TEAM NEWS: Since 2018 Inter Europol Competition have finished as LMP3 Vice Champions 4 times in 5 seasons, finishing 4th in 2021. This season the Polish team arrives in Portugal in second place once again, with the no13 Ligier-Nissan of Portugal's Miguel Cristóvão, Britain's Kai Askey and American Wyatt Brichacek on 45 points.
They are 46 points behind the current championship leaders Marcos Siebert, Adrien Chila and Alejandro Garcia in the no17 COOL Racing Ligier, but with two races being held for the ELMS Grand Season Finale and a maximum of 52 points still to be won, there is still an outside chance of securing the title for the first time.
Q) The title is possible, but a real long shot. What is the mindset heading to Portimao for the doubleheader?
Miguel: “We need to do our best and hope that this is enough to win both races and then see if the others had some problems!”
Wyatt: "To win the title, we would need everything to fall into place correctly. The focus for us will be to work towards that first win. This is Miguel’s home track, and Kai and I have the pace, so we are confident we can perform our best. We will focus on doing that in both races and then we will see where we fall in the championship."
Kai: “Honestly, going into the next two rounds, I'm feeling extremely confident, with having very strong pace last time out in the Le Mans Cup sessions last year. Putting the car in P1, while being one of my first outings in the LMP3 car, means it can only get better with a year's experience under my belt.
“This year, our pace has been impressive, showing that we are no doubt a title contender and are definitely in the fight for the title. Miguel and Wyatt have also been doing an amazing job every time they've gone out on track, showing their amazing efforts and also our teamwork as a trio, unmatched by the rest.”
Q) Two second positions from four starts is a very positive result so far. For you to head into the off-season, what would you need to achieve to be more than satisfied with your season?
Miguel: “To be more than satisfied after some good results is to win the last two races in my country.”
Wyatt: "We have achieved some good results this year but are still missing that first win. For me, we need to have a strong weekend and, ideally, win a race going into the off-season. We continue to get better each race, so it’s all to play for."
Kai: “I think we have to be very satisfied with what we have achieved this year with two podium positions and currently being second in the championship. Obviously, with our pace, there were a lot better results on the table, but we’ve had quite a few unlucky moments which have decided our race results, impacting the championship. It's tiny things that are out of our hands that have stopped us, as we have clearly been the best of the rest. I want to come back after the next two rounds with a huge smile on my face, with the obvious result of the title. No more. No less!”
Q) What is your most memorable moment from the season, on or off track?
Miguel: “To see the happiness of all of the team when we finished second position in Barcelona!”
Wyatt: "My most memorable moment this season was the pole in Aragon. It was a new track for everyone, and I felt we had a clear pace advantage over the competition. As it is my first year in Endurance racing and in Europe, it gave me the reassurance that I deserve to be here!"
Kai: “Picking out ‘the most memorable moment’ would be tough as I've had many great times on and off track this season. The feeling of getting on the podium at Barcelona was incredible and was a real experience. Just the pure joy from the whole team and my teammates warmed my heart, making me want those results even more. Getting up on the podium and spraying champagne for the first time was funny; being a bit late to opening the bottle meant I was sprayed in the face before I could even open it! (Still need to work on my champagne skills)
“Although the heartbreaking result of Aragon was not one to remember, my stint into the night felt amazing, one of my craziest and no doubt the most fun I've ever experienced. Multiple overtakes on LMP3 cars and gaining 20 seconds to the leader felt amazing, as I was properly in the zone. Driving into the sunset while having some amazing battles. Dream-type feelings.
“Walking back after my P2 finish at Spa, seeing my friends, family, and engineers waiting to congratulate me and our whole team… It was just incredible. My friend was running towards me, and others behind were smiling like no tomorrow; it's these types of feelings in motorsport that make me love the sport even more.
“Hoping to create more memories like this in the next two rounds; many possibilities
