UPDATE: The results of the race are now final, but the LMP3 winner has been changed, with MRacing’s #13 Ligier dropped to seventh with a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with the #67 T2 Duqueine at the end of the race.
This promoted the #62 Bretton Racing Ligier to first, the #87 COOL Racing Ligier to second and the More Motorsport JS P320 to the podium.
The final classification also confirms the change in GT3 winner, with the #88 AF Corse handed the win and the #51 sister car demoted to second for a track limits violation.
Original story: MRacing’s #13 Ligier JS P320 of Romano Ricci and Alexandre Cougnaud emerged victorious in a chaotic Le Mans Cup race at Spa this afternoon, which featured a constant stream of incidents and penalties, three safety cars totalling 40 minutes and 15 retirements.
The MRacing Ligier ended up taking the win with a last-gasp pass at the Bus Stop on the final lap after a safety car restart, when Cougnaud darted past both T2 Racing’s Samir Ben who found himself leading out of nowhere because its pit stop was 40 seconds off the minimum time.
Cougnaud knew the T2 Duqueine had been dealt a penalty for the pit infringement by that point, but decided to make the move anyway.
That was one of a flurry of moves made at the very end of the race, which included a brave move by Bretton Racing’s Theodor Jensen to get past COOL Racing’s Adrien Closmenil and Ben in the run to the line.
Jensen secured second with his final push, Closmenil ended up third and the T2 D08 dropped to 17th overall (15th in class) after its stop-go was converted into a time penalty post-race.
“It was quite a good start, Turn 1 is always tricky and I had luck. Then I had enough pace to run away. We did a good job, it’s a pleasure to win, my first in Michelin Le Mans Cup,” Ricci, who took the start in the winning car, said.
“It was hard until the last corner, I knew the car in front was going to get a penalty so I managed it until the end,” added Cougnaud.
Just off the podium it was a strong race for More Motorsport which finished fourth after a sensible run by its father-son duo, ahead of the #71 Rinaldi Ligier that came home fifth after the post-race timing screen shuffle.
In GT3 it was an AF Corse 1-2, with the #51 championship-leading 296 taking the win on the road before being dealt a time penalty for a track limits violation.
Alessandro Balzan and Matthew Kurzejewski took the top step on the podium and, at the time of writing, are still shown as the winners on the screens, but the penalty has been dealt and the order is set to change.
The penalty should see them drop to second behind the sister car of Riccardo Agostini and Custodio Toldeo, which enjoyed a strong trouble-free run in the #88.
The podium places were completed by the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari which made it a podium sweep for the Italian brand.
Unfortunately, this was yet another Le Mans Cup race that was more frustrating than entertaining. It was spoiled by a string of incidents which seemingly began the moment the cars pulled away from the grid to start the warm up lap.
The race clock was actually turned on behind the safety car conditions at the start, as a fuel leak on the grid for the #26 Bretton Racing Ligier prompted race control to add additional formation laps.
When the race did eventually go green with 1h 45m left on the clock the run through La Source featured a multi-car incident. It caused damage to multiple cars and saw a further gaggle take to the gravel at the exit of the corner in avoidance.
The main collision involved the pole-sitting R-ace GP Duqueine, which was t-boned by the #2 CD Sport Ligier of Shahan Sarkissian at the apex. The damage forced the R-ace GP team into retirement. Its wait for a first win in 2024 continues.
The crash also meant an early bath for the #66 Rinaldi and #7 Nielsen P3s. The #34 Inter Eurpol and #26 Bretton Ligiers meanwhile, failed to take the start.
The Turn 1 crash wasn’t the only incident early in the race that reduced the number of cars, as the #44 Team Virage Ligier of Georgios was nailed at the Bus Stop by Steller Motorsport’s Josh Caygill after a spin.
Caygill was blindsided on entry and left with nowhere to go, hitting the front-end of the Ligier. The subsequent damage saw Steller retire its Duqueine.
Later in the race there were plenty of other incidents to report too, including a big off for Tommy Foster in the #20 High Class Ligier at Les Combes after clipping the Proton Huber Porsche, an off at Blanchimont for the Iron Dames Lamborghini and mechanical failure for the #28 MV2S JS P320 in the closing stages.
There was also an off for the GG Classics Ligier and an incident at Speakers Corner on the penultimate lap involving the #43 Inter Europol Ligier and Steller Motorsport Audi that started from pole and ran high up the order for most of the race.
With so much to mop up post-race, it could be a while before a final classification is available.
Next up on the calendar is the round at Mugello on September 29th.
Image courtesy of Le Mans Cup
