After honing their skills in the Prologue the week before, and demonstrated their potential, the serious business began last Wednesday on the 5.38km (and 16 corners) of the Losai Circuit, in Qatar, for the Akkodis ASP Team crews.
The tone was set as of the first free practice session. The French squad dominated with their new recruit, Ben Barnicoat, who took the lead in the #78 Lexus RC F LMGT3. The team’s second Lexus, #87, took fifth place, run by the FIA WEC champion and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jose-Maria Lopez.
A few hours later, FP2 saw the #78 in second place, just 0.1 second off the leader. The #87 set their best lap at the end of the session and finished P3.
The following day, the final session confirmed their performances: the #78 Lexus was second with rookie Finn Gehrsitz. In the #87, Clemens Schmid set the fifth time.
The qualifying session saw the LMGT3 protagonists in an all-out fight from the first to the last minute. Finishing respectively 2nd and 4th, Arnold Robin and Petru Umbrarescu (the Bronze drivers), allowed the two cars to take part in the Hyperpole with the Silver drivers. But after a spin, Finn Gehrsitz in the #78 had to be satisfied with 3rd place on the grid, while Clemens Schmid in the #87 missed out on pole, penalised for not respecting the track limits, and finished sixth.
Making it to the second and third row on the grid has shown that the two Akkodis ASP Team Lexus have really made progress since the start of the 2024 season, which was also here in Qatar.
Ten fast paced hours!
The start of the 1812km of Qatar was given Friday at 2pm. It might have been a slightly out of the ordinary schedule, but the event coincided with the first day of Ramadan, and they had to adapt.
It was 20°C and the track conditions were optimal. On this slightly abrasive track, and with the pleasant weather, the Lexus could very well surprise here. In the #78, Arnold Robin was the first to head out, and in the #87 it was Petru Umbrarescu. The Bronze drivers have to take the first stint.
Although the pace set by the LMGT3 cars seemed reasonable compared the Hypercars, the drivers quickly got carried away and the endurance race turned into a sprint.
Arnold proved to be precise and opportunistic, taking P2 in the fourth lap, and then took the lead and tried to escape the pack. Two laps later, the leading trio pulled ahead, leaving the field behind.
From his 6th place, Petru Umbrarescu (#87) went on the attack and was running strong. Unfortunately, in an attempt to overtake, after a contact with the #21 both cars went off the track. The Romanian driver managed to make it back to the pits, but the left hand side was damaged and they were forced to retire.
Solidly installed in the lead, Arnold Robin laid down the laps without committing a single mistake. Four cars were fighting for the lead, but the Frenchman did not let up and went into a double stint.
The refuelling and the staggered strategies of the teams mixed up the results for a bit, but when Finn Gehrsitz slid into the cockpit of the Lexus, he wasted no time in taking the lead. In the fourth hour, Akkodis ASP Team was still leading.
The day turned into night, and despite the powerful lighting around the track, the conditions were no longer the same. The temperature dropped, allowing the teams to go full throttle.
After 4 hours of racing, another driver change saw Arnold Robin back behind the wheel, and in the 135th lap, he was once more in the lead.
At the halfway mark, the battle had not eased up in the slightest and no one was doing anyone any favours. An opportune safety car allowed Ben Barnicoat to make his entry into the arena. From the 6th place to the first, the Brit battled with precision and determination to get back to the top. With 3h45 to go, it was mission accomplished, just before Finn Gehrsitz took the following relay.
The positions changed constantly, but the battle was still fierce. With 2 hours to go, the German driver was back in P1 before handing over to Ben Barnicoat to conclude the first round of the season.
Thirty minutes later, Ben was P2 but received a 5 second stop & go penalty. Another trip through the pits, with one hour to go, made the Lexus drop down the classification. Right until the end, Ben Barnicoat fought to get as close to the podium as possible. Consistent, incisive and smart, he even claimed a final position a few metres before the finish line and finished fourth (P21 overall), taking home 18 points for Akkodis ASP Team.
This start to the season has confirmed the potential of the Lexus and placed Akkodis ASP Team in the game. All the work that took place since the end of last year, with the support of solid partners, has allowed the team to progress in the right direction. They’ve come a long way since the first round in 2024.
Jérôme Policand, Team Principal concluded: “This strong fourth-place finish is a huge boost for the whole team. It may not be a podium, but it certainly feels like a small victory!"
We will see how these positive trends play out in the next round, from the 18th to the 20th of April, with the 6 Hours of Imola in Italy.
