23 August 2025 – It’s back to business for R-ace GP. The team returned to action at Spa-Francorchamps for the fourth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. And what a comeback! After winning the qualifying session hands down (1-2-3 for the team’s three Duqueine D09s), the #85 car never relinquished the lead and went on to take the victory. This triumph puts R-ace GP at the top of the championship standings.
Boosted by the excellent results of the previous round at Le Mans, the team arrived in Belgium more determined than ever to continue this positive momentum.
Free practice
The weekend got off to a good start with free practice on Friday 22 August. The #85 car (Hadrien David and Hugo Schwarze) finished 2nd and then 4th. Its sister car, the #86 (Edgar Pierre and Antoine Doquin), finished 7th and 9th. In the PRO/AM category, the #88 car (Fabien Lavergne and Romano Ricci) showed good progress, moving up from 15th place in session 1 to 5th in session 2.
Qualifying
On Saturday morning, a drizzle fell on the circuit during the qualifying sessions. Despite the difficult conditions, Hadrien David and Edgar Pierre had a fabulous session. David flew away and took pole position with a lap of 2:29.248, while Pierre settled into second place. In the PRO/AM class, Romano Ricci also had a very good session, qualifying third in the category.
Race
The race started shortly before 4 p.m. There were no incidents to report for the three crews. At the wheel of the #85, Hugo Schwarze quickly pulled away from Antoine Doquin, his teammate in the #86. The two Duqueines remained at the front throughout the first part of the race.
In the PRO/AM category, Romano Ricci moved up one place at the start and found himself in second position. However, as time passed, tyre degradation affected performance. The gentleman driver lost several places in the standings.
After an hour on the track, the drivers entered the pits to hand over the reins. Hadrien David climbed aboard the #85 and remained in the lead. Edgar Pierre, at the wheel of the #86, was fourth. In PRO/AM, Fabien Lavergne managed to climb back up to second place and was fighting for the podium. Unfortunately, a contact with a competitor forced him to retire just five minutes from the finish.
Unperturbed, the #85 car continued the race without incident and crossed the chequered flag with a lead of almost 18 seconds. The #86 car finished seventh in the race.
R-ace GP takes the lead in the championship
After two podium finishes in the overall standings and one in PRO/AM, R-ace GP finally clinched victory this season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. A well-deserved result, the fruit of the team’s hard work to become more competitive after a difficult start to the season.
With 64 points to its name, car #85 now leads the championship.
The next round will take place at Silverstone on 13 September.
Click here to watch the race.
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