Saucy Takes Crucial Portimao Pole For United Autosports

Gregoire Saucy scored a first pole of the season for the European Le Mans Series championship-leading United Autosports crew for this weekend’s 4 Hours of Portimao decider.

Saucy clocked a 1:31.140 in the No. 22 Oreca 07 Gibson to set the pace and extend the advantage for him, Griffin Peebles and Ben Hanley to 14 points.

Alex Lynn was second fastest on his return to action following neck treatment as he ended up four-tenths adrift of Saucy aboard the No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing machine.

Esteban Masson had topped both practice sessions in the No. 29 Forestier Racing by Panis Oreca — the only car that can prevent United Autosports winning the title — but had to make do with third on a 1:31.606.

Next up were the two IDEC Sport machines with Job van Uitert in the No. 28 car two tenths faster than Valerio Rinicella aboard the No. 18 sister car, while Vector Sport’s Vladislav Lomko completed the top-six.

Eight of the 12 LMP2 Pro-Am crews arrived at Portimao in title contention but it was one of the quartet that were not in the championship fight that topped qualifying as Jean Glorieux scored his first ELMS pole in the No. 3 DKR Engineering Oreca.

He posted a 1:33.057 but a late spin for Giorgio Roda in the No. 30 Duqueine Team Oreca hampered his challenge and the three-time 2026 polesitter finished up 0.266 seconds adrift.

Points leader Francois Perrodo aboard the No. 83 AF Corse machine, meanwhile, will only line up ninth.

LMP3, LMGT3 Class Points Leaders Also Secure Poles

The CLX Motorsport and Iron Lynx crews leading the championship in the LMP3 and LMGT3 divisions, respectively, also boosted their title chances by each taking pole.

Louis Iglesias continued his tremendous form in the No. 17 CLX Ligier JS P325 Toyota to grab a third pole having clocked a 1:38.835.

The Frenchman dominated the session but Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen in the No. 5 Rinaldi Racing Ligier eventually closed the gap to 0.289 seconds, while Henry Cubides Olarte in the No. 13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier was third.

The extra point for pole for CLX means only the No. 85 R-ace GP Duqueine D09 Toyota trio can now usurp the points leaders and Pierre-Alexandre Provost put the sole Duqueine fourth on the grid.

Meanwhile, Abdulla Al-Khelaifi secured a fourth LMGT3 pole of the season aboard the No. 62 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, with a 1:43.151 posted in the opening minutes of the session.

Clement Mateu in the No. 59 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo improved in the final stages but fell just 0.062 seconds short of pole.

The No. 75 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo of Matt Kurzejewski was then third fastest, a further tenth of a second back.

The closest challenger to Al-Khelaifi and teammate Julian Hanses in the points arriving at Portimao was the No. 33 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Blake McDonald managed sixth in qualifying in that car, half a second adrift of pole.

Attention now turns towards the 4 Hours of Portimao season finale itself, which is due to get under way at 2:30 p.m. WEST (9:30 a.m. EST) on Saturday.

RESULTS: Qualifying