GEBHARDT Motorsport achieved two strong results in the Michelin Le Mans Cup races at Le Mans – the team's first podium finish in the international racing series.
The third race weekend of the Michelin Le Mans Cup took place as part of the supporting programme for the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans in front of around 350,000 spectators. GEBHARDT Motorsport entered a Duqueine D09 in the traditional event, which was driven by Valentino Catalano and Oscar Tunjo. The LMP3 and GT3 series had a special race format for the event in Le Mans, with two one-hour races instead of one two-hour race. This was the first time the team from Sinsheim had competed at Le Mans since 1990, when it entered the 24-hour race with a Porsche 962 and retired during the night with a gearbox failure.
In both practice sessions, the team, which won the 2024 Prototype Cup Germany championship, was able to gather important data to perfectly tune the Duqueine for the high-speed Le Mans circuit. Both qualifying segments were interrupted by several red flags, meaning that no fast lap times could be set. The starting grid was therefore determined based on the practice results. ‘We've never experienced anything like this in our long motorsport career,’ said team manager Karl Jennings. ‘We think the Michelin Le Mans Cup urgently needs to work on its driving standards, as there has been a lot of damage in all races so far, which is incredibly costly!’
The car with start number #70 started the first race from sixth place on the grid and was involved in numerous battles for second and higher places throughout the race. Colombian driver Tunjo started the race before Valentino Catalano took over the wheel of the red LMP3 car in the second half. The young driver finished the race in tenth place. After a difficult start to the season with two retirements in Barcelona and Le Castellet, this was the first points finish in the Michelin Le Mans Cup for GEBHARDT Motorsport.
The second race took place on Saturday morning, just before the endurance classic. ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Catalano started from ninth on the grid. In a race that was interrupted by several safety car phases, there was only one direction for GEBHARDT Motorsport: forward! With impressive battles and spectacular manoeuvres, the Duqueine was able to improve its position one by one. Tunjo moved up to third place a few minutes before the end of the race when he was able to pass an opponent just fractions of a second before a neutralisation in the Daytona chicane – the first chicane on the Hunaudières straight. The car was ultimately flagged in third place, and the entire GEBHARDT Motorsport team was ecstatic about its first podium finish in the Michelin Le Mans Cup!
"Standing on this podium at Le Mans is always special! I am proud of the entire team for their performance over the past few days,‘ said Fritz Gebhardt. ’After a difficult start to the season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, it was important for us to show what we are capable of, and to do so at the highlight of the season in Le Mans makes it even better! But anyone who knows us knows that the podium finish is only an incentive for us to work even harder and improve further!"
After three of six race weekends, Valentino Catalano and Oscar Tunjo are eleventh in the LMP3 class of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. The team from Baden is tenth in the team standings. The racing series will resume after a long summer break on 23 August at Spa-Francorchamps.
