IRON LYNX TAKES PODIUM AND ELMS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT IMOLA

Iron Lynx navigated an action-packed weekend across Europe, racing in in the LMP2 and LMGT3 classes of the European Le Mans Series at Imola, alongside competing in the French Rally Championship.

European Le Mans Series

LMP2

In the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series, Germany’s Jonas Ried started the race after qualifying 13th, and executed a strong opening stint to take the #9 Iron Lynx – Proton into the top 10. After running as high as ninth, Jonas performed his first pitstop after 40 minutes of running, but lost ground following a spin shortly after rejoining the circuit.

Falling to 13th, Jonas was able recover to 12th before handing the car over to Matteo Cairoli one hour and 22 minutes into the four-hour race. In a strong stint, Matteo was able to return to the top 10 and was a constant presence in the fight for ninth.

After unfortunately slipping to 11thin the pit phase, the Italian continued to press forward and swapped places with France’s Macéo Capietto with one hour remaining. Macéo staged a strong recovery to move into ninth, but unfortunately stopped on track only 16 minutes from the finish, failing to see the chequered flag.

LMGT3

In LMGT3, Hiroshi Hamaguchi started the Four Hours of Imola for the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini crew and showed strong pace by holding third over the course of the opening hour. Hiroshi cemented his place inside the top three during his second stint, and handed the car over to team-mate Axcil Jefferies with two hours and 22 minutes remaining.

Axcil rejoined the race in a net third and defended his place on the podium deftly from the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari, but unfortunately lost the position shortly into the penultimate hour. Despite completing a triple stint on the same set of tyres, however, the Zimbabwean remained in touch with the #57, and jumped the crew in the pitlane when Andrea Caldarelli leapt into the cockpit of the #63 for the final hour.

Now in fourth after being overcut by the #97 Aston Martin, Andrea set out in pursuit of a place on the podium but quickly faced mounting pressure from behind in the form of Daniel Serra in the #57. Despite defending well on extensively worn tyres, Andrea unfortunately lost fourth in the final 10 minutes and took fifth place at the chequered flag.

However, penalties for the third and fourth-placed cars elevated the #63 into third place, to continue the team’s podium run to begin the season.

With a top three result, the #63 crew moved into first position in the LMGT3 Standings after scoring 48 points in three races. Hiroshi, Axcil, and Andrea will resume their season on 25 August with the Four Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

French Rally Championship

To the north-west of Imola, Iron Lynx also contested the fifth round of the French Rally Championship, Rallye Aveyron Rouergue – Occitanie. 

Although both Jean-Baptiste Franceschi and Jules Escartefigue, and Réhane Gany and Franck Le Floch showed strong speed in their Ford Fiesta Rally2s, fortune failed to favour the Frenchmen who were restricted to seventh and ninth overall respectively.

Jean-Baptiste held an impressive fifth after two stages but, for the second rally in a row, a puncture halted his progress. Dropping all the way down to 65th place, his comeback was mighty and with a string of top-three stage times, including the fastest time on the final test, he was able to recover to seventh place.

Réhane had been holding his own in fifth after the first day, but a power-steering problem on Saturday morning cost the 22-year-old close to four minutes. With the problem fixed for the afternoon, he was able to salvage ninth.