COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport is about to launch its 2023 programme, embarking on what promises to be an exciting season. The team will line up its ORECA 07s and Ligier JS P320s as part of the Asian Le Mans Series (this week on the Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina circuits), the European Le Mans Series as well as the Michelin Le Mans Cup. The team will also take part in the 100th edition of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in Sarthe.
2023: stepping up its game again…
Since its foundation in late 2020, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport has moved up a gear every single season, not only in terms of expanding its own programmes but also regarding results – two European LMP3 titles last year. This 2023 season will be no exception as the team will be entering a new championship (Asian Le Mans Series), while lining-up more LMP2 crews in both the European Le Mans Series and the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
Great ambitions in the European Le Mans Series!
The team’s ELMS programme has shifted. Three cars will be lined up still, yet it will be two LMP2 ORECA 07s and one LMP3 Ligier JS P320.
After several podium finishes, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport has decided to set the bar higher in the LMP2 class, with a trio led by Pechito Lopez on the #47. The Argentinian driver – two-time FIA World Endurance Champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner – will be joined by two promising young drivers: Reshad De Gerus, who will be embarking on his second endurance racing season, and Vladislav Lomko, who will be making his debut in the discipline. In the LMP2 Pro/Am class, with the #37, Alexandre Coigny will be returning to competition and teamed up with Nicolas Lapierre and Malthe Jakobsen. It made sense for the Danish driver, who was sensational last year, having notched up six poles in six qualifying sessions, plus the LMP3 title, to move up to the main class.
In LMP3, the #17 car will now be entrusted to Mexican driver Alex Garcia, who has been racing in single-seater so far, alongside Marcos Siebert (Argentina) and Adrien Chila (France). This trio, combining speed, skills, and LMP3 experience, will be in charge of defending the 2022 title.
Two cars, two sets of objectives in Michelin Le Mans Cup
COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport has decided to line up a second car in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, with several objectives in mind. Luis Sanjuan and David Droux, both experts of this series, will join the team, looking to clinch the title, while Cédric Oltramare will take his career to another level, making his first steps in this competition with Adrien Chila as teammate.
Season’s kick-off at the Asian Le Mans Series!
The season kicks off this week in the Middle East, with two four-hour races in Dubai, followed by two others at the Yas Marina circuit. Alexandre Coigny, Nicolas Lapierre, and Malthe Jakobsen will share the wheel of the LMP2 #37 ORECA 07. Adrien Chila, Marcos Siebert, and Cédric Oltramare will take turns aboard the LMP3 #17 Ligier JS P320. Those races will launch the team’s 2023 programme, with great challenges expected there and ahead.
Team Principal Nicolas Lapierre: “It’s a particularly important season for our team. We’ve worked hard to keep on developing and to put together competitive crews in all of the championships, across the various categories. It’s also all worked out thanks to our partners’ support.
In LMP2, our aim is definitely to race at the front, despite the strong competition. We’ve got what it takes for it. Winning a title isn’t easy, defending it is even more difficult, but we’ve devised our EMLS LMP3 programme according to this objective, also looking to shine with our two cars in the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
I’m happy with the drivers we’ve managed to bring together. We’re combining experience with youth. It’s a very important aspect for us to have drivers who aren’t even twenty, yet have showed great potential. We fully trust them. We’re giving them an opportunity to shine and some great responsibilities too. We’ve got people from all around the world in our crew, it just shows how much the team’s currently growing.”
