Graff Loses Paul Ricard Podium to Drive Time Infraction

The Graff Oreca 07 Gibson that finished second on the road in Sunday’s European Le Mans Series season-opener has lost its podium result due to a drive time infraction.

Silver-rated driver Alexandre Cougnaud did not complete enough time behind the wheel of the Graff car, which he shared with Thomas Laurent and James Allen.

Competitors of Cougnaud’s rating were required to complete at least one hour and 10 minutes during the four-hour race, while the French driver clocked in at one-hour, three minutes and 54 seconds.

This resulted in three laps being added to the Graff car’s total, based on dividing the missing six minutes and six seconds of drive time by Cougnaud’s personal best lap.

The penalty has dropped Graff to ninth out of the ten LMP2 cars that finished, while G-Drive Racing has been elevated to second position behind the winning United Autosports crew.

United’s second car, which finished fourth on the road in the hands of Phil Hanson and Filipe Albuquerque, has been promoted to third.

Graff’s penalty has also pushed Cool Racing up to fourth and LMP2 debutant Richard Mille Racing into the top five.