CLX Motorsport capped off a "dream season" with the 4 Hours of Portimão LMP3 victory
- Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah
- 2h
- 2 min read
After securing the championship in Silverstone, CLX Motorsport showed no signs of slowing down as they took another LMP3 win at the season finale, the 4 Hours of Portimão. The victory was a perfect way to end their season, winning all but one race.
Adrien Closmenil drove the No.17 car during qualifying. His nearest competitor was compatriot Gillian Henrion in the No.15 RLR M Sport car. Closmenil's fastest lap was deleted due to track limits, but he still managed to secure second place on his next run.
CLX was eventually promoted to pole position after the No.15 car was demoted to the back of the grid for failing post-qualifying scrutineering. The car was found to be non-compliant with its diffuser width and height.
Paul Lanchère started the race for CLX. The 34-year-old's stint was challenging, interrupted by Full Course Yellows (FCY) and a Safety Car near the end of the first hour. Stéphane Tribaudini in the No.68 M Racing eventually overtook him using traffic as a shield.
Tribaudini got ahead of Lanchère during the restart, but the constant cautions gave CLX a perfect opportunity to challenge for the lead. Lanchère's co-driver, Theodor Jensen, took the LMP3 lead after the next restart.
Closmenil brought the car home to secure the team's fifth victory of the year. They did so convincingly, winning the race 13.2 seconds ahead of the No.8 Team Virage.
After the race, Lanchère said it was difficult to navigate traffic, which benefited Tribaudini. But to finish the "dream season" with another win is a perfect ending, according to the Frenchman.
"It's quite difficult in traffic.
"Stéphane overtook me in traffic after I followed, but it's difficult to follow, and I pitted from P2 in one second."
"But it's good, [we scored] 130 points, five victories, a dream season. Thanks to CLX, my teammates, it's a dream to be here."
While he apparently looked comfortable, Jensen felt a little pressure coming from the No.8 Team Virage car. But the Danish driver felt confident he could keep them behind, and the rest eventually went well.
"I think a Virage [car] right behind me like a few seconds.
"So, [I had] a bit of pressure, but I was pretty sure that I could keep them behind. It went pretty well, not too much going on in my stint, just driving with no mistakes and consistency and yeah, it went pretty well."
The 19-year-old felt this win was just as important as any other race they won this season, though he ranked Silverstone slightly higher because they secured the championship there. The win in Portimão demonstrated how the team maintained their dominance and refused to get complacent.
Closmenil said: "It's a very good season, five wins [and] five poles."
"Paul said [it's a] dream come true, [we] win the championship with all these wins and all this support, it's great."
