The Abu Dhabi race delivered a thrilling twist in the Asian Le Mans Series! CrowdStrike by APR emerged victorious, claiming their third win of the campaign and seizing the championship lead.
But here's where it gets dramatic: George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen, and Louis Deletraz arrived at the season finale neck-and-neck with Cetilar Racing. Yet, a twist of fate saw Cetilar fail to score, giving CrowdStrike a commanding 25-point lead. A top-10 finish in the final race would secure the title.
The race was a nail-biter until the final stops. The No. 4 Oreca 07 Gibson and the No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing car, driven by a talented trio, were neck-and-neck. But then, leader Tom Dillmann's pace dropped, handing Deletraz a comfortable lead he maintained to the end, winning by a slim 2.029 seconds.
The RD Limited team, with Fred Poordad, James Allen, and Tristan Vautier, showed early promise, leading at various stages. However, they settled for third after Vautier's final stop.
CrowdStrike's strategy paid off in the third hour as Jakobsen advanced to third, chasing Gustavo Menezes and Enzo Trulli. Deletraz, with fresh tires, swiftly overtook Theodor Jensen and set his sights on Dillmann, who was now third. Longer fuel stops and Dillmann's struggles played into CrowdStrike's hands.
Sami Meguetounif, a Formula 2 graduate, mounted a late charge on Deletraz but fell short. Allen's efforts in the second hour put RD Oreca in contention, but a penalty pushed them back.
The race saw United Autosports salvage a sixth-place finish, while gearbox issues derailed the early dominance of Giorgio Roda's No. 5 United Oreca. Cetilar Racing's woes continued as they were ordered to start from the back, unable to recover.
In the LMP3 class, Inter Europol Competition outpaced CLX Racing, setting up a thrilling title showdown. Alexander Bukhantsov and Chun Ting Chou now hold a slender lead. Meanwhile, the GT class witnessed a WRT 1-2 finish, with the BMWs dominating as the sun set.
And this is the part that has everyone talking: the GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos led early on, but the BMWs' late surge saw Parker Thompson and Daniel Harper secure a 1-2 finish. Mechanical issues added drama, and the Kessel Ferrari crew now lead the championship.
So, was it a fair result, or did luck play a bigger role than skill? Share your thoughts in the comments!
