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.
