G-Drive Racing by DragonSpeed Extends ELMS Points Lead in Close Finish at Spa

After four hours of racing which left everyone guessing until the final lap, Léo Roussel, Ryo Hirakawa and Memo Rojas finished just half a second behind the number 40 Graff Racing entry, Hirakawa unable to chase down the winning car after it served a drive-through penalty. The result marked the team’s third second place in a row and fifth podium of the season.
 
The G-Drive Racing by DragonSpeed squad adopted a bold strategy which ultimately paid off. Roussel took the wheel at the start but ran wide at La Source, slipping to third. The young Frenchman quickly climbed back to second though, setting the fastest race lap of 2m05.236s on his second tour of the Belgian circuit in the process. 
 
Crucially, the team pitted after just 18 minutes under the first of the race's several full-course yellow and safety car periods, obviating the need for a late-race splash of fuel. This meant that following Roussel and Memo Rojas’ middle stint, Hirakawa was free to focus on balancing pace with stretching his fuel supply. For a while, it looked as though the number 22 would take its second win of the season, but a drive-through penalty in the final hour for an error by Roussel during one of the safety car periods proved costly. When the leading car received a penalty of its own, Hirakawa was left just a few car lengths short of inheriting the lead.
 
“I knew I had to push at the end,” Hirakawa said. “But I also had to save fuel to extend the stint to 19 laps. When the Graff car rejoined after its penalty, I tried really hard to catch it but got stuck in traffic and couldn’t quite get past.”
 
It was still a positive result, however, for full-season drivers Roussel and Rojas who crossed the line two places ahead of their title rivals. The finish leaves them with crucial breathing space in the points going into next month’s championship showdown at Portimão.

"Our fuel strategy was the right one,” Roussel said after the race. “Extending our lead was the most important objective here at Spa, and we did that. We weren’t perfect, but we did enough to put ourselves in a good position for the finale.”

 
Meanwhile, the number 21 10Star-entered DragonSpeed ORECA of Henrik Hedman, Nicolas Lapierre and Ben Hanley finished fifth after starting the race from pole.

Hedman and Hanley fought hard over the first three hours before Lapierre climbed in for a final push. But, multiple caution periods during the first two thirds of the race made it impossible for the team to exploit Hanley’s pace. It was however, Hedman's best performance in an LMP2 car; his average pace and consistency beating all the other Bronze-graded drivers in the race, and some of the Silvers. 

With an extended period of green flag running in the final hour, Lapierre climbed from seventh to fifth at the chequered flag. Had there not been a badly-timed safety car release earlier in the race, the team would have finished on the podium.
 
After a roller-coaster day, DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian concluded: “The number 22 is still leading the points, and it’s great to leave here with an increased lead. The penalty was unfortunate, but it was a clear mistake by Léo. It’s a lesson learned though, and I’m confident from my own experience as a driver that he won’t make the same error twice.

"As for the number 21 crew, I must point out that Henrik's performance was stellar, we were really impressed with his pace during his stints. He's improving every race.”

The final round of the ELMS season will be held at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão on 22 October, where the G-Drive Racing by DragonSpeed crew will be looking to clinch the team's first international title.