The 2017 of the European Le Mans Series unfolds with a superb win in the LMGTE class for Joel Camathias. The Swiss and team mates Christian Ried and Matteo Cairoli, at the wheel of the Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR, have clinched in the very last round the long-awaited and deserved success.
For Joel, it is a big satisfaction, having also played a key role today. The car qualified third and Joel took a great start, taking P1 in the early stages before being hit at the back by a LMP car. As a result, the Porsche spun, but Joel was able to rejoin the race and climb up position to retake the leadership and hand the car to Ried in P1. The car then remained in the top-3 for the entire race, and an excellent final stint by Cairoli allowed to secure the lead 15 minutes from the flag.
The excellent result allows the trio to finish third in the LMGTE standings, wrapping-up the season in style.
Joel Camathias:
“The entire team is very happy to finally bring home a win more than deserved, which eluded us on various occasions during the season. Also this time we sweat cold, when I was hit by a LMP car during the first stint. Luckily this time, and as opposed to what occurred at Spa, the damage was minor and I could make up the four positions lost in the incident and retake the lead before the pit stop. I have to say that today, on such a difficult track, the car was great and I am also very happy with my performance. Both Christian and Matteo did a fantastic job in their stints, and so did the team in the pit stops and with the strategy, and eventually came this great result, which is a nice reward for the entire team after some disappointing outings. We finish the year on a high note, and climb also on the championship podium, something we did not expect anymore. Now it’s time for a party tonight and then we’ll start working to prepare 2018!”
