29 August 2016
Le Castellet, 29 August 2016 - The JMW Motorsport team, with Rory Butcher, Robert Smith and official Ferrari driver Andrea Bertolini, won at the Paul Ricard in the European Le Mans Series to go top of the championship standings with two races to go.
Redemption after Silverstone. Rather than taking the lead, maybe we should say re-taking it given that the crew of the Ferrari no 66 won the first race of the season at Silverstone but was then disqualified because of an oversight of a largely administrative nature. The Ferrari no. 66 was the star of a close race from start to finish in which the entire Prancing Horse contingent excelled.
Podium. Second place went to the 458 Italia no. 60 of Formula Racing which, though bereft of Christina Nielsen, put in its best race of the season with Johnny Laursen, Mikkel Mac Jansen and Mikkel Jensen. The reigning champion car could even have won but, like the 458 Italia of JMW Motorsport, had to return to the pits for refuelling with 10 minutes remaining. Father and son Alexander Talkanitsa and Alessandro Pier Guidi came fourth on a difficult day, which saw the Belarusian duo knocked off top spot in the standings.
Bad luck. There was bitter disappointment for car no. 55 AF Corse. The 458 Italia of Duncan Cameron, Matt Griffin and Aaron Scott led in the early stages but was then hit as it entered the pits and lost precious time. JMW Motorsport (Butcher-Smith-Bertolini) leads the championship standings with 68 points, five more than the Aston Martin no. 99 and eight ahead of AT Racing (Talkanitsa-Talkanitsa).