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European Le Mans Series

ELMS Titles to Be Decided at Portimao Finale

ELMS titles to be decided in all three classes at Portimao…

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Championships in all three classes of the European Le Mans Series will be decided this weekend in the season-ending Four Hours of Portimao. 

While the final round of the season remains in Portugal, it will take place at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao having moved from Estoril.

ENTRY LIST: 4H Portimao

G-Drive Racing’s Leo Roussel and Memo Rojas enjoy an 18-point lead in the LMP2 standings ahead of United Autosports drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer and will need just a fifth place finish or higher to clinch the title.

The No. 22 G-Drive Oreca 07 Gibson is yet to finish outside the top two this season although third driver Ryo Hirakawa is out of title contention after missing two races.

United Autosports leads LMP3, meanwhile, with its No. 2 Ligier JS P3 Nissan driven by Sean Rayhall and John Falb.

They have a 19-point advantage over M.Racing – YMR’s Alexandre Cougnaud, Antoine Jung and Romano Ricci, who have yet to score a class win this year.

A sixth place or better class finish would wrap up the title for the American duo.

The battle in GTE is much closer with just one point separating the TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage GTE from JMW Motorsport’s Ferrari 488 GTE.

Championship leaders Nicki Thiim, Euan Hankey and Salih Youloc are coming off a season-low 5th place class finish at Spa, which has seen their points advantage dwindle.

JMW’s Jody Fannin and Robert Smith will again be joined by Will Stevens, who took the team’s Ferrari to class victory at Le Mans alongside Smith.

Both Spirit of Race Ferraris and the Beechdean AMR Aston Martin also have a mathematical chance at the title, although unlikely.  

Few changes have been made to the entry list since last month’s race, although Beechdean AMR has announced that Immanuel Vinke will replace Ross Gunn in its Aston Martin.

Track action at Portimao will get underway on Friday ahead of the race on Sunday.

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.

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