure the title as there is a difference of 7 points between the 25 points granted to the winner and the 18 to P2.
On top of being crowned European Champions, the winning team will gain a place on the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans grid.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
Matt Bell, Nicolas Maulini and Niklas Kruetten have demonstrated consistency with their #19 Cool Racing Ligier during the season but #4 team gained on winning momentum in the last 3 runs in France, Italy and Belgium.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
Since Laurents Hörr shared the #4 DKR Engineering Duqueine with 17-year-old Mathieu De Barbuat in Monza and Spa, they took victory in both events. Also important to mention that Hörr took the extra point for pole position in all but the opening race of the 2021 season. The team is in the best momentum (won last three races) to clinch the championship as Hörr did in 2021.
LMGTE: a Ferrari only battle for the championship and the two invitations to the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
The #80 Iron Lynx Ferrari of Miguel Molina, Rino Mastronardi and Matteo Cressoni is leading by 20 points after securing podium finishes, including two wins, in each of the five races. with a total of 101 points. The chances are high for the team to clinch the class title unless they would not end the race at least at P6 which would enable them to score the points required to be out of reach for the 2022 championship and gain one of the two invitations to the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
Francois Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Alessio Rovera with their #88 AF Corse count 81 points in the Vice Champions position. They would need to win to clinch the championship (and Ferrari rivals not finishing at P6 at least).
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
With 77 points in P3, the #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari trio of Matt Griffin, David Perel and Duncan Cameron are still in the battle for the second invitation to the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans with AF Corse #88 trio.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
LMP2 PRO/AM crown theoretically still on play:
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
The #25 G-Drive Racing leads the Pro/Am category with 104 points to 80 points for the #37 Cool Racing Oreca. Both teams are adding new drivers to their base team as Gustavo Menezes will join John Falb and Rui Andrade to help them secure the inaugural Pro/Am titles, while Charles Milesi will join Alexandre Coigny and Nico Lapierre as he did at Spa last month. The #37 team needs to win and needs #25 to abandon to gain the crown.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
John Falb and Rui Andrade are favorites for the LMP2 Pro/AM 2021 title with their #25 G-Drive Racing.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa
Alexandre Coigny and Nico Lapierre driving their #37 Cool Racing . They were joined by Charles Milesi at Francorchamps, which will be repeated at Portimao.
