Saturday 2 July sees the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza host the fourth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup with a 110-minute race on Europe’s oldest race circuit with thirty-seven cars are due to take the start – 30 LMP3 and 7 GT3 entries.
LMP3
The LMP3 grid will feature 22 Nissan powered Ligier JS P320 and 8 Duqueine M30-D08.
After two podium finishes at the Road to Le Mans, including victory in the first race, Tom Dillmann and Alexander Mattschull hold an 18-point championship lead in the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman Ligier. The Round 1 winning crew will be hoping for better luck in the second Italian race on the 2022 calendar after failing to score in Round 2 in Imola last May.
The #69 Cool Racing Ligier of Maurice Smith and Malthe Jakobsen are currently lying in second place overall on 31 points following their victory in Imola, just six ahead of reigning champions Colin Noble and Tony Wells in the #7 Nielsen Racing Ligier.
The 3rd to 6th placed cars are split by just 4 points with the #23 United Autosports Ligier on 24 points, the #29 MV2S Forestier Racing Ligier on 23 and the #11 WTM Racing Duqueine on 21 points.
Freddie Hunt and Mads Siljehaug had a good run at Le Mans in the #76 Reiter Engineering Ligier, finishing 5th after leading for several laps in the first race and then finishing second overall in the second race but taking the maximum 15 points as they were the first MLMC entered car past the chequered flag.
There are three crew changes to report for Monza:
Shaun Lynn is otherwise engaged at Le Mans Classic and is replaced in the #2 United Ligoier by Andrew haddon who will race alongside Shaun’s son Max.
The #9 AT Racing Team Ligier sees Alexander Talkanitsa (Jr) joined by none other than Charles Milesi!
And the Racing Reverend makes his Le Mans Cup debut, Hampshire vicar Simon Butler steps in for the second half of the season in the #53 RLR MSport Ligier – his team-mate is yet to be confirmed.
GT3
Once again, the GT3 grid will feature quality over quantity, with Honda versus Ferrari versus Porsche versus Aston Martin.
With two podium finishes at Road to Le Mans, including victory in the second race of the weekend, the #55 GMB Motorsport Honda NSX GT3 of Kasper H Jensen and Kristian Poulsen moved back into the championship lead with 59 points, 8 points ahead of their teammates Gustav Birch and Jens Moller in the #44 Honda.
The #99 Bullitt Racing Aston Martin Vantage also had a good run at Le Mans with Valentin Hasse-Clot claiming pole position in the first race of the weekend and then securing a podium finish in race 2 for Hasse-Clot and Stephen Pattrick to head to Monza in third place in the championship standings with 45 points. It will be Valentin once again to join Pattrick at Monza.
The #46 Ebimotors Porsche 911 GT3 R also had a good Road to Le Mans with Fabio Babini and Emanuele Busnelli standing on the top step of the podium in race 1 and then finishing fourth in race 2 and are 4th in the championship standings on 44 points, just 15 points behind the #55 GMB Motorsport Honda.
Italian team AF Corse will be running two Ferrari 488 GT3 at the home of the Prancing Horse, with Andrea Montermini racing with Swiss driver Gino Forgione for his home event.
The Monza Round of the 2022 Michelin Le Mans Cup will take place on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd July, with two free practice sessions on Friday followed by qualifying and the race on Saturday.
