24 Hours of Le Mans: Intereuropol wins LMP2 class

WECLMP

Jun 15

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Both **Inter Europol** #34 and Team WRT #41 animated the LMP2 class.

21.015 seconds separated those two after 24 hours of racing in sometimes very difficult conditions due to sudden rainfalls in certain portions of the track.

Inter Europol Competition first ever WEC victory

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Jakub Śmiechowski, Fabio Scherer and Albert Costa with #34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca.

Inter Europol Competition claimed their first ever WEC victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as Jakub Śmiechowski, Fabio Scherer and Albert Costa crossed checkered flag first at 4pm Sunday.

The #43 team led the race from dawn onwards during 204 laps of the 328 covered (62,2%). Very impressive when you know that the second car in terms of leading laps (#41 Team WRT) led 39 laps in total (11,9%)

Inter Europol Competition had no problem during the 24 Hours race except for Fabian Scherer suffering some ligament damage and an incomplete fracture to his mid-left foot after the Corvette Racing car inadvertently ran over his left foot during a round of pitstops in the first hour. Despite suffering and having to learn braking with the whole leg instead of with the foot Scherer resisted Louis Deletraz’ pressure with the #41 Team WRT.

Inter Europol Competition are now second in both FIA Trophy for LMP2 drivers and teams rankings.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Rui Andrade, Robert Kubica and Louis Deletraz with #41 Team WRT Oreca.

Both Robert Kubica and then Louis Deletraz put the #34 Inter Europol team under serious pressure during the last two hours with the #41 Team WRT Oreca as the gap between the two cars reduced steadily, but the Team WRT #41 still came a bit more than 21 seconds short.

This is the second P2 of the Deletraz/Kubica tandem at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after the dramatic end of the 2022 race.

The #41 Team WRT are still leading both FIA Trophy for LMP2 drivers and teams with 4 points.

4 teams for one podium seat.

The battle for P3 was also fierce between IDEC, Alpine, WRT et DUQUEINE Teams, who ended all in the same lap but one lap behind the winners.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Neel Jani, Nicolas Pino and René Binder with the #30 DUQUEINE Team.

Neel Jani, Nicolas Pino and René Binder with the #30 DUQUEINE Team took the lead during 25 laps in the 11th hour but went down the ranking following 3 flat tires. Neel Jani crosses the finish line in third position despite a broken suspension in the last corner!

NEEL JANI: "Le Mans 2023 gave us an incredible race with pouring rain, hot weather and lots of action in the car! After a tough qualifying, we wanted to catch up during the race and took the lead at mid-race; it was an exceptional moment for all of us! Unfortunately the few punctures slowed us down but we were able to stay in the battle for the podium. Finishing third in the LMP2 class was a real team effort! The strategy, the pit stops and my team members have all been incredible! I think we can say that as a team with one car, we can be proud of what we have achieved at Le Mans for this centenary edition!" Source Duqueine Team

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Charles Milesi, Julien Canal and Matthieu Vaxiviere with Alpine #36.

Charles Milesi put on a superb driving display, coming from second-to-last to first place in just over an hour. Julien Canal was trapped by the precarious grip when overtaking a GTE Am. Thanks to the lightning intervention of the mechanics, the Alpine #36 returned to the track having lost only one minute in the pits. During the night, Charles Milesi and Matthieu Vaxiviere took turns to get back to the leader's lap. Charles Milesi, however, had to deal with a puncture in the front right two hours from the finish. Its final offensive allowed the #36 to grab fourth place, gaining nineteen positions thanks to an overtaking in the last minutes on the WRT #31.

Charles Milesi: “It's already a small victory to finish the race given the carnage. I think we can be satisfied with fourth place given our starting position. We managed to raise the bar by taking a big step forward in terms of pace. The team did an excellent job, including on the technical side since we did not encounter the slightest problem. We have optimized almost everything, except for a puncture and a small hitch, but I think we can be proud of this weekend which could well restart our season. » Source: Alpine

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Keating, Varrone and Catsburg before start.

When the rain appeared in the east section of the track shortly before the third hour, Ferdinand Habsburg in #31, rubbed the guardrail, meaning the car had to stop for repairs and losing one lap. At mid-race, car #31 was 16th and in 13th position during the 17th hour. Four hours from the end, the trio of #31 completed a sensational comeback to fifth. Robin Frijns at the wheel, climbed up to third, but eventually finished fifth, after a suspension failure fifteen minutes from the end.

Ferdinand Habsburg: “In Le Mans you always learn a new lesson, and I never thought ‘not giving up’ would ever give such rewards. I crashed in the rain, was completely out of control on slick tires, I feel responsible as I was in the car. We lost a lap there, but sticking with it, believing in the car and in the team, we came back from last, unbelievable. It was really a cool and fun race, always pushing, but unfortunately a damper failure at the end barred us from the podium.” Source: Team WRT.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. P. Lafargue, P. Chatin and L. Hörr with #48 IDEC Sport.

Starting from pole position in LMP2, P. Lafargue, P. Chatin and L. Hörr approached the podium two hours before the end of the clock. A fatal puncture swept away everything in a few seconds to finish 6th in the LMP2 category.

Top 3 LMP2 Pro-Am

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. #45 CrowdStrike car of George Kurtz, James Allen and Colin Braun.

Algarve Pro Racing took a dominant and controlled LMP2 Pro-Am victory from the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the #45 CrowdStrike car of George Kurtz, James Allen and Colin Braun.

James Allen (#45 Algarve Pro Racing ORECA 07 LMP2): “This is the first time I’ve ever worked with George (Kurtz) and Colin (Braun), but I was really impressed with both of them when we first tested together at Monza, as they adapted well to the new aero kit and tires on the LMP2 car. As a result, we hit the ground running and got everything sorted out quickly here at Le Mans, and it soon felt like our race to throw away.”

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is always a pretty special event, but particularly this year with it being the centenary. This is the third time I’ve been on the podium and the second time I’ve won, and it’s always amazing to see the entire pit straight full of people from the top step. It’s really impressive.” Source: Algarve Pro Racing

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2023. Alexandre Coigny, Nicolas Lapierre and Malthe Jakobsen with #37 COOL Racing.

Alexandre Coigny (owner of Cool Racing), Nicolas Lapierre (partner and driver) and Malthe Jakobsen with #37 COOL Racing made a serious comeback after a crash that cost them nine laps to finish second in the LMP2 Pro-Am class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans. #43 DKR Engineering Oreca with the 100% Belgian crew Tom Van Rompuy, Maxime Martin et Ugo de Wilde end third in the LMP2 Pro-Am class.

With a racing for Belgium livery for the #43 DKR Engineering Oreca, the three Belgian drivers Tom Van Rompuy, Maxime Martin et Ugo de Wilde end third in the LMP2 Pro-Am class. Severely delayed at the start of the race following an accident, the trio gradually climbed the hierarchy and took advantage of eliminations from the competition to secure a third place on the LMP2 Pro-Am podium.