CrowdStrike Racing by APR Lift ALMS LMP2 Title After Dramatic Abu Dhabi Season Finale
February 9, 2026The #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR crew lifted the 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 title after a dramatic race which saw a lengthy stoppage after a high-speed collision took out the sister #25 Algarve Pro Racing entry driven by Michael Jensen and the #15 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 piloted by Memo Gidley. Both drivers walked away from the high-speed incident but a substantial red flag period was required to clear the track and repair barrier damage.
The #4 car took the chequered flag in eighth to wrap up a highly successful Asian campaign for founders Stewart and Sam Cox’s Algarve Pro Racing team, albeit tempered by a wrecked chassis following the crash.
On track, the LMP2 victory in Race Two at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit went to the #3 DKR Engineering entry, driven to the line by Griffin Peebles in the car he shared with Alexander Mattschull and Matthias Beche. Just under 11.5 seconds back in second was the #43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca driven by Georgios Kolovos, Nolan Siegel and Bijoy Garg, Siegel behind the wheel for the final stint.
Completing the podium was the #49 High Class Racing entry of Jens Moller, Gustavo Menezes and Theo Jensen.
In LMP3, 23Events finished 1-3 with the #23 Ligier taking the win and the sister #71 entry completing the top three positions after post-race penalties were applied. The #13 Inter Europol Competition was promoted to second, securing the team the runners-up spot in the LMP3 championship. The race to the podium was far from straightforward and stewards’ decisions late in the evening determined the final placings.
The GT class saw the first 2025/26 class victory for the #56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 piloted by Giacomo Petrobelli, Jonny Adam and Kobe Pauwels with the #9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo finishing in second, just under nine seconds behind. The top three in class was completed by the #10 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R.
LMP2: DKR’s Strategic Masterclass and CrowdStrike’s Crown
The final round of the 2025/26 season was a test of patience as much as pace, punctuated by a significant red flag period in the first hour following the violent collision between Jensen in the #25 APR entry and Gidley in the #15 Kessel Racing Ferrari. While both drivers walked away, the resulting hour-long barrier repair reset the tactical planning of the grid. DKR Engineering emerged as the masters of the restart. The #3 Oreca-07, shared with Alexander Mattschull, Mathias Beche and Griffin Peebles, utilised a perfect strategic gamble during the early Virtual Safety Car cycles to position themselves at the front. Australian youngster Peebles delivered a standout final stint, pulling away from the field to win by over 11 seconds.
While DKR celebrated the race win, the focus was firmly on the championship battle. The 4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR crew of George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Delétraz entered the day with a comfortable cushion but endured a nervous afternoon filled with minor track-limit penalties and heavy traffic. However, their primary rivals, Cetilar Racing, saw their title hopes evaporate when Antonio Fuoco finished 10th after a post-race penalty. This allowed the CrowdStrike trio to coast to an eighth-place finish, sufficient to secure the LMP2 title and an automatic invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For Delétraz, the title marks a historic achievement, completing his ‘Grand Slam’ of ACO LMP2 titles across all the major series.
LMP3: 23Events Triumphs Amidst Penalty Drama
The LMP3 class provided a dramatic conclusion to the season, defined by on-track collisions and a frantic evening in the stewards’ room. The #23 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Louis Stern, Isaac Barashi and Matteo Quintarelli, secured a commanding victory by over 40 seconds. The French squad’s win was facilitated by a late-race disaster for the championship favourites, CLX Motorsport, whose #17 Ligier was sent into the barriers with just over 45 minutes remaining after contact with a Duqueine.
While the #23 car enjoyed a clean run to the flag, its sister car, the #71 23Events entry, faced a much more turbulent path to the podium. After crossing the line in second place. The car was hit with a flurry of post-race penalties. These included a time penalty for a pit lane speed infringement by Ibrahim Badawy and a fine for Terrene Woodward following a breach of safety equipment regulations.
The accumulated time penalties were enough to drop the #71 car from second to third in the final classification, allowing the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier to inherit the runner-up spot. Despite the late-night reshuffle, the result remains a triumph for 23Events, who officially secured a 1-3 finish to close out their campaign. Crucially for the title race, the retirement of the #17 CLX Motorsport car did not prevent Paul Lanchère, Kevin Rabin and Alexander Jacoby from being crowned the 2025/26 LMP3 champions as they had already amassed an insurmountable points lead prior to the final hour.
GT: Ecurie Ecosse Wins as Kessel Claims the Title
The GT3 finale was a tactical thriller that saw the #56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage secure its maiden victory of the season. Giacomo Petrobelli, Jonny Adam and Kobe Pauwels navigated the red-flag interruptions perfectly. After dropping back early due to contact, the team benefited from the reset drive-time regulations. Kobe Pauwels executed a brilliant final stint, cycling into the lead during the final pit stops to finish nine seconds clear of the #9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG.
In the title race, the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari played a high-stakes game of points management. Knowing that the #69 Team WRT BMW needed a victory to snatch the crown, the Kessel crew of Dustin Blattner, Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall focused on staying out of trouble. When the #69 BMW failed to breach the top three, Kessel’s ninth-place finish in class was more than enough to secure the GT championship and the coveted Le Mans entry.
