Cool Racing Score First LMP3 Win of 2021 Season

The no4 DKR Engineering Duqueine-Nissan had built up a huge lead in the first half of the race with Laurents Hörr behind the wheel.

Once bronze driver Alain Berg took over the driving duties, the lead shrank significantly as Kruetten closed the gap from over a minute to five seconds, leaving Matt Bell to finish the job in the final hour of the race.

1. 16 LMP3 cars took the start
2. A slow start at the front of the field caused some of the LMP3 cars to go wide on the start finish straight, shaking up the order.
3. This was followed by a 7-minute Safety Car period at the start of lap 2 to recover two LMP2 cars, the no32 United Autosports Oreca at T1 and the no21 DragonSpeed USA at T14.
4. The field was led by the no2 United Autosports Ligier of reigning champion Rob Wheldon, with Laurents Hörr in the no4 DKR Engineering Duqueine in second, the no15 RLR MSport Ligier of Michael Benham in third and the no19 Cool Racing Ligier of Nicolas Maulini up from 11^th to 5^th just behind the no3 United Autosports Ligier.
5. At the restart Hörr moved into the lead in the no4 Duqueine, passing Wheldon’ no2 Ligier.
6. By lap 14 the lead gap had opened up to nearly 8 seconds.
7. There was contact between the no3 United Autosports Ligier of Andrew Bentley and the no13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier of Martin Hippe. The no19 Cool Racing Ligier moved up to 4^th to challenge the no15 Ligier of Michael Benham for 3^rd as a consequence.
8. After an hour of racing the no4 DKR Engineering Duqueine had opened the gap to over 30 seconds to the chasing pack.