The Michelin Le Mans Cup season finale will take place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the eighth time since 2017 with 39 entries received for the race in Portimão on Saturday 19 October.
The grid will consist of 28 LMP3 and 11 GT3, with 78 drivers and 26 teams representing 21 different nations.
Once again, the LMP3 grid is huge, with 20 teams running 25 Ligier JS P320s and 3 Duqueine M30-D08s.After a superb battle in Mugello, there are still five cars with a chance of taking the 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 title, with the top two cars having the most realistic chance of becoming this year’s champions.
After a perfect weekend in Mugello, after winning from pole position, Fabien Michal and Hadrien David in the no85 R-ace GP Duqueine hold a 5.5-point lead in the championship on 67 points, with David Droux and Adrien Chila in the no97 COOL Racing Ligier in second place on 61.5.
Barcelona winners High Class Racing, Spa-Francorchamps winners Bretton Racing and the second COOL Racing Ligier are on 46, 43 and 42 points respectively and while these three teams have a mathematical chance of taking the 2024 crown, they each need to win the race and hope their rivals fail to score decisively.
While these are the only cars capable of winning the title in Portugal, there are plenty of teams and drivers who will be looking to finish their season off with a win. The Team Thor duo of Audunn Gudmundsson and Colin Noble have shown the pace but have yet to stand on the podium in 2024, while former MLMC and ELMS LMP3 Champions Tony Wells and Wayne Boyd scored their first podium of the season in Mugello with Nielsen Racing.
MV2S Racing Are another team looking to finish the season on a high note after the French team scored a famous win in the second Road to Le Mans race in June. RTLM winner Maximus Mayer will be joined by Poland’s Jacek Zielonka once again.
The GT3 grid consists of 11 cars, with five different manufacturers, Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. Ferrari teams have dominated the 2024 season, holding the top three places in the GT3 championship standing after six races and securing the 2024 title.
Victory in Mugello for the no51 AF Corse Ferrari secured the championship title for Americans Alessandro Balzan and Matt Kurzejewski, who have an unassailable 35 points lead heading into the final race of the season.
AF Corse are looking to complete a 1-2 in the championship standings with the no88 AF Corse Ferrari of Spa-Francorchamps race winners Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini, lying in second place, 16 points ahead of the no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Fran Rueda Mateos and Andrew Gilbert on 57.5 points.
The no18 High Class Racing Porsche is in 4thon 56.5 and the no12 Kessel Racing Ferrari on 49.5 points is the only other car capable of overhauling the no88 Ferrari for the vice champion’s position.
British team Blackthorn are another team who have tasted the winners champagne this year, winning the second Road To Le Mans race back in June with the Aston Martin Vantage EVO GT3.The team will be looking to complete their debut season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with another podium finish.
Round 6 of the 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup will be in Portimão on Saturday 19 October, with Qualifying on Friday 18 October.
CLICK HERE for the provisional entry list for the Portimao Round.
