The fourth round of the Lamera Cup begins with a bang with the success of the #73 L’Auto Leclerc after a fierce battle in all three categories.
The Paul Ricard Circuit lived up to its reputation. Under a bright sun and an air temperature of 32°C… to which the cabins were a good ten degrees warmer, the Lamera Cup competitors delivered a first race of 4 hours and 30 minutes that was as physically demanding as it was spectacular on the track. On the fast Var circuit, where long straights and hard braking put the cars to the test, the 29 crews entered had to demonstrate as much speed as composure.
Starting from third position, the #73 L’Auto Leclerc car perfectly constructed its victory. Emmanuel Orgeval, Clément Orgeval, and Benoît Gruau quickly found their rhythm to join the battle with the #62 3TM car, before definitively taking the lead as the stints progressed. Solid in their pit stops and flawless in managing traffic, the 2024 champions crossed the finish line victorious after 106 laps, consolidating their first place in the championship.
The #62 3TM of Wilfried Mérafina, Mattéo Mérafina, and Joffrey Dorchy, despite having secured another pole position that morning, never stopped putting pressure on the eventual winners. Despite a very high pace right up to the checkered flag, it ultimately had to concede defeat by just around twenty seconds, at the end of a very high-level duel.
The Elite podium was completed by the reigning champions of the #1 Continental by Hedonic Racing series. Grégory Fargier, François Couë, and Arnaud Maire delivered a remarkably consistent performance to secure a valuable result in a race where the slightest mistake could have been very costly.
Leclerc’s car in the Mistral wind, Milo in the doldrums
The heat spared no one, but fate once again dealt a cruel blow to Milo Racing. Already without their #71 car before the start due to an engine problem, the Belgian team saw their hopes of victory dashed halfway through the race when the #82 Milo Sens, a declared contender for the podium, lost four laps after a suspension component broke. Kevin Caprasse, Lorenzo Donniacuo, Guillaume Mondron, and Simon Tourneur, however, never gave up, continuing their effort to the finish line to limit the damage in the championship. This setback is unlikely to dampen the determination of a team already focused on the two races on Sunday.
In the other categories, the suspense remained high until the very last moments. With about thirty minutes to go, the battles were still raging in Elite, Pro/Am, and Gentlemen, with only a few seconds separating the contenders for the podium. This was yet another demonstration of the extraordinary depth of competition in the 2026 field.
In Pro/Am, the #29 Astonjet confirmed the excellent form seen in qualifying. Antonio Cristino, Charles Clair, and Paul Levet secured another class victory for their crew after a perfectly executed performance. Behind them, the #50 Fast Kukki Racing car took a strong second place ahead of the #66 CTF XENItrans, which put in a particularly solid finish.
The Gentlemen category also lived up to all expectations. The #68 EMBLEMATIK by RM took the win after a consistent race ahead of the #56 HRT by GL Autosport and the #86 2B Racing, in a battle that remained wide open until the final stints.
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Finally, it’s impossible to conclude without acknowledging the incredible feat achieved by the mechanics of the ever-popular #421 Flash by Hedonic Racing. Suffering an engine failure that seemed to have dashed all hopes of participation, the car ultimately returned to the track at the end of the race after a rapid powertrain replacement. A true tour de force accomplished in the pits, rewarded by a valiant final push on the track. Sometimes, the most remarkable result isn’t found in the standings, but rather in a team’s refusal to give up.
