This year, the Porsche Carrera Cup France returned to the Circuit Paul Ricard for its final round. After an action-packed season, the outcome in the Var region was eagerly awaited.
Arriving at Le Castellet with a 12-point gap between Marcus Amand and Mathys Jaubert, nothing was decided. Not to mention that mathematically, four drivers were still in contention for the championship title. Marvin Klein and Paul Cauhaupé could also won the crown.
Benjamin Paque (TFT Racing), who was in pole position for a short time during qualifying, saw his time beaten by Mathys Jaubert (Martinet by Alméras) and then Marcus Amand (CLRT Schumacher) in the final minutes. The Finnish driver was the only one to break the 2’04 barrier and scored two crucial points in the title fight.
With the two championship leaders on the front row, the start promised to be particularly intense. And so it proved, as they engaged in a fierce battle from the very outset. Third at the start, Benjamin Paque took advantage of this battle to slip through and take the lead. After several collisions, the two rivals also opened the way for Paul Cauhaupé and Marvin Klein’s ABMs.
Paul Cauhaupé and then Marvin Klein took advantage of Benjamin Paque, whose car was damaged at the front. Once in the lead, the two teammates battled it out for victory. Without its front blade, the Junior PCCF 2024 was unable to resist the double champion. On home turf, Marvin Klein won for the second time this season and made good progress in the drivers’ and teams’ standings.
In the pack, Marcus Amand and Mathys Jaubert were neck and neck. In a relentless battle, they lost time and saw Louis Perrot (Schumacher CLRT) and Chester Kieffer (CLRT Schumacher) close in behind them. As the chequered flag waved, the Franco-Finnish driver was fourth, while the 2023 PCCF Junior lost more time due to damage to his Porsche. He finished eighth. After the race, the stewards imposed penalties on both drivers. Marcus Amand dropped to nineteenth place and failed to score any points. Mathys Jaubert was fourteenth. This turnaround allowed the two ABM drivers to close the gap to less than twenty points behind the championship leader.
In the Rookie category, Chester Kieffer took the title but not the victory. A post-race penalty allowed Joran Leneutre (Racing Technology) and Enzo Joulié (Martinet by Alméras) to pass him, but both were also penalised. The win went to Georgi Dimitrov (TFT Racing), who was competing in his very first Porsche Carrera Cup France race. Mathys Cappuccio (ABM) finished second ahead of the Racing Technology driver.
At the start of Race 2, there were still four drivers in contention for the title and to succeed Alessandro Ghiretti. Starting from pole position, Marcus Amand once again had to defend his position against Mathys Jaubert. The positions changed hands in the first lap of the race until a collision in the final corner caused the Martinet by Alméras driver to lose time. On the next lap, he was hit by Louis Perrot and had to retire, ending his hopes of winning the title.
Marcus Amand built up a comfortable lead at the front of the race, allowing him to manage his tyre wear and pace. In complete control, the CLRT Schumacher driver went on to claim his third victory of the season to secure the title. On the roof of his car, the new champion celebrated.
The double podium finish of Marvin Klein and Paul Cauhaupé gave ABM its first ever team title at the end of a splendid season for the Haute-Savoie-based team.
Chester Kieffer, the new Rookie champion, ended the season with an impressive record of ten wins in twelve races in his category. Enzo Joulié and Georgi Dimitrov joined him on the podium for this final race.
Marc Guillot retained his Pro-Am crown. Despite his rival Jérôme Boullery’s two pole positions, the ABM driver crossed the finish line in Race 1, a prerequisite for winning the title. However, the Dijon native was unable to compete with a particularly fast Jérôme Boullery at the Circuit Paul Ricard. The Racing Technology driver from Nantes won twice, exactly how he wanted to end the season. Cyril Caillo (Racing Technology) finished third.
The Am title was officially confirmed in the Parc Fermé! Initially second, Éric Debard finally took first place after Jean-Philippe Gambaro (ABM) was penalised. The Debard Automobiles by Racetivity representative became Am Champion! The French Gentleman adds another line to his list of achievements. The big loser was Jordan Boisson. After being hit during Race 2, the TFT Racing driver finished third, not enough to clinch the first title of his career.