ELMS @ 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2021: The LMP3 in the race

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

Beautifull weather at Spa-Francorchamps for an animated LMP3 class 4 Hours race.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

Luxemburg flag on the podium as #4 DKR Engineering’s Laurents Hörr and Mathieu de Barbuat won the LMP3 class of the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps thereby clinching a third consecutive class win in the ELMS Champinship.

#19 Cool Racing trio Matt Bell, Niklas Kruetten and Nicolas Maulini finished second at Spa.

#2 United Autosport squad with W. Boyd, R. Wheldon and E. Cauhaupe completed the podium.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

The battle was fierce with 1 Aim Villorba Corse #18 and Cool Racing #19 taking respectively the lead in the first half of the race. The 3 of them were within 2”. Around mid-race, Hörr (#4) passed Kruetten (19) on the Kemmel Straight and drove his DKR Engineering #4 to end for victory, almost 1 minute ahead of Cool Racing #19. 

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

#19 Cool Racing trio Matt Bell, Niklas Kruetten and Nicolas Maulini were leading the class at H+2 and finished second of the class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

#2 United Autosport’s W. Boyd, R. Wheldon and E. Cauhaupe were leading the race at H+1 but lost progressively grab with the lead to end third LMP3.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

Graff Racing #8 crew E. Trouillet, S. Page and D. Droux ended were third at H+2, to end fourth 1 lap behind the class winners.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

Team Virage #20 driven by R. Hodes, G. Grist and C. Crews ended fifth of the class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

A. Bessan took the lead of the race after the first FCY as he was the only one not to pit for the first 80 minutes. With his teammates A. Laskaratos and D. Fioravanti they ended sixth with their 1 AIM Villorba Corse #18.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

The second Graff entry (#9) with M. Kaiser and R. Penttinen ended seventh of the class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

#3 United Autosport’s J. McGuire, D. Happy and A. Bentley was at the forefront being third at H+1 and was fighting with Inter Europol Competition #14 for P4 when both collided in turn 1. They managed to restart but #3 team finished eighth of the LMP3 class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte @ 4 Hours of Spa 2021

A weekend to forget for Inter Europol Competition with non of the two entries completing the 4 Hours race. Martin Hippe took the lead with his #13 at the start but suffered steering wheel problems before Aidan Read clattered the tire barrier on the exit of Courbe Paul Frere after 2 hours 17 minutes, causing the left-front wheel to detach from the car. Sister car #14 was fighting with United Autosport #3 for P4 when both collided in turn 1 and Pasini was penalized with a drive through. The #14 abandoned 10 minutes to the end after repeated issues: a rear light to repair, a starter problem, then a broken muffler.