Realteam Racing wins LMP2 Pro-Am at the 8 Hours of Portimão
After a fine second place at Spa-Francorchamps, the Swiss team took its first victory in the new LMP2 Pro-Am class of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the second round in Portugal.
After a successful first round in Belgium, Esteban Garcia's team arrived at the Lusitanian track with increased ambitions.
Even before putting the Oreca 07 prototype on its wheels and making the Gibson engine roar, the small challenge was the acclimatisation of the reorganised trio of drivers. Indeed, in the absence of Loïc Duval (engaged in the American IMSA endurance championship), Swiss driver Mathias Beche (ELMS champion in 2012, class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 and 3rd overall in 2018) was called in as a backup.
"The arrival and integration of Mathias has been exemplary. He had already been with the team, we both knew each other as well. He discovered Norman and it went very well. This new trio worked well", says Esteban Garcia, owner and driver of the Realteam Racing team.
Although the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is making its first appearance in the FIA WEC, the Portuguese track is no newcomer to the team, as it is a regular feature on the ELMS calendar. The last time Realteam Racing took to the track, it finished on the podium.
With good weather and temperatures around 25°C, the three free practice sessions allowed the team to acclimatise to the rudiments of these rollercoaster-like corners. The whole team raised its game, improving its times session after session, to finish second on the grid in the LMP2 Pro-Am class.
The start was at 11.00am local time. On Sunday 13 June, Norman Nato was at the wheel when the green flag was waved and the pack was unleashed for the 8 Hours of Portimão! It took all the skill of the driver from Cannes to make his way through the pack in the first few minutes of the race.
Evolving in third place in the category until the middle of the race when Mathias Beche took over from Esteban Garcia, the whole team was focused on executing the best possible strategy to get back to the front.
And it is with a flawless driving from the trio of drivers, as opposed to their direct opponents, that Realteam Racing takes the lead of the LMP2 Pro-Am shortly after the 5th hour. The race was a bit agitated in the different categories, but only one safety car was used to evacuate a competitor in a bad situation.
The team was perfect during the pit stops, as Esteban Garcia confirms: "Even if we were getting to know each other for this unique composition of our trio, we confirm all the work that has been done by the team beforehand. We were particularly good during the driver changes. "
In the game of shifted strategies, one of our competitors took over the reins of the category at the beginning of the 7th hour of the race, but had a technical problem half an hour before the chequered flag. After eight hours of racing, Realteam Racing finally got the better of the field, winning the LMP2 Pro-Am class and taking the lead of the World Endurance Championship in this category.
"In an endurance race, the motivation is to go all the way to the end and above all not to give up until the very last second, which is what we did. I'd like to thank the whole team for all the work they've done, the mechanics, our engineer, the support of TDS Racing and of course my teammates," said Esteban Garcia after the race. déclarait Esteban Garcia à l’issue de cette course.
This is a first victory in the LMP2 Pro-Am class, which came at the right time in the second round of the FIA WEC, a result which inevitably puts a smile on Norman Nato's face: "A very good result for the whole team, this first victory, it's really nice to be able to share it with Realteam. We are leading the championship, which is important. It's our strength, we are scoring big points, we have to stay in the race until the end to win the championship. Congratulations to the whole team, to Esteban and Mathias for all the work done, and now, let's go to Monza. "
As for Mathias Beche's freelance work, it couldn't have been more successful, with victory as his reward: "First of all, I am really grateful to Realteam Racing for giving me the opportunity to come back to the FIA WEC. I'm even happier to repay their trust and play my part in this class win for the team. It was a very enjoyable weekend, everything worked well and we were able to overcome a few small setbacks and achieve first place. Personally, it's never easy to get back to such a competitive grid for a One Shot and those 8 hours of racing in Portimão, it was a huge challenge. It makes the victory even more enjoyable. Thanks to Esteban, Norman and the whole team!""
With the jubilation of the podium behind them, it's already time to look ahead to the next round: the 6 Hours of Monza, which will take place on July 18 in the Temple of Speed, a dress rehearsal for the big mass that awaits the team at the end of August and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
