Leading the AM championship by 10 points as they made their way to Spain, Gilles Vannelet and Jean-Luc Beaubelique (#87) knew that managing the race would be key on this especially demanding Catalonian track.
The free practice sessions started the weekend under a hot sun, and the duo in the #87 quickly showed their ambition by setting the second best time in AM, while Pascal Gibon and Christophe Bourret (#53) were fourth. In Pro-AM, the Ricci father-son duo took a top 9 position, P8 in the category. In the afternoon, pre-qualifying saw a similar result. The #87 was P2 AM (P8 overall) and #53 P4. In Pro-AM, the #61 finished P9.
On Saturday morning, the qualifying sessions confirmed that it would be a very close battle. Leading Q1 from start to finish, Gilles Vannelet (#87) took another overall pole position for the crew (the second this season) with a time of 1:44.277s. Setting the sixth time in Pro-AM, Mauro Ricci (#61) was P9 on the grid, while Christophe Bourret (#53) was P6 AM.
In Q2 Benjamin Ricci (#61) was the quickest of the team’s drivers, finishing P9 overall (P8 Pro-AM). Jean-Luc Beaubelique (#87) was P3 AM (P12 overall) and Pascal Gibon (#53) was P4.
RACE 1 – 5th AM victory and podium!
After the sunny practice sessions, the first race took place under an overcast sky and on a soggy track. The rain stopped a few minutes before the start of the race, but the racing line was still delicate to negotiate.
After two formation laps, the beasts were released. Gilles Vannelet took a perfect start from pole. Mauro Ricci and Christophe Bourret kept their positions.
With a straight that is more than a kilometre long, and a top speed nearing 300km/h, the driver of the #87 produced a skilful blend of aggressive and relatively cautious driving. The first laps saw the leader change several times. P3 overall, Gilles Vannelet was still leading in AM. Mauro Ricci was in the Top 10 (P6 Pro-AM) just ahead of Christophe Bourret (P5 AM).
With 30 minutes to go, the pace accelerated at the front. Overtaken by his rival in the championship, Gilles Vannelet did not back down and set the best lap time of the race and then took the lead again. The “Gentlemen” were not going easy on each other. Both sitting in the Top 10, Mauro Ricci and Christophe Bourret were the first to head to the pits for the driver change. Having to wait an extra 10 seconds following the victory in Monza, Jean-Luc Beaubelique was back on track at the wheel of the #87 behind the #2, his rival for the title.
With 20 minutes to go, Benjamin Ricci at the wheel of the #61 was suddenly stuck at the side of the track, with a non-operational gearbox, which caused the arrival of the Safety car on track for a short period. Jean-Luc Beaubelique was P4 (P2 AM) and Pascal Gibon P10 (P4 AM).
At the restart, the #87 saw an opportunity and took the AM lead back from the #2. But the duel was not over, and with 6 minutes to go, the #2 overtook him again. The positions remained the same as they crossed the finish line, but the #2 received two penalties, 12s for a short pit stop, and 10 seconds for having entered the pitlane dangerously. The #87 took the win and the #53 took third place on the podium. With a 23 point lead on their rival, Gilles Vannelet and Jean-Luc Beaubelique were feeling more ‘serene’ about the title. But motor racing is always full of surprises…
RACE 2 – Relief and disappointment…
Sunday morning, after almost an hour’s delay due to the fog, the sun returned for Race 2.
Benjamin Ricci (#61) started from the 5th row, ahead of Jean-Luc Beaubelique positioned on the 6th, and Pascal Gibon on the 7th. It was the last race and the tension was palpable; in AM, everything was still to play for.
In the first lap, the race shifted between turns 2 and 3, in a sequence of right, left, right. The uncertainty of the outcome of the championship grew. Losing the trajectory of his Mercedes-AMG GT2, Jean-Luc Beaubelique hit the rear of his teammate, Pascal Gibon, shunted off track to hit the tyre wall, causing the #53 to retire. The #87 managed to make it back to the pits, and the mechanics tried all they could to get the car to go again, but there was too much damage and they were forced to retire as well. The worst scenario was playing out, the #87 retiring and the #2 leading AM. Benjamin Ricci found himself to be the sole Akkodis ASP Team driver on track, P6 Pro-AM (P7 overall), and running at a consistent pace. Mauro Ricci then took the wheel and had a solid stint, finishing P11 overall (P8 Pro-AM).
If the #2 would win, it was all over. If they finished P2, the #87 would take the title. The #2 took a 5 second penalty during their pitstop, and the #90 took the lead in AM. They stayed ahead of the #2 until the end of the race, which meant Gilles Vannelet and Jean-Luc Beaubelique took the 2024 AM Champions title, as did Akkodis ASP Team for the team classification.
But the team were not able to enjoy the taste of victory for long. The #90 was later disqualified, leaving the #2 to take the victory, which sounded the final blow for the drivers Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Gilles Vannelet, who lost their title by 2 points, and also for Akkodis ASP Team, who lost out by one point.
It was a bitter disappointment. The GT2 season finished in the cruellest of ways. But the 2024 season is not over yet for Akkodis ASP Team, as in two weeks’ time, they are heading to Bahrain for the finale of the FIA WEC championship, and the finale of the GT4 European series will take place at the end of November with Matmut Évolution.
