Nick Jones and Sven Muller will be back in Michelin Le Mans Cup action at the iconic Mugello circuit in Italy this weekend, where the pair will be seeking to keep up the pressure on the podium places.
The #18 High Class Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R has been a standout entry in the GT3 field across recent rounds, with Jones and Muller scoring an eye-catching podium finish in their last race together in the Road to Le Mans races back in June. With Muller unavailable for the last round at Spa-Francorchamps, Nico Menzel stepped into the car and again the #18 proved one to watch as Jones and Menzel fought their way into a podium position late in the race, only to be spun out by another car and denied what would have been a superb result.
Regardless, the team and drivers know the pace is there to challenge for the top three, and that will be the sole aim as the championship travels to the picturesque Tuscan circuit this weekend.
Mugello is a new addition to the calendar for this year, and not a typical track for sportscar or GT racing. Predominantly used for motorbike racing, the 3.2-mile track features high-speed straights and some big stops for two hairpins and twin chicanes that can easily catch drivers out.
Jones and Muller completed a productive test at the venue recently, to get their eye into what will be a new challenge for the team. And, with a packed 38-car grid to contend with – 11 of which are entered into the GT3 class – it promises to be a dramatic penultimate event of the year.
Jones runs fifth in the Le Mans Cup GT3 Drivers’ championship, still well within striking distance of the top three, and a strong result at Mugello is a must if the team is to push its way up the championship table.
Nick Jones says: “I’m really excited for Mugello and it makes a change to go somewhere completely new. I loved the track when we tested there, it’s very fast and very ballsy in places with some high-speed challenges and big braking zones. It’s really nice and flowing and I think it’ll be up there with my favourite tracks with a few more laps. I’m confident about this weekend. We’ve been on great form recently and I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made with the car and cutting the performance gap to the Ferraris, which were by far the fastest cars at the start of the season. It’ll also be great to have Sven back. We did the test together and get along so well, plus the whole team is running really well at the moment, so we’re in a good place. It could be a bit of a stop-start race due to the nature of the circuit and the number of LMP3 cars in the field, but so long as we keep it clean and maximise our own performance, we can score well.”
Sven Muller says: “I’m looking forward to being back in the car alongside Nick. The podium we took together at Le Mans was something special, and we’ve had a test together since at Mugello that went well. The track at Mugello is a mixture of high-speed corners, fast straights and some very technical parts so I think it should suit the Porsche quite well. For sure, the podium is the goal for us. The package we have with drivers, team and car is very strong at the moment so I’m looking forward to getting out there and fighting. Italy never disappoints, so hopefully we can have a good weekend.”
The Michelin Le Mans Cup weekend at Mugello gets underway with twin free practice sessions and the bronze driver test on Friday, September 27, before qualifying and the race take place on Saturday. Qualifying is scheduled for 12:30 CEST, while the race is set to begin at 17:50 local time. Both qualifying and the race will be streamed live on the Le Mans Cup YouTube channel, while live timing will be available for all sessions via the Le Mans Cup website.
