After the celebrations of last Sunday in Dubai, fifth position on track for the #43 LMP2 trio of Charles Crews, Christian Bogle and Nolan Siegel was not the result Inter Europol Competition had hoped for today (Saturday, February 18, 2023) at Yas Marina.

There were many positives from the event, notably, Charles’ opening lap of the four-hour race where he went from fourth on the grid to leading a lap later. Quite sensational. There was a repeat after a red flag delay from the bronze racer, retaking the lead and pulling a seven-second margin at the front of the field to conclude his stint.

Unfortunately, contact from behind from the #24 Nielsen entry at the start meant that a rear wing change was required, but this was completed in the mandated 100-second stop. Track position was lost as a result though, and Christian would later struggle with his tyres in the latter stages of his stint, losing further ground as a result.

Additionally, late-race, a compromised pitstop cost Nolan valuable time. He did go on to make a nice pass for position on the #24 car in the final laps, taking the chequered flag in fifth place.

The #53 trio in LMP3 drove a good race, running in the top three early in the race, before fading with damage to the front right of the Ligier nose. It was a shame given the race driven by Kai Askey, Wyatt Brichacek and Miguel Cristóvão.

Championship standings wise, we are fourth overall in LMP2, with 37 points, 11 behind the series leader. The conclusion of the Asian Le Mans Series takes place tomorrow at 16:00 local time.