News

PCCF |

Barcelona

News release, November 02, 2020

For its rookie championship season, Austrian team BWT Lechner Racing achieved an impressive level of success, including an overall win for Jaxon Evans, a Pro-Am win for Nicolas Misslin and the team title. This unpredictable final round in Barcelona also saw Victor Weyrich (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) score the Rookie trophy and François Lansard (CLRT) triumph in Am.

Trailing the provisional leader by 18 points at the finish in Barcelona, Jaxon Evans (BWT Lechner Racing) took the start in the race as the fifth of five contenders for victory. Florian Latorre (CLRT) and Ayhancan Güven (Martinet by Alméras) nabbed the first and second spots on the grid in qualifying, further impeding the New Zealander’s chances. Evans’ poor start in the opening race meant he dropped from third to eighth position in the space of one lap. It was then that the Junior Porsche driver launched into a frenzied comeback! Meanwhile, Marvin Klein (Martinet by Alméras) was forced to retire and Latorre incurred a drive-through penalty for cutting the first corner, putting victory well within Evans’ reach. He overtook Güven just 14 minutes from the checkered flag, earning his first win of the season. In the end, Latorre finished 11th and Güven fell to 19th place after a tyre puncture. Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (BWT Lechner Racing) claimed the second step on the podium ahead of Victor Blugeon (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) achieving his best result of the season. Nicolas Misslin (BWT Lechner Racing), Victor Weyrich (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) and François Lansard (CLRT) won their respective categories: Pro-Am, Rookie and Am.

The 10th and final race of the season on Sunday’s programme promised to be a nail-biter and did not disappoint. Florian Latorre was pushed back three spots on the grid for having slowed excessively in Race 1, and also fell victim to a crash at the first corner, losing all possibility of winning. Unfortunately, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Christophe Lapierre (Sébastien Loeb Racing) met the same fate, with the latter losing his chance at the Pro-Am title for good. The 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup France would therefore be decided between Jaxon Evans and Ayhancan Güven. At the finish, 24-year-old Evans won the French Cup, his second after winning the Australian version in 2018. The podium of this last race was rounded out by Marvin Klein ahead of Adam Eteki (CLRT) and Hugo Chevalier (CLRT) earning his second consecutive top 5 finish. Victor Weyrich and Nicolas Misslin confirmed their respective titles in Rookie and Pro-Am with confidence, the latter snatching his third category win in three years with as many teams. The top step on the Am podium was claimed by Emil Caumes (CLRT), but his teammate François Lansard took the championship crown. Once again, this extremely competitive final round and the entire season solidified an undeniably high caliber of competition in the Porsche Carrera Cup France.

PCCF |

Spa-Francorchamps

News release, October 19, 2020

Like last year, the drivers of Team Martinet by Alméras dominated in the Belgian Ardennes at the penultimate round of the 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup France.

With its quick and hilly profile, the Spa-Francorchamps circuit requires true finesse, proven yet again in the fourth round of the 2020 PCCF season. Last year’s winners, Martinet by Alméras teammates Marvin Klein and Ayhancan Güven, have triumphed a second time in a row.

Klein took the pole in Race 1. After the safety car was deployed following an error at the top of the Raidillon by Rookie category leader Evan Spenle (Sebastien Loeb Racing), Klein took the opportunity to overtake at the restart. He held the top spot through the checkered flag for his first win of the season. Güven missed a braking maneuver and returned to the track dangerously, resulting in a five-second penalty and losing him a podium finish. The podium was rounded out by Florian Latorre (CLRT) and Jaxon Evans (BWT Lechner Racing), after the French driver managed to overtake his New Zealander rival.

In Race 1 in Pro-Am, Nicolas Misslin (BWT Lechner Racing), despite proving fastest in qualifying, failed to hold off a determined Sylvain Noël (Racing Technology), and Christophe Lapierre (Sébastien Loeb Racing), third in the class, limited the damage to his championship ranking alone. The Am category was won by Emil Caumes (CLRT) closely followed by Maxence Maurice (IMSA Performance) and François Lansard (CLRT), the latter having at one time pointed in the lead, but ended in third place after incurring a five-second penalty.

Race 2 culminated in a second win at Spa this year for Ayhancan Güven after his victory in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Florian Latorre took the second spot in the wake of yet another duel with Jaxon Evans. Having started in fourth position on the grid, Race 1 winner Marvin Klein lost three places during the start, forcing him to execute several overtakings during the race. In the last laps, he faced off against Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (BWT Lechner Racing) and finished in fourth place ahead of Adam Eteki (CLRT) and Evan Spenle, rectifying his mistake of the day before by securing his first win of the season in the Rookie category.

The suspense in Race 2 Pro-Am was breathtaking thanks to a new three-way battle between Christophe Lapierre, Nicolas Misslin and Sylvain Noël. Eventually, the first two incurred a five-second penalty each for failure to respect track limits, giving Noël his second win of the weekend. In the Am category, pole-sitter François Lansard once again claimed the top step on the podium, for his fourth victory of the season, ahead of Steve Brooks (CLRT). Maxence Maurice, initially third at the finish line, was downgraded due to technical non-compliance.

PCCF |

Paul Ricard

News release, October 05, 2020

Held at the circuit in Le Castellet, within the framework of the French Championship of Circuits, this third round included three extremely animated races and crowned as many winners. Now that the mid-season milestone has passed, the fight for the title is in full swing…

A weekend of domination could have allowed one of the favorites of the Porsche Carrera Cup France to take the lead in the title race. With three races on the programme at Paul Ricard, the third was very important for the attribution of considerable points. However, the circuit lived up to its reputation, giving rise to some superb passe d’armes, and consecrating three different winners, including two new ones. If Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (BWT Lechner Racing) had taken the lead in the provisional overall classification, he would have been only one point behind Ayhancan Güven (Martinet by Alméras), the two-time defending champion, whereas the top five are still within fourteen points, with four races to go. The rest of the season promises to be thrilling!

Adam Eteki (CLRT) won Race 1 of the weekend, earning his first victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup France. The 2019 Junior PCCF had already confirmed he was capable of impressive showings thanks to the 24 Hours of Le Mans pre-race. Qualified in third position on the starting grid, Eteki executed a stunning start to the benefit of teammate and pole-sitter Florian Latorre (CLRT), dispensing of Marvin Klein (Martinet by Alméras) in the second lap. The 18-year-old went on to claim the top step on the podium ahead of Klein and Jaxon Evans (BWT Lechner Racing), with Ayhancan Güven and Florian Latorre completing the top 5. After damaging his car, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer failed to climb higher than sixth place. In Pro-Am, Christophe Lapierre (Sébastien Loeb Racing) and Nicolas Misslin (BWT Lechner Racing) faced off once again in the final seconds, and François Lansard (CLRT) translated pole position to a win in the Am category.

After a perfect start in Race 1, Florian Latorre transformed his fifth pole position of the season into an overall win in Race 2, giving the young team CLRT its second triumph of the weekend. New Zealander Jaxon Evans at the wheel of the 911 GT3 Cup was no match for Latorre. Meanwhile, the battle also raged between Ayhancan Güven, Marvin Klein, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Adam Eteki for second place. Penalized by one second after the finish for having taken advantage in the chicane, Güven ceded the last step on the podium to Klein and fourth place to Simmenauer. Victor Weyrich (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) scored a decisive win in the Rookie category despite strong opposition by newcomer Ugo Gazil (Pierre Martinet by Alméras). Nicolas Misslin’s impressive speed rewarded him with a first victory in Pro-Am, and François Lansard, in top form this weekend, triumphed in Am.

Race 3 saw Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer’s first win in the Porsche Carrera Cup France despite numerous podium finishes. Having started from pole position thanks to his best lap in Race 2, the 19-year-old French driver’s performance proved he is a contender for the championship title. Ayhancan Güven held second place for some time, but eventually succumbed to pressure from Florian Latorre. In the end, however, Jaxon Evans gave his team, a newcomer in this year’s Porsche Carrera Cup France, a stunning double victory along with the second Pro-Am win for BWT Lechner Racing teammate Nicolas Misslin. Emil Caumes (CLRT) managed to terminate the series of three consecutive wins for François Lansard in the Am category.

The 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup France will now head to Belgium for two races at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit on 16-18 October.

PCCF |

Paul Ricard

News release, October 05, 2020

After the Le Mans round, the upcoming three races at the Paul Ricard circuit, part of the French Circuits Championship, are certain to be yet another highlight of the 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup France season.

This third round on the PCCF calendar, after Magny-Cours and Le Mans, is crucial in determining who will secure a title in the championship. The mid-season mark will have been reached after these three Paul Ricard races. Drivers and teams are well aware of the importance of a good performance with the 911 GT3 Cup car on this track, namely at the Courbe de Signes and Double Droite du Beausset. These are only two of the turns that make the Le Castellet circuit one of the most beautiful and challenging in France.

In the wake of his second win of the season, Ayhancan Güven (Martinet by Alméras) is well on his way to a third consecutive championship title, though Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (BWT Lechner Racing) is currently leading by seven points. The 19-year-old Frenchman has made remarkable progress since his first Porsche Carrera Cup France in 2018, with fourth place as best result that year. This season, Simmenauer has reached the podium at every round and is looking forward to his first overall win. To achieve that goal, he will need to triumph over drivers like Florian Latorre (CLRT), who had a difficult race at Le Mans despite scoring the pole, Jaxon Evans (BWT Lechner Racing), pushed off-track at Le Mans, and Marvin Klein (Martinet by Alméras) who has also suffered his share of setbacks this year (flat tyre at Magny-Cours, penalty at Le Mans). Adam Eteki (CLRT), the 2019 Junior Porsche Carrera Cup France winner, will be keen to capitalize on his recent performance at the Le Mans round.

Twenty-three drivers will hit the track at the Paul Ricard circuit, including Clément Mateu (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) in Pro-Am. Two-time defending champion Nicolas Misslin (BWT Lechner Racing) is still chasing his first win of the season in this category with a three-way battle against Christophe Lapierre (Sébastien Loeb Racing) and Sylvain Noël (Racing Technology) clearly on the horizon. Eclectic driver Steve Brooks (CLRT) will finally participate in Am, currently led by Emil Caumes (CLRT), though Maxence Maurice (IMSA Performance) proved particularly adept at navigating very difficult weather conditions at the Le Mans round.

See you this Saturday, October 3 at 10:40 for the 30-minute qualifying session. The races are scheduled for Saturday (15:55-16:25) and Sunday (10:15-10:45 and 15:25-15:55), and every competitor is ready to unleash his 485 horses on the Mistral straight!

PCCF |

2020 Le Mans

News release, September 19, 2020

The scene of the second round of the 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup France season, the run-up race to 24 Hours of Le Mans, lived up to its reputation with plenty of action and excitement!

Despite being delayed from June to September due to the pandemic, the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans lost none of its unpredictability! After yesterday’s practice session, which saw Florian Latorre (CLRT) take the pole as he did in 2017, the 52 competitors hit a wet track for the only race of this second round of the 2020 Porsche Carrera Cup France, which also counted for the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.

The weather caused grip and visibility conditions and put drivers to the test as they took on the most famous race of the season! Seventeen-year-old Loek Hartog (Bas Koeten Racing), from the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, had the best start along with recent Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup winner Larry ten Voorde (Nebulus Racing by Huber). Ayhancan Güven (Martinet by Alméras), fourth on the starting grid, nabbed the lead from Florian Latorre in the third lap.

Whereas the battle for victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans was limited to a three-way fight between Hartog, ten Voorde and Leon Köhler (T3/HRT Motorsport), the battle for supremacy in the Porsche Carrera Cup France saw Latorre lose ground little by little. On the other hand, Güven held his position expertly, even fighting for an overall podium despite the efforts of Jaxon Evans (BWT Lechner Racing) before the latter was spurned by an opponent. Marvin Klein, Güven’s Martinet by Alméras teammate who started from 10th position, also threatened, even taking the lead in the Mulsanne Straight in the last lap. In the end, Güven scored his second win of the season after Magny-Cours, improving his chances in the championship.

After the checkered flag, Klein received a five-second penalty for a crash earlier in the race, giving remarkable Adam Eteki (CLRT) in fifth a second place finish in the Porsche Carrera Cup France. The 2019 Junior Porsche Carrera Cup France, held at one of the most demanding circuits in the world, saw Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (BWT Lechner Racing) accompany him on the podium, after a very successful weekend (ninth in qualifying). A result that allowed the 19-year-old Frenchman to become the runner-up to Güven in the provisional national classification. Klein and American driver Jaden Conwright (Dinamic Motorsport) trailed in fourth and fifth places, respectively. Twelfth under the checkered flag, Latorre was forced to settle for sixth place ahead of Richard Wagner (BWT Lechner Racing) and 2020 Junior Porsche Carrera Cup France winner Victor Weyrich (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) adding a respectable 16th place finish to his Rookie category win against Evan Spenle (Sébastien Loeb Racing).

In Pro-Am, Sylvain Noël (Racing Technology), who made an impressive comeback last week in Magny-Cours, could do no wrong on a track that had already seen him take the overall win in 2010. Nicolas Misslin (BWT Lechner Racing), his runner-up on the starting grid, was forced to return to pit lane after a tyre puncture so the category podium was rounded out by Christophe Lapierre (Sébastien Loeb Racing) and Jérôme Boullery (Racing Technology). In Am, pole-sitter François Lansard (CLRT) triumphed ahead of Franck Leherpeur (Racing Technology) and Tugdual Rabreau (CLRT). Special mention goes to Maxence Maurice (IMSA Performance) who had an excellent showing before getting hit by another driver.

After this undeniable highlight of the season, the drivers now have a few days to recover before competing at the three races of the third round at Paul Ricard (2-4 October) within the framework of the French Circuits Championship.

Ayhancan Güven (Martinet by Alméras), Winner Porsche Carrera Cup France: “It is always a special feeling to race on this 24 Hours track, in the run-up to such an event. It was my second participation in Le Mans after 2017, the first time I drove here in the rain and I really enjoyed racing in these conditions. I am all the happier because the result allows me to take the lead in the championship before the triple meeting at Paul Ricard where we will pass the mid-season mark.”