LORENS LECERTUA WINS THE ALPINE ELF EUROPA CUP TITLE*

Twenty-two competitors were in the Var for the final Alpine Elf Europa Cup battle of 2023. Among the protagonists were title contenders Lorens Lecertua and Enzo Geraci, but also title-holder Lucas Frayssinet (Chazel Technologie Course) for his return to competition and Raphaël Astier (Race Cars Consulting), invited to get a taste of circuit racing after his feats at Pikes Peak.

RACE 1: TITLES FOR LECERTUA AND FOURNIER

Tim Mérieux (Autosport GP) was the fastest in Friday's two free practice sessions, but the order changed in qualifying under the impetus of Lucas Frayssinet. The Montpellier native took the first pole position at stake upon his return to the field.

Léo Jousset made an excellent start, surprising the poleman to take control of the race. Lorens Lecertua, aware that he only needed to finish ahead of Enzo Geraci to be crowned, also did well to move up to second place. Seventh on the grid, his rival conceded a place before reclaiming it from Romain Brun (Herrero Racing) two laps later.

Lorens Lecertua put him under pressure for a while, but Léo Jousset gradually pulled away as the Belgian began to control his pace. Behind the leading trio, the field came to life as Thibaut Bossy (Herrero Racing) overtook Romain Favre (VPS Racing) for fourth place, whilst Willyam Gosselin (VPS Racing), Enzo Geraci and Romain Brun were engaged in a breathless battle for sixth place.

Léo Jousset and Race Cars Consulting eventually scored their first Alpine Elf Europa Cup win. Runner-up Lorens Lecertua was able to celebrate his title and his triumph while Lucas Frayssinet completed the podium. Challengers category winner Thibaut Bossy was fourth, followed by Romain Favre, Romain Brun and Willyam Gossin. Lukas Papin (Autosport GP) snatched eighth place from Enzo Geraci on the final lap while Anthony Fournier won by a wide margin to claim his second crown in the Gentlemen category.

RACE 2: JOUSSET DOUBLES UP

Lucas Frayssinet did it again in Sunday morning qualifying, taking pole position ahead of Lukas Papin and Enzo Geraci. Unlike the day before, Lucas Frayssinet kept the lead at the start, marked by an incident leading to Tim Mérieux and Lorens Lecertua retirements.

The battle for victory took a turn on lap two. Lukas Papin tried to overtake Lucas Frayssinet at the entrance to the Chicane Nord, but the two drivers made contact and retired. Lying in wait, Léo Jousset surged to inherit the lead after getting the better of Enzo Geraci in a compact group of five drivers at the front. The field also came to life with several hard-fought battles and contacts.

Under pressure right up to the chequered flag, Léo Jousset held on to claim his second win of the weekend. The podium was completed by Challenger Thibaut Bossy and Tim Mérieux, following the disqualification of Enzo Geraci for a technical non-conformity. Romain Brun finished fourth, ahead of Romain Favre, Willyam Gosselin and Adrien Catelin (Code Racing Development). Lastly, Anthony Fournier celebrated his second Gentlemen crown with a seventh victory from 12 starts, ahead of Raphaël Astier and Alban Lagrange (Chazel Technologie Course).

Leader of the season-ending general classification*, Lorens Lecertua joins Pierre Sancinéna, Gaël Castelli, Jean-Baptiste Mela and Lucas Frayssinet as an Alpine Elf Europa Cup title-winner. The Belgian hopeful also won the Junior category and will receive a grant to help him move up to GT4 with Alpine. Adrien Catelin (Challengers), Anthony Fournier (Gentlemen) and Chazel Technologie Course Junior (Teams) complete the honour roll of the 2023 class.

The Alpine Elf Europa Cup now enters its winter break. The calendar for season seven will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.

QUOTES

Lorens Lecertua (Alpine Elf Europa Cup title-winner)

"I drove smartly on Saturday to secure the title and it was great fun. Unfortunately, I had to retire after contact on Sunday, but that's motorsport. That won't take the smile off my face, and I'm staying positive for the future, which I hope will be with Alpine in GT4. It was a season full of highlights, especially when I got back into contention with two wins and three poles at Dijon. This year has also enabled me to improve psychologically and in my race strategy, as I was a bit too aggressive before!"

Anthony Fournier (Gentlemen category champion)

"This title is hugely satisfying, especially as it comes with seven victories and more podium finishes. Despite some intense battles with top-quality rivals, I made virtually no mistakes in defending my crown. I'm enjoying driving the Alpine A110 Cup as much as ever, and we keep improving every weekend. We finished the season on a high with two wins in our class and two overall wins with Léo, which makes me want to return!"

Léo Jousset (Race 1 and Race 2 winner)

"These first wins were a long time coming, but we built up the momentum despite missing a few opportunities. I only had one test session before the start of the season, so I'd say I adapted pretty quickly, and it's encouraging to win in my first campaign. The stars aligned this weekend, and I can't wait to return and aim much higher."

Raphaël Astier

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I want to thank the Alpine Elf Europa Cup for choosing me to experience this series with a great atmosphere between all the drivers. The Race Cars Consulting team worked with me to teach me as much as possible in only one weekend, but I still have some work to do to make up for the last few seconds separating me from the leading pack. After the A110 Rally, Pikes Peak and Cup, all that remains for me is to try out the GT4 version... We'll see if the opportunity presents itself!"

CLASSIFICATIONS

Race 1

1. Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting)

2. Lorens Lecertua (Chazel Technologie Course Junior) +3.366s

3. Lucas Frayssinet (Chazel Technologie Course) +3.659s

4. Thibaut Bossy (Herrero Racing) +8.344s

5. Romain Favre (VPS Racing) +9.821s

Pole position: Lucas Frayssinet (Chazel Technologie Course) – 2:14.985s

Fastest lap: Lukas Papin (Autosport GP) – 2:15.635s

Race 2*

1. Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting)

2. Thibaut Bossy (Herrero Racing) +6.725s

3. Tim Mérieux (Autosport GP) +8.365s

4. Romain Brun (Herrero Racing) +14.546s

5. Romain Favre (VPS Racing) +18.225s

Pole position: Lucas Frayssinet (Chazel Technologie Course) – 2:14.552s

Fastest lap: Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting) – 2:16.048s

General classification*

1. Lorens Lecertua – 170 points

2. Enzo Geraci – 133 points

3. Romain Favre – 123 points

4. Tim Mérieux – 106 points

5. Léo Jousset – 90 points

…

* Subject to final technical scrutineering.