The #37 Oreca 07 crew of Alexandre Coigny, Nicolas Lapierre and Charles Milesi took a dominant victory in the LMP2 Pro-Am class at the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, after Milesi took the overall pole position on his debut for COOL Racing. The result moves the team up to second in the Pro-Am standings.
In LMP3, Nicolas Maulini, Niklas Krütten and Matt Bell took second in the #19 Ligier JS P320 to hold their championship lead with one round to go.
NICOLAS LAPIERRE, #37 Oreca 07: “It’s been an amazing weekend for COOL Racing across all three categories. Charles was brilliant on debut, taking pole and then putting in a really strong stint. We’re really happy to have him on board. At one point we were looking at an overall podium but the Full Course Yellow didn’t help us, but obviously we’re still delighted to take victory in the Pro-Am class. The #19 crew also had a great race, finishing second and taking another podium. They still hold the championship lead ahead of the final race so we hope they can clinch the title. We think that the Ligier JS P320 will be more suited to Portimao, so hopefully we will be in a good position to take a strong result and the championship. On Saturday the team had an amazing day, finishing 1-2 in Le Mans Cup and Cedric secured two podiums in the Ligier European Series. Overall, it was a great weekend from the whole team, we’ve been putting in so much effort as the only squad to race in all three series. The results recently have been fantastic and we look forward to Portimao.”
ALEXANDRE COIGNY, #37 Oreca 07: “I’m really happy that we won today, it’s been our aim all season so it’s very pleasing to finish on the top step. Charles’ stint was fantastic at the start and then I just had to do my job and keep the car in a straight line for Nico. It’s been a great weekend for the whole team with the results in Michelin Le Mans Cup and Ligier European Series. The team is in a good place at the moment and I’m excited for the future of COOL Racing.”
CHARLES MILESI, #37 Oreca 07 “It was my first time taking the start in an LMP2 car so I was a bit nervous but it went well and I managed to pull a gap straight away. The car felt really strong so we have to be happy with our performance and look ahead to Portimao. Obviously I’m delighted to take pole position on my debut for the team and I want to thank them for giving me this opportunity to race here at Spa.”
NICOLAS MAULINI, #19 Ligier JS P320: “If last night someone told us that we would finish second today we would have taken that offer straight away. I’m happy with my start, the car was good during the entire race, clean and stable. It was great fun to make so many overtakes and to climb back to the front. I had some great battles and the car had a lot of pace so I am happy with this weekend. Our direct competitor for the title won the race, but we did everything we could to limit the damage. We know that they are a strong team but we still hold a 5-point lead going into Portimao. We know they will be dangerous as they have a lot of pace but we will do our best to take the title.”
MATT BELL, #19 Ligier JS P320: “It was another great podium for us, we were the best Ligier in the field, unfortunately we couldn’t do much about the Duqueine in front. We were very strong on the strategy, as has been the case this season. The championship fight is really hot now, we go to Portimao leading but with a smaller advantage than before. We’re up for the fight, we’ve got a great team spirit and I can’t wait to get going in Portimao.”
NIKLAS KRÜTTEN, #19 Ligier JS P320: “Our race was very good overall, Nico did a great job at the start and gained a lot of places. We had a strong strategy, I took over with the car fourth and made a couple of nice moves. It felt good on track and Matt did his usual solid job to bring it home in second. Overall it was a good weekend for us and now we focus on the final race of the season in Portimao.”
COOL Racing took a sensational 1-2 in Saturday’s Michelin Le Mans Cup race, the #37 crew of Antoine Doquin and Josh Skelton leading Matt Bell and Mo Smith in the #69 Ligier JS P320.
ANTOINE DOQUIN, #37 Ligier JS P320: “It feels incredible to finally get a win on the board. We’ve had a lot of bad luck so it’s amazing to stand on the top step of the podium. A big thank you to the entire COOL Racing team, they’ve done an amazing job and have been working so hard since the start of the season. I’m very happy with our performance in the race, I managed to create a big gap in my stint and then Josh drove well to bring it home. I’m also delighted for the team to secure the 1-2, they really deserve it and I’m now so excited for the season finale at Portimao.”
JOSH SKELTON, #37 Ligier JS P320: “It was a mega race for us and for the team, finishing first and second. Antoine had an incredible start, went from third to first at Turn 1 and got his head down and extended the gap. I jumped in the car at the halfway point and managed the gap and the tyres. In the end it all worked out and we crossed the line first. It’s been a long time coming to finally get a result we deserve. Congrats also to Mo and Matt for taking second and a massive thanks to the whole team for putting in so much hard work this season. It finally paid off so this result is as much for them as it is for us.”
MATT BELL, #69 Ligier JS P320: “It’s been a brilliant weekend for COOL Racing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. The team gave us a brilliant car today, Mo performed really well, it was a fantastic stint from him and he brought the car back to me in fifth place. With a good car under me I was able to march forward and secure second and a 1-2 for the team. Huge thanks to COOL Racing and to Mo, this is about as good as it gets so the team should be very proud of their performance.”
Source. SAS CLX MOTORSPORT/Photo. Matthias Schütt
Comments
