24h Le Mans
On Sunday 24 October, the 4 Hours of Portimão will bring the curtain down on the 2021 European Le Mans Series season with what is shaping up to be an exciting race. No fewer than 41 cars will take to the Algarve track where titles in LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3 and LMGTE are still to be decided.
Orlen Team WRT scooped the ELMS LMP2 Driver and Team titles at Spa-Francorchamps last month. However, no fewer than six titles are waiting to be claimed at the 2021 season finale, the 4 Hours of Portimão. All is still to play for in LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3 and LMGTE.
A 41-strong field entered by 28 different teams will see 120 drivers from 31 countries take to the Portuguese racetrack. The home nation will be represented by one of those teams – Algarve Pro Racing – and one driver, Rui Andrade, who currently leads the race to the LMP2 Pro/Am title with his American teammate, John Falb.
There is still plenty at stake in LMP2 as G-Drive Racing (#26 Aurus 01-Gibson), Panis Racing (#65 Oreca 07-Gibson), United Autosports (#22 Oreca 07-Gibson) and Duqueine (#30 Oreca 07-Gibson) vie for the runner-up spot behind Orlen Team WRT that will offer them an automatic ticket to the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans. . G-Drive Racing’s #25 Aurus 01-Gibson leads the Pro/Am class ahead of the #37 Oreca 07-Gibson fielded by Cool Racing. Gustavo Menezes will join forces with Falb and Andrade to help them secure the title whereas Charles Milesi, LMP2 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is set to make his second appearance with Cool Racing. Milesi will team up with Alexandre Coigny and Nicolas Lapierre.
Seventeen cars will line up in LMP3 with a straight fight between Cool Racing’s #19 Ligier and DKR Engineering’s #4 Duqueine for the title. Seven Ferrari 488 GTE Evos, two Porsche 911 RSR-19s and a solitary Aston Martin Vantage AMR will make up the LMGTE field. The Iron Lynx #80 Ferrari driven by Miguel Molina, Rino Mastronardi and Matteo Cressoni holds a 20-point lead over the AF Corse #88 entry. Spirit Of Race’s #55 Ferrari lies a further four points in arrears. Two invitations to the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans will be awarded to the top two teams at the end of the race.
Check out the full entry list for the 4 Hours of Portimão.
The race, scheduled to start at 14:00 on Sunday 24 October, will be the second event of the season with fans in attendance.
For further information, head to the European Le Mans Series official site.
