With the 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 Team and Driver titles being decided in Mugello last month in favour of AF Corse, Matt Kurzejewski and Alessandro Balzan. Kurzejewski and Balzan took their third win of the season in Mugello and, with 107.5 points in the bag, they head to Portugal with an unassailable 34-point lead over their AF Corse teammates.
The focus for this season finale will be on who will become the LMP3 Champions for 2024.
In the LMP3 title race, victory in Mugello propelled the no85 R-ace GP crew of Hadrien David and Fabien Michal into the championship lead after the no97 COOL Racing Ligier of Adrien Chila and David Droux were only able to finish fourth in Italy. This gives R-ace GP a slender 5.5-point lead going into the final race of the season with 26 points still to be won.
While there are three other cars with a mathematical chance of taking the championship, realistically the fight in the final race of the season on Saturday 19 October will be between these two cars.
Both have won a race this season, with Chila and Droux taking victory in Le Castellet, while David and Michal had to wait until Mugello. However, Michal has been the king of qualifying, with the French driver taking four pole positions in the six races held so far.That extra point from qualifying could be crucial when the chequered flag is waved in Portugal.
When asked about the final race of the season Hadrien David said, “Fabien is very fast there, and we will fight until the end of the race.We will have to contend with extra time on the pitstop as Fabien was too fast in Mugello, but we will do our very best to stay in contention for the championship.”
Barcelona race winners High Class Racing are lying in third with Jens Moller and Tommy Foster on 46 points, 21 points behind the R-ace GP Duqueine. Czech team Bretton Racing head to Portugal on 43 points and the no87 COOL Racing Ligier is one point behind on 42 points.With 26 points on offer in the final race, these three teams have the possibility of taking the championship but only if they win in Portimão.
CLICK HERE to view the Portimão Programme online (PDF Format)
