24 Hours of Portimao: a promising double round the clock

Last time, it was on the Mediterranean coast, under the blazing sun at Le Castellet. This weekend, it's near the Atlantic coast, in the Algarve. The nearly two-month summer break hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of the Lamera Cup competitors, divided into 24 honed cars, not forgetting the unclassified 77th, which is used for development. On the contrary, they're hungry and eager to get going.

"It's certainly the most beautiful circuit on the calendar," asserts Bertrand Balas. "You only have to remember the very spectacular images of the MotoGP to convince yourself. Behind the wheel, it's a pure delight to tackle most of these long curves without seeing the exit. There are quite a few elevation changes and, to make matters worse, bumps require constant concentration at the wheel.

This should suit this group of enthusiasts, aware that this race is of particular interest.

"Mathematically, it's even the most important event," recalls Emmanuel Orgeval, one of the drivers of the reigning champion's car. "40% of the points will be awarded after 12 hours of racing and 60% at the finish. We'll have to perform well while maintaining a small safety margin to protect our car. Within our team, we're counting on these 24 Hours to get us back in the saddle. Retiring from Sunday's race at Le Castellet cost us dearly."

This Friday and Saturday morning, the teams conducted their usual private tests in the sunshine. Once the lunch break is over, the challenge will be to set a good time in qualifying.

"But in a 24-hour race, grid position is only relatively important. We know very well that after two laps, pole position is forgotten."

As the saying goes: it's at the end of the ball that you pay the musicians.

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