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Habsburg and Vesti to join Garcia for the 24 ELMS Campaign

Habsburg and Vesti to join Garcia for the 24 ELMS Campaign

by | Jan 11, 2024 | European LMS

COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport will field a second entry in the European Le Mans Series LMP2 Pro class alongside the #37 ORECA 07 and the #17 Ligier JS P320, two-time champion in the LMP3 class. The #47 will be driven by an international lineup of drivers composed of Alejandro Garcia, of Mexico, Ferdinand Habsburg, of Austria, and Frederik Vesti, of Denmark. With a mix of youth and experience, the trio of drivers will be looking to compete at the top end of a record entry list of 43 competitors!

Champions at the wheel!
Twenty-year-old Alex Garcia is entering his second season with COOL Racing and will again be racing in the ELMS while also taking the next step in his career. Following a stellar year that saw him take the LMP3 class championship with three wins and two podiums in six races alongside Marcos Siebert and Adrien Chila, the young Mexican driver will be making the step up to the top class. It’s a logical step in his driving career, having also raced in single-seater series, including the highly competitive FIA F3 championship.

Another champion, Ferdinand Habsburg, will be driving the #47 ORECA 07! Following early success in single- seaters, the Salzburg native has become a top name in endurance sportscar racing. Aged 26, he holds one LMP2 victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2021), the World Endurance Championship and Asian Le Mans Series titles that same year, and the European Le Mans Series title in 2022, with four wins. Ferdi’ will be making his return to full time racing with a double programme, as he is also an official Alpine driver in WEC’s Hypercar class.

Vesti to discover endurance sportscars…
Already teammates in the Asian LMS, Garcia and Habsburg will be joined by a newcomer to the world of endurance, Frederik Vesti. The 21-year-old Danish star will be making his debut in the discipline. He has shown his speed in single-seaters having shone in Danish F4 in 2017 as well as being crowned champion in the Formula Regional European Championship with 13 victories and 10 poles in 2019. Since 2021, Vesti has been a member of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Junior programme, notching four wins in F3 before tasting success in F2, finishing second in the 2023 championship with no fewer than 6 wins.

With three entries in the European Le Mans Series, COOL Racing continues its heavy presence in the championship. As it has done since its creation, the team is showing its ambitious spirit with drivers that are young and talented. « We are thrilled and proud to have confirmed such talented driver lineups for the 2024 season. » explains Nicolas Lapierre, the team’s co-founder. « The backbone of the team is identical, with youth and an obvious sporting potential. It’s important for us to stay with Alex, who continues his development with us and he will be able to count on Ferdi’s experience. Frederik fits well within our philosophy and we can be ambitious in our objectives. Now, all of this must translate to the track in a category that’s more and more competitive. We’ve reinforced our technical organisation in these last few seasons and we’re hoping to capitalise on the experience gained. The 2024 season, with two LMP2 Pro and one LMP3, is an important one for the team. »

Malthe Jakobsen continues the adventure with COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport

Malthe Jakobsen continues the adventure with COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport

by | Nov 20, 2023 | European LMS

COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport has finalized the driver line-up for its #37 ORECA 07 which will compete in the 2024 European Le Mans Series. Malthe Jakobsen, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies junior driver, will join Spanish driver Lorenzo Fluxa and Japanese driver Ritomo Miyata to form an ambitious trio in the LMP2 Pro class. The Dane will be defending the team’s colors for the third consecutive year.

« A solid driver line-up »
An absolute revelation in 2022 winning the LMP3 European Le Mans Series championship and six pole positions in as many qualifying sessions with the #17 Ligier JS P320, Malthe Jakobsen took the next step in 2023, racing in the LMP2 Pro/Am class. He had an impressive debut with a victory at the 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi, two wins in ELMS, a podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as four fastest race laps with the #37 ORECA 07, not to mention a runner-up spot in the championship. Having been named junior driver for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, and integrating the testing program in the Peugeot 9X8, the Danish driver will take the next step in 2024. He will compete in the LMP2 Pro category, alongside Lorenzo Fluxa, who began his career in single-seaters, and Ritomo Miyata, current double-champion in Super GT and Super Formula.

« I am particularly excited to be continuing my collaboration with COOL Racing after two seasons together already in ELMS. I know the team well, including the technical staff and I am happy to be continuing in this great atmosphere, which is both very professional on a sporting level, and excellent on a human level. It is a new step for me, going from LMP2 Pro/Am to LMP2 Pro. We form a solid driver line-up, with Ritomo, Lorenzo and myself. So together, we will have one objective: the LMP2 championship title. »

With a young driver line-up – 18 years old for Lorenzo Fluxa, 20 years old for Malthe Jakobsen and 24 years old for Ritomo Miyata – and racing performance, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport will have high hopes for 2024. « I’m happy and proud of the trio of drivers we’ve been able to assemble for the #37 ORECA 07 » confirms Nicolas Lapierre, co-founder of the team. « We want to progress from year to year and always do better. The level of competition in the European Le Mans Series is looking to be even higher next season so we’re trying get the best elements together, both with the drivers and the technical staff. We know Malthe well and we count on him and his capacity to continue his upward trajectory. The 2023 season confirmed all of the qualities we saw in him. We’re continuing the adventure together, and I’m thrilled. »

In parallel to the #37 ORECA 07 entry, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport has lodged additional entries in the European Le Mans Series for the #47 ORECA 07 as well as the #17 Ligier JS P320, which will defend the LMP3 championship title, after taking the 2022 and 2023 honors.

Ritomo Miyata strengthens COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport for 2024 !

Ritomo Miyata strengthens COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport for 2024 !

by | Nov 14, 2023 | European LMS

Having competed in the European Le Mans Series since the team’s founding, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport will again be taking part in the series in 2024. Following the the announcement of driver Lorenzo Fluxa a few weeks ago, the team will also rely on the presence of TOYOTA driver Ritomo Miyata. The 24-year-old Japanese driver will drive the #37 ORECA 07 in the LMP2 class.

Double champion in Super GT and Super Formula!
COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport continues to build on its sporting program for 2024 including its driver line-ups. Ritomo Miyata’s arrival is an ambitious move from the team to support the Spaniard Lorenzo Fluxa, himself having made his debut with the team during the Rookie Test.
The official TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver possesses an impressive racing background. Twice champion in Japan F4 (2016, 2017) and runner-up in Japan F3 the following year (2018), he was crowned champion in Super Formula Lights with no fewer than 12 wins in 17 races (2019). Since then, he has shone in Super Formula and Super GT, the two top series in Japan. In fact, Ritomo is the 2023 champion in both series, an incredible achievement! Having discovered the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, he will make his debut in the European Le Mans Series LMP2 category.

“After winning both Super Formula and Super GT titles, I am very happy to take on this challenge in an international championship” says Ritomo. “I am excited to join COOL Racing and to participate in the European Le Mans Series this season. COOL Racing has a lot of experience, so I look forward to learning about endurance racing in the ELMS and the characteristics of an LMP2 car. I will learn from team staff and teammates, and also do my best to contribute to the team.
As a member of TGR Driver development program, I would like to thank Morizo-san, TGR staff and all the partners who created this opportunity and supported me to be able to race in Europe this season. I will do the maxium to meet everyone’s expectations.”

As in 2023, with José-Maria Lopez, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport will benefit from the services of an official TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver for its European campaign in 2024. “We are thrilled to continue this relationship and we’d like to thank TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for the confidence they put in our team” says Nicolas Lapierre, co-founder. “Ritomo has shown his speed in all of the series in which he has competed, with many successes and championship titles. It’s up to us to help support him so that it’s also the case in ELMS, a new championship for him. This news fits well with our philosphy of accompanying young drivers. It’s both a certain responsibility and a nice opportunity to have such a talented driver with us. He will bring to the table his experiences from highly competitive series, which is good for the LMP2 class, itself known for competitiveness.”

COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport is actively preparing its participation in the Asian Le Mans Series, which begins in Sepang on 2 and 3 December, and will unveil the entirety of its 2024 program in the following weeks. These will focus on the LMP2 and LMP3 classes in the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup.

COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport holds on to the European Le Mans Series LMP3 title!

COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport holds on to the European Le Mans Series LMP3 title!

by | Oct 26, 2023 | European LMS, Le Mans 24H

With two 4-hour races on the Autódromo do Algarve, everyone expected the European Le Mans Series grand season finale to be particularly exciting. Indeed, it turned out to be a thrilling event with multiple fights on track and changeable weather conditions. As the weekend in Portimão came to an end, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport had retained their LMP3 Teams and Drivers titles. In total, Alex Garcia, Marcos Siebert and Adrien Chila notched up three wins and two podiums this season!
Thanks to a success at the 4 Hours of Algarve and a second place at the 4 Hours of Portimão, the team clinched the second place in the LMP2 Pro/Am category. Alex Coigny, Nicolas Lapierre and Malthe Jakobsen finished just six tenths away from the title, with two wins, three podiums and two fastest laps this season.

LMP3 European Le Mans Series back-to-back champion!
At the wheel of the Ligier JS P320, Alex Garcia, Marcos Siebert and Adrien Chila – respectively Mexican, Argentinian and French – secured the title on Friday as part of the 4 Hours of Algarve, opening round of the doubleheader event. The trio crossed the finish line in fourth position, meaning that they would retain the titles that COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport had clinched twelve months before with Maurice Smith, Michael Benham and Malthe Jakobsen. The No.17 car had a flawless year and scored 121 points, a record! The three men wrapped up their season in style by notching up another podium finish, following on three wins, one other podium, one Top 5, one pole position and four fastest laps.

Less than a second away from the LMP2 Pro/Am title…
The team has also distinguished itself in the LMP2 Pro/Am category. Alex Coigny, Nicolas Lapierre and Malthe Jakobsen climbed on to the top step of the podium at the 4 Hours of Algarve after plenty of twists and turns. The No.37 ORECA 07 managed to make a fantastic comeback and won the race in the final moments. Before the final round, the car was just two points behind the leader. It once again delivered a solid performance during the 4 Hours of Portimão, and the Swiss, French and Danish drivers finally crossed the chequered flag less than a second away from the winner. Those 621 thousandths granted them the runner-up spot in both the event and the championship, behind François Perrodo and Matthieu Vaxivière. This marked the end of a great season, punctuated by a fifth-place finish in the overall standings, all categories included.
José Maria Lopez, Reshad de Gérus and Vladislav Lomko’s No.47 car was fighting for a podium finish, before getting delayed by various race incidents. The sister car finished sixth in the championship, with one podium, three Top 5 finishes, two poles and one fastest lap.

Unlucky in the Michelin Le Mans Cup
Although competitive, the two Ligier JS P320s entered by COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport failed to deliver in Portugal. Luis Sanjuan and David Droux’s No.97 car raced among the leaders yet got repeatedly hit by other competitors. Despite a win at Road To Le Mans, they finished 7th in the championship. Cédric Oltramare’s No.87 car finished one place ahead, with one podium, one Top 5 and one pole position.

Nicolas Lapierre, driver and founder of CLX Motorsport: “This season we had two goals: to take on new challenges, entering a second LMP2 ORECA 07 and discovering the Asian LMS, but also to hold on to our LMP3 titles. It’s never easy to retain a title yet it’s now mission accomplished, thanks to the great results achieved by Alex, Marcos and Adrien. Drivers and team have managed to combine reliability and performance. It’s a real source of satisfaction. We just missed out on the title in the LMP2 Pro/Am class, but we did our best right up to the end and I’m proud of the team. Alex was returning to the competition, Malthe was taking his first steps in the category, they won in Abu Dhabi and had a great European season, not to mention their podium finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a shame we did not manage to win in the Pro category with Pechito, Reshad and Vlad. It’s frustrating because we had what it takes to shine. In the Michelin Le Mans Cup, our results don’t reflect our performances. We’ve lacked success, but these things happen. This season’s overall outcome is nonetheless very positive and motivates us to do even better. We will build on that in 2024, looking to meet high objectives in each championship.”

 

Lorenzo Fluxa joins COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport for its 2024 LMP2 program!

Lorenzo Fluxa joins COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport for its 2024 LMP2 program!

by | Oct 25, 2023 | European LMS, Le Mans 24H

Only days after the close of the European Le Mans Series season, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport has already started preparing for next year. The team, which won the LMP3 title for the second consecutive year, and runner-up in the LMP2 Pro/Am category, has recruited Lorenzo Fluxa for its 2024 program. The Spanish driver will be making his debut in endurance sportscar racing, in European Le Mans Series, and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The road to Le Mans 24 Hours started at Portimao…

Lorenzo Fluxa and COOL Racing began their new adventure together at the Autodromo do Algarve. On Monday, the Palma de Majorque native took part in the European Le Mans Series rookie test driving the team’s #37 ORECA 07. It was a good test at Portimao, which materialized into a full season endurance program next year. Lorenzo joins the team for both the European championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with COOL Racing having scored an invitation for the 2024 edition thanks to its LMP3 title.

« It’s a new challenge which is going to be exciting and I am very happy to take it on with COOL Racing » said Lorenzo. « The tests went well, the car is incredible and I quickly started enjoying myself behind the wheel. The team is very well structured, with a good group dynamic, and super atmosphere and all the tools necessary to obtain the best results. Endurance sportscars is a good opportunity for me to take my career to the next level and the LMP2 category is perfect for that. It’s a new exciting chapter. Of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a unique race. I’ve been a few times and it’s one of those events which really makes an impression. Simply, one of the best. I can’t wait! »

The 18-year-old Lorenzo Fluxa began his career in karting, before moving up the ranks of the formula series, in Spanish and UAE F4, then Formula Regional, including podiums in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

 « The Rookie Test with Lorenzo went very well. It was a true discovery for him, and his evolution was positive all during the day » added Nicolas Lapierre, driver and founder of CLX Motorsport « We’re used to giving a chance to young drivers and supporting them during their progression. Lorenzo has interesting potential, his attitude was very appreciated during the test and his profile fits with our desire to have a trio of drivers which is capable of being up front in 2024. We’re looking forward to continuing the setting up of our 2024 program. »

Lorenzo Fluxa and COOL Racing are once again on track with the ORECA 07 this Wednesday at Portimao, where the team is actively preparing for its newest challenges.