Iron Lynx-Proton Triumphs in Action-Packed Mugello ELMS Thriller

In a race that epitomised the intensity of endurance racing, Iron Lynx-Proton secured their maiden LMP2 victory at the 4 Hours of Mugello, with Jonas Ried, Macéo Capietto, and Matteo Cairoli mastering a race that saw five Safety Car periods and a Red Flag interruption.

The 43-car field roared into action under perfect Italian skies, with early drama unfolding as Clément Novalak in the #34 Inter Europol Competition Oreca carved his way through the field. Starting from fourth, Novalak executed two identical manoeuvres at Turn 1 on consecutive laps, first dispatching Manuel Maldonado’s #65 Panis Racing before repeating the feat against Jonas Ried in the #9 Iron Lynx-Proton to seize the lead.

The LMP2 Pro/Am category saw 2021 champion John Falb make an impressive start in the #24 Nielsen Racing Oreca, jumping ahead of Giorgio Roda’s #77 Proton Competition and Rodrigo Sales in the #29 Richard Mille by TDS. However, their early promise would later be undone by an untimely puncture after the driver change to Colin Noble.

The LMGT3 battle provided intense entertainment in the opening stages, with Derek Deboer’s pole-sitting #59 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin engaging in a thrilling duel with Sarah Bovy’s #85 Iron Dames Porsche. Bovy eventually prevailed on lap 5 after a spectacular side-by-side battle through Turns 1 and 2, showcasing the close racing that would characterise the entire event.

The first of many Safety Car interventions came after Andres Latorre Canon’s #3 DKR Engineering Oreca found the tyre wall at Turn 15. This would set the tone for a stop-start race that tested teams’ strategic prowess as much as their drivers’ skill.

A particularly dramatic moment came when the #85 Iron Dames Porsche, then leading the LMGT3 class with Sarah Bovy at the wheel and holding an 11-second advantage, was caught out by Safety Car timing. Running critically low on fuel, Bovy was forced into an emergency pit stop, derailing what had been a commanding performance.

The race’s most significant interruption came after a frightening incident on the start-finish straight. The #60 Proton Competition Porsche of Claudio Schiavoni was clipped by the Iron Dames Porsche while being lapped, sending Schiavoni’s car hard into the barrier. The impact scattered debris across the track, necessitating a Red Flag period for clean-up operations. Thankfully, Schiavoni walked away from the heavily damaged car.

In LMP3, the race produced a nail-biting finish as the #8 Team Virage Ligier of Gillian Henrion gambled on fuel strategy. While the #15 RLR MSport Ligier was forced to pit for a splash of fuel in the closing minutes, dropping to second, Henrion stretched his fuel load to the limit to secure victory from an eighth-place grid start.

The battle for LMGT3 honours reached its crescendo in the final minutes, with Daniel Serra in the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari hunting down Lorcan Hanafin’s #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston Martin. Serra’s decisive move came with just seven minutes remaining, the Ferrari driver outmanoeuvring Hanafin in a decisive Turn 1 pass that would secure both the race win and the championship lead.

The overall victory for Iron Lynx-Proton was sealed by Matteo Cairoli, who managed to build a 6.5-second cushion over his nearest challengers in the final stint, despite the numerous interruptions. The Italian’s composed drive brought home a historic first LMP2 win for the team, leading home the #25 Algarve Pro Racing and #34 Inter Europol Competition entries.

Championship Implications

The results have set up a thrilling finale across all classes at Portimão. In LMP2, the #14 AO by TF holds a slender lead with 75 points, pursued by the #43 Inter Europol Competition (69 points) and #65 Panis Racing (60 points).

The LMP3 title fight couldn’t be closer, with just two points separating Eurointernational (83 points), Team Virage (82 points), and RLR MSport (81 points).

Perhaps most remarkably, the LMGT3 championship remains mathematically possible for nine different entries. The #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari and #59 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin are tied on 64 points, with Kessel’s two victories giving them the current advantage.

Final Results – 4 Hours of Mugello

LMP2

#9 Iron Lynx-Proton (Ried/Capietto/Cairoli) – 6.5s margin of victory #25 Algarve Pro Racing #34 Inter Europol Competition

LMP2 Pro/Am

#29 Richard Mille by TDS (Sales/Saucy/Beche) #20 Algarve Pro Racing #77 Proton Competition

LMP3

#8 Team Virage (Gerbi/Pinheiro/Henrion) #15 RLR MSport #88 Inter Europol Competition

LMGT3

#57 Kessel Racing (Kimura/Masson/Serra) #97 Grid Motorsport by TF #50 Formula Racing

The championship will conclude at the 4 Hours of Portimão on 19 October, where multiple class titles remain up for grabs in what promises to be an epic season finale.