Raphaël Astier in good rhythm at the Pikes Peak tests

Romain Dumas will not be there to improve the Pikes Peak record signée l’an dernier avec la Volkswagen ID. R, mais sa structure est néanmoins présente avec trois pilotes alignés sur des Porsche. William Cavailhes est au volant d’une 911 GT3 RGT et Christian Schmitter sur une 911 GT3 R, tandis que Raphaël Astier participera pour la troisième fois à la montée du Colorado en pilotant pour la première fois la version GT3 Cup Turbo.

Raphaël Astier made a promising debut by taking pole in the Time Attack 1 category on the upper part and the second fastest time in the general classification, while Christian Schmitter was the fastest rookie with the 6th fastest time in the Time Attack just ahead of his teammate William Cavailhes.

“The start of the week is positive, confirmed Raphaël Astier. I discovered the new 911 Cup Turbo at the Pikes Peak Speedway and we have been making progress with each run since. Qualifying went well and I'm gaining confidence behind the wheel even though there is still plenty of room for improvement. It's a pleasure to drive this car, I've never driven such a high-performance car before. It makes you want to do beautiful things. »

Romain Dumas still made the trip to the USA to witness the work of his team.

“The tests went well. There were different objectives depending on the pilots, underlined Romain Dumas. Raphaël is coming for the third time, but he has a new, more powerful car, developed in partnership with BBI Autosport. The team and Raphaël are in a learning phase, but the times are already interesting. We set a goal together, quite ambitious. You will have to take advantage of each kilometer to prepare well for the race. »

“For Christian and Williams, it's their first participation and it's therefore a real discovery, added the Alésien. IThey take it step by step and the times improve, the feelings are positive, and everyone has a smile. They made a good debut by being the fastest rookies. We must continue this good dynamic. »