- Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting) scored another brace at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to become the first driver to win six consecutive races in the Alpine ELF Cup Series.
- Lazare Lartigau (Forestier Racing by VPS), Johan Akkerman (Chazel Technologie Course), David Barrere (Herrero Racing) and Anthony Fournier (Race Cars Consulting) were also victorious in Belgium.
- The field now turns its attention to the next round in Zandvoort (Netherlands) on 11–13 July.
The Alpine ELF Cup Series visited the Belgian Ardennes for the sixth time in its modern history. Double winner at Nogaro, Léo Jousset arrived as leader at Spa-Francorchamps, where stiff competition awaited him. Victor Weyrich (Herrero Racing) was the first to set the pace in practice, but Léo Jousset regained control in the second session before securing his third pole position of the year on Saturday morning.
RACE 1: JOUSSET BEFORE THE STORM
A few hours later, clouds gathered overhead as the first race began. Starting fourth on the grid, Mathias Cazaux (Race Cars Consulting) shot into the lead ahead of Victor Weyrich and Léo Jousset. The leading trio quickly pulled away from the chase group, led successively by Lazare Lartigau, Johan Akkerman and then Romain Monti.
Léo Jousset overtook Victor Weyrich on lap four before attacking Mathias Cazaux, who held out until the Bus Stop chicane on lap seven. Victor Weyrich followed suit shortly afterwards, while the former leader received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits.
The race was stopped prematurely due to a violent storm. The final finishing order was taken after lap eight, with Léo Jousset taking the win ahead of Mathias Cazaux, who dropped to fifth place with his penalty. Victor Weyrich and Romain Monti (Chazel Technologie Course) completed the podium, while Lazare Lartigau claimed his maiden victory in the Junior category. Behind them were Roee Meyuhas (Forestier Racing by VPS), Matéo Herrero (Herrero Racing), Challengers Johan Akkerman and Ivan Ovsienko (Chazel Technologie Course) and Gentleman David Barrere.
RACE 2: JOUSSET AGAIN!
On a wet track, Roee Meyuhas ended Léo Jousset’s unbeaten run in qualifying. Behind them, Victor Weyrich started third on the grid, just 0.075s off pole position.
At the start, Léo Jousset took the lead ahead of Victor Weyrich and Romain Monti, who had moved up from fifth to third before a safety car period following a collision between David Barrere and Ivan Ovsienko. The restart was short-lived, as a second neutralisation was necessary after Franc Rouxel’s off (Herrero Racing) and contact between Alain Jacono (Chazel Technologie Course) and Paul Paranthoen (Code Racing Development).
Despite the pressure after the second restart, Léo Jousset took advantage of the battle between his pursuers to extend his lead. Behind him, Romain Monti dropped down the order following his failed attack on lap nine. Alone at the front, Léo Jousset cruised to victory ahead of Victor Weyrich and Junior Lazare Lartigau, who secured his first overall podium finish by overtaking his teammate Roee Meyuhas. Matéo Herrero deprived Mathias Cazaux of fifth place under the watchful eye of Romain Monti. Further back, Johan Akkerman and Anthony Fournier won the Challengers and Gentlemen classes.
With his latest double victory, making him the first driver to win six consecutive races in the Alpine ELF Cup Series, Léo Jousset consolidates his lead in the general classification, as does Race Cars Consulting in the team standings. Double Juniors and Challengers winners, Lazare Lartigau and Johan Akkerman now lead their respective categories, as does Anthony Fournier among the Gentlemen after his victory on Sunday.
The Alpine ELF Cup Series competitors are now preparing for their next clash at Zandvoort (11-13 July), which returns to the calendar for the first time since 2022.
QUOTES
Léo Jousset (Race 1 and 2 winner)
“Four wins in as many races this season is positive. There were a few hiccups this weekend, but the overall result is still excellent. We must keep up the momentum because you never know what might happen. We’ve had six consecutive wins since Monza last year. It is due to a combination of set-ups that suit me better, my experience with the A110 Cup and, therefore, more relevant feedback for the team. I look forward to returning to Zandvoort, a fast and demanding track where you really need a big heart to go fast. It’s one I like very much.”
Lazare Lartigau (Race 1 and 2 Junior category winner)
“Nogaro was tricky, mainly due to a lack of track time ahead of the season opener. The more races I do, the more comfortable I feel with the car, and the performance is getting better. I still have areas to work on, but I’m quite happy with my race pace, even though I made a few mistakes that prevented me from overtaking Victor Weyrich at the end. It was a positive weekend ahead of my first outing at Zandvoort. I love the track on the simulator, and we’ll be able to make the most of the private test day before the meeting. It’s looking good.”
Johan Akkerman (Race 1 and 2 Challenger category winner)
“It’s a bit of a crazy result! I am getting more confident with the car, and my pace’s starting to show. There were moments when I could nearly battle with my teammate Romain, which was very positive. It’s great to learn alongside such professional drivers. The car was amazing all weekend, even though there was unfortunately a little bit of contact. I hope to have a clean weekend, be even more competitive for my home race at Zandvoort, and maybe get the same result!”
David Barrere (Race 1 Gentlemen category winner)
“This is my first season, so every race is an opportunity to gain experience, and I’m focusing on the positives despite my retirement on Sunday. On Saturday, I understood how to get the best out of the car and the tyres. I’m also pleased to have matched the driver’s pace in front of me and to finish my first race at Spa. Zandvoort will be a new challenge. I can’t wait to get out on that historic track with its technical layout and legendary corners.”
Anthony Fournier (Race 2 Gentlemen category winner)
“It was a fairly quiet race on Sunday, but I’m super happy with the result as I got on the podium’s top step for the first time this year. I had an excellent qualifying session on a wet and slippery track, where I immediately felt at ease with the car. I then got off to a great start and avoided trouble to score important championship points.”
CLASSIFICATIONS
Race 1
1. Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting) 8 laps
2. Victor Weyrich (Herrero Racing) +1.249s
3. Romain Monti (Chazel Technologie Course) +1.525s
4. Lazare Lartigau (Forestier Racing by VPS) +.398s
5. Mathias Cazaux (Race Cars Consulting) +6.111s
Pole position: Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting) – 2m32.240s
Fastest lap: Romain Monti (Chazel Technologie Course) – 2m33.538s
Race 2
1. Léo Rousset (Race Cars Consulting) 12 laps
2. Victor Weyrich (Herrero Racing) +3.008s
3. Lazare Lartigau (Forestier Racing by VPS) +3.320s
4. Roee Meyuhas (Forestier Racing by VPS) +3.814s
5. Matéo Herrero (Herrero Racing) +3.943s
Pole position: Roee Meyuhas (Forestier Racing by VPS) – 2m46.221s
Fastest lap: Matéo Herrero (Herrero Racing) – 2m32.364s
General classification
1. Léo Jousset – 85 points
2. Victor Weyrich – 50 points
3. Romain Monti – 48 points
4. Lazare Lartigau – 26 points
5. Roee Meyuhas – 26 points…
