Asian Le Mans Series – DKR WIN FINAL RACE OF THE SEASON WITH CROWDSTRIKE SECURING THE TITLE IN ABU DHABI.

The no3 DKR Engineering Oreca won the sixth and final race of the 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series season in Abu Dhabi with Alexander Mattschull, Mathias Beche and Griffin Peebles standing on the top step of the podium.  Peebles crossed the line over 11 seconds ahead of the rest of the field led by the no43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca and the no49 High Class Racing Oreca-Gibson.

An 8^th place finish for the no4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR crew of George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Deletraz was enough to secure the ALMS title, the third in a row for Algarve Pro Racing, the second for George Kurtz, the third for Malthe Jakobsen and the first ALMS title for Louis Deletraz who has won every ACO LMP2 title there is to win.

The race saw two VSC / Safety Car periods and a Red Flag caused by a high-speed accident on the back straight before T8 when the no15 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Memo Gidley and the no25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca of Michael Jenson collided and spun off heavily in the barriers.  The badly damaged cars were stranded in the middle of the track, but, to everyone’s relief, both drivers climbed out of their cars unaided.  After extensive repairs to the barriers the race resumed.

The LMP3 victory went to the no23 23Events Racing, with a 1-2 for the French team.  Louis Stern, Isaac Barashi and Matteo Quintarelli took the win 41 seconds ahead of their teammates in the no71 Ligier.  The no17 CLX Motorsport Ligier of Paul Lanchere, Kevin Rabin and Alexander Jacoby didn’t finish after it was hit by the no85 R-ace GP Duqueine while battling for the lead, with contact with the barrier putting the CLX Ligier into retirement.  However, they still won the LMP3 title.

It was a win for the no56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage for the first time, with Giacomo Petrobelli, Jonny Adam and Kobe Pauwels finishing ahead of the no9 Getspeed Mercedes-AMG by just under 9 seconds after an intense battle to the flag.

The GT title was secured by the no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari crew of Dustin Scott Blattner, Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall.  The car finished in 9^th place but the no69 Team WRT BMW had to win to deny the Swiss team the title, eventually finished in 10^th place at the end of the 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi.

CLICK HERE for the result of the 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi Race 2

CLICK HERE for the Final Championship Positions

4 Hours of Abu Dhabi Race 2 – LMP2 Winners

Alexander Mattschull – no3 DKR Engineering Oreca 07-Gibson: “After a really tough weekend last weekend, it’s a little bit surprised for me. The performance of the car was great, unbelievable. My colleagues are great. I think we didn’t make any mistakes this weekend and we’ve ended up in the last race in P1. it was a tough stint. To be honest I expected it a little bit as it is the last race, it’s always like that. I was staying out of trouble. I think there was a big crash behind me, I didn’t see it, I just heard it. Luckily, nobody’s injured.”

“I gave Mathias the car in P5 and we ended up P1. So, what can I say? Both of my teammates have done an amazing job.”

Mathias Beche – no3 DKR Engineering Oreca 07-Gibson:  “To be fair, it was a tough Asian Le Mans for me.  The target coming here with DKR was to try to help the team to get more performance. Coming here, we changed completely our philosophy, and it paid off. I’m super happy that we managed to level up the whole team, because at the end of the day, we had an amazing car today, and that allowed us to perform well.

“Alex did a great job as usual, he’s really sharp on starts. Even if he doesn’t drive full season, he really has it. He has the sense of racing.  When I saw we were in the lead, I had no doubt Griffin would be comfortable, because he shown amazing pace. Super happy for this team result, and thanks to my teammates and to the team for forgiving us such a good car today.”

Griffin Peebles – no3 DKR Engineering Oreca 07-Gibson:  “This weekend has been really good for the team. We really stepped it up since Dubai. Yesterday, we had P4 and we did a really good job. Just needed something at the end to get us close with the better tyres. Today, we got a little bit of luck with the virtual safety car, but we had super good pace. Really happy with the team, and the changes we made for this race today was really good.

“I think everyone had to do a Splash and Dash with 10 minutes to go. I just tried to control my pace, keep some tyres for the end.  I pushed at the start of my stint, to get a gap and set it into a rhythm, and the pace was really good today.”

2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 Champions

George Kurtz – no4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca 07-Gibson: “We got the job done that we came for, which is to win the championship and get the Le Mans entry. Louis and Malthe just did a fantastic job. So much credit goes to the team Crowdstrike by APR, Stew and Sam and the rest of the crew, Jeff, our engineer, just unbelievable. Today didn’t go our way, but at the end of the day, what we care about is the championship, and that’s what we got.”

“We’re delighted to get the second win, it’s just it really is a fantastic Championship. The caliber of the team and the talents up and down the field is unbelievable. We feel really fortunate to be in a position to win it again.”

Louis Deletraz – no4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca 07-Gibson: “To win this title is awesome. I try not to think about it, but over the last four years, we had so much success. To get into the ALMS in such a strong lineup, strong car and fight it out with 16 other cars. I think everyone, George, Malte and the whole team, did a fantastic job.

“Today’s race was just tough. We ended up being P7, P6 we have been stuck in the dirty air, and in the end, today, we just had to drive. We had a comfortable lead, and it was not the day to take any risks. So that was the order at the end. If there was an opportunity, I would take it, but I think everyone saw it was the last race went a bit crazy. So, I just wanted to survive and bring it home and enjoy our evening altogether with a new trophy.”

Malthe Jakobsen – no4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca 07-Gibson: “To win three titles in a row is obviously fantastic to be doing with the same team. Lucky to get it to do it twice now with George and giving Louis his last of four different championships.  I think it’s just been a crazy start to the year, like if anybody told me before starting the Christmas holidays that we would end up winning Daytona and the Asian Le Mans championship here in January and February. I would obviously have hoped for it, but I think it would have been a very unrealistic target to set from the beginning, but somehow, we managed to do it. I’m very, very proud to be a part of it. A huge thanks to all of the team, APR, Stuart, Sam and, yeah, Jeff, David, everybody, all the mechanics, yeah, just fantastic.”

4 Hours of Abu Dhabi Race 2 – LMP3 Winners

Louis Stern – no23 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325-Toyota: “This is emotionally amazing. We had a great strategy, great teammates, very proud of everybody on the team and very happy to be here.  My stint wasn’t too bad, I was I had a clear track in front of me, which made it easier. It was a long race. The red flag was long and we had to get back into it. It was interesting.”

Isaac Barashi – no23 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325-Toyota: “I think strategy obviously played a role in how long my stint was. I’m just super happy to end the season like this, because it’s been such a tough year for us.  A one-two for the team is an amazing way to finish. I think that’s where we deserved to be all year, but we’ve just been a bit unlucky. The team’s worked hard, and I’m happy to get that result for them.”

Matteo Quintarelli – no23 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325-Toyota: “An amazing win and a great way to end the season. I just want to thank the team, the genius engineer Arthur and my two teammates, who all did a really, really great job. It was a tough, tough season for us, but you know, we ended it in the best way possible.”

2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 Champions

Paul Lanchere – no17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325-Toyota: “It’s been a great year for me, winning the ELMS LMP3 title and now the title here. I don’t know what my programme is for 2026 yet but I’m very proud about this season with two new, younger drivers.  I did six pole positions and I am very, very happy.

“Today was not the best way to finish for us, because we could have finished on the podium. But we had a 20-point lead, it’s comfortable to keep the lead in in championship, but it’s not easy to finish the season like this.”

Alexander Jacoby – no17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325-Toyota: “It was a great campaign. I think we stayed consistent, we made few mistakes and we finished all of the races except this last one, which was quite unlucky. So, I’m quite happy with that.

“It’s a pretty nice feeling being LMP3 champion, especially to come here for the first time in the Asian Le Mans series. It’s a very, very nice feeling.”

Kevin Rabin – no17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325-Toyota: “It’s great to win the title but we were thinking to at least finish the race and finish it well, but it’s not the case. So, we’re still happy we’ve won the championship.

“I was like, coming out of the full course yellow, and I was defending my place in T5 and I felt a sudden boom in the rear of my car, and we just got flying into the barrier. So, kind of unfortunate.

“I’m really proud of what we did together with the team and we’ll see where it goes from here.”

4 Hours of Abu Dhabi Race 2 – GT Winners

Giacomo Petrobelli – no56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage: “We don’t do them boring, that’s for sure. From first at the first corner to last and then come back again. I think it was as exciting as they get. But so happy.

“We had some bad luck in the previous races, some of my own making, but, you know, the important thing is to come back, and we never give up. I’m very happy with this. So happy!”

Jonny Adam – no56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage: “The Ecurie Ecosse programme obviously came together around the Asia Le Mans to do the championship, and to see Ecurie Ecosse come together with Blackthorn and see the Ecurie Ecosse shield on the car. For us to get a victory as well is great, especially this year. It’s the 70th anniversary for the Le Mans win. We’re not going to Le Mans, but we would love to go there in the future.

“These guys have driven so well today. You know, all weekend, we’ve just been a bit unlucky. But today, we came back so strong. To go from last to first is a testament to how good the car was and how good the team played the strategy.”

Kobe Pauwels – no56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage: “I must say the strategy was on point, probably the best of everyone today. We three drivers did the job, but I don’t think it’s only us behind the wheel, the whole team, strategist, race engineer, everybody. It’s my first championship with the team, and I wish there are many more to follow.”

2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series GT Champions

Dustin Scott Blattner – no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3: “It was quite a series that was up and down, but overall, I think I just started consistency and just the stellar job from Kessel, the strategist, as well as us drivers, brought the full package and we delivered.

“Today was tough. I mean, our car wasn’t quite up to the level of some of the other competitors, but we did our best to stay where we could and hopefully score some points, but had some unfortunate infringements, but other than that, we had quite a lead, so I think that brought us where we are today.”

Chris Lulham – no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3: “Arriving here with these guys, with Kessel Racing, and my two teammates. I didn’t really know what to expect coming into it, but right from the beginning, I could see the title chance was there. We maximised five out of six races with very minimal mistakes from all three of us always, maximising everything we could, and that’s what rewards us with the title.”

Dennis Marschall – no74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3: “We knew a P8 and points would be enough, and I think that’s also what we did today. I mean; to be fair, WRT didn’t use the penalty kick we gave them today. I think we deserve to be champion. I guess we showed very good consistency at most of the rounds, and we showed good pace and this is thanks to a very good driver lineup. We know Chris is super-fast. We know Dustin is fast and consistent, mistake free, and Kessel as well. I think they upped their game from in the last two years a lot and this is just the amount of teamwork which was put in.

“The level of championship is super high. I have the feeling this is, I think, the toughest Pro Am championship there is at the moment in the world. And so, I’m quite proud that we actually could win against all these good teams and good drivers.”