- The Alpine ELF Cup Series returned with Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) winning both races at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
- Alexandre Gadois (Schumacher CLRT) and Thibaut Bossy (Herrero Racing) shared the honours in the Challengers category, as did Philippe Bourgois (Race Cars Consulting) and Frédéric de Brabant (Chazel Technologie Course) among the Gentlemen.
- Overall leader Charles Roussanne will have his first chance to secure the title at Circuit Paul Ricard (4-6 October)
Just a few days after the qualifying races for Orient Express Racing Team, the French team supported by Alpine in the 37th America’s Cup, the A-arrow brand returned to Barcelona for the resumption of the Alpine ELF Cup Series.
Thibaut Bossy was quickest on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the rain on Thursday evening. Charles Roussanne took over in the second practice session in sunny conditions the following day before claiming both pole positions.
RACE 1: ROUSSANNE PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF
On Friday evening, Charles Roussanne held the advantage at the rolling start. On the front row alongside him, Enzo Geraci (Chazel Technologie Course Junior) came under attack from Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting), who found an opening under the watchful eye of Lukas Papin (Schumacher CLRT). Behind him, Thibaut Bossy got past Alexandre Gadois and Romain Monti (Chazel Technologie Course) to join the top five.
Charles Roussanne pulled away from the chase group led by Léo Jousset, under pressure from Enzo Geraci. The battles throughout the field were on the boil, with Enzo Carvalhido (Sport Auto Racing) overtaking Chazel Technologie Course Junior drivers Florian Coruble and Mattéo Nomblot for eighth place.
The duel between Léo Jousset and Enzo Geraci came to a head on lap ten. Lukas Papin seized his chance to get the better of his two rivals before coming under attack from Enzo Geraci, who was penalised five seconds for his part in the collision with Léo Jousset.
Charles Roussanne eventually won by four seconds from Lukas Papin and Léo Jousset, who inherited the podium’s third step after Enzo Geraci’s penalty. Fifth on his return to the series, Alexandre Gadois passed Thibault Bossy on lap 11 to secure the win in the Challengers category. Romain Monti finished seventh, with Enzo Carvalhido, Florian Coruble and Mattéo Nomblot completing the top ten. Meanwhile, Philippe Bourgois won a lively battle in the Gentlemen category.
RACE 2: ROUSSANNE MAKES IT FIVE WINS ON THE BOUNCE
The two front rows were identical for the Saturday race. Despite Enzo Geraci’s fine start, Charles Roussanne resisted, leaving his rival to battle with Léo Jousset and Lukas Papin. Léo Jousset eventually came out on top, while Lukas Papin was surprised by Thibaut Bossy, who made a strong start from 11th place on the grid.
Charles Roussanne made the most of the battles behind to extend his lead over Léo Jousset. Behind Enzo Geraci and Thibaut Bossy, Alexandre Gadois made his way around Romain Monti and Lukas Papin, but the latter fought back to slot into fifth place in this heated fight. Romain Monti also took advantage of the duel between Thibaut Bossy and Alexandre Gadois to get between the two.
Léo Jousset caught up to Charles Roussanne in the waning minutes and attacked on the last two laps. However, the general classification leader fought hard to claim his fifth consecutive victory. Léo Jousset sealed his seventh podium in a row to remain in the title fight by edging out Enzo Geraci, who had to deal with Lukas Papin until the finish.
Thibaut Bossy held off Alexandre Gadois to win in the Challengers category. Seventh at the chequered flag, Enzo Carvalhido slipped behind Florian Coruble because of a five-second penalty for his part in the collision with Romain Monti on the final lap. Clément Berlié (VPS Racing) and Mattéo Nomblot closed the top ten ahead of returnee Gosia Rdest (Chazel Technologie Course). Frédéric de Brabant quickly moved into the lead in the Gentlemen’s category to secure his maiden success of the season in this class.
With his perfect weekend, Charles Roussanne further extended his lead and can clinch the overall and Juniors crowns in the next round at the Circuit Paul Ricard (4-6 October). The penultimate meeting on the 2024 calendar also promises to be crucial in the other title races, with Thibaut Bossy now leading Florian Coruble in the Challengers category while Frédéric de Brabant and VPS Racing still lead among the Gentlemen and Teams.
QUOTES
Charles Roussanne (Race 1 & 2 winner)
“Hard to do better for the return to action! We scored maximum points with two poles, two fastest race laps and two wins. I’m super happy with the work we’ve done with the team this weekend. The aim is to keep the same approach, but more cautiously now that the gap is quite big.”
Alexandre Gadois (Race 1 Challengers category winner)
“It’s been five years since my last race in the Alpine ELF Cup Series, so I’m pleased to have quickly found my bearings. The Schumacher CLRT team has done an excellent job with a car that’s in with a chance of a podium finish. It was just a one-shot, but I hope to be back this season or next!”
Thibaut Bossy (Race 2 Challengers category winner)
“I was quite disappointed with my Q2 performance, but I made a great start from 11th place to secure a top-five finish and the win in the Challengers category. I’ve taken the lead in this class, so it’s a positive result, even though I lacked pace this weekend. I must work hard to catch up to the overall top four!”
Philippe Bourgois (Race 1 Gentlemen category winner)
“I was hoping to win on Friday to make up ground, so I was delighted to do it. It was a great race, where we were all very close. The next day, I started 10th after an excellent qualifying performance but I ruined everything in a particularly hectic start. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but we’re not giving up. We can’t afford to make any more mistakes, and we’ll give it our all. We are more motivated than ever and have plenty of fight left in us!”
Frédéric de Brabant (Race 2 Gentlemen category winner)
“This first official victory is fantastic. There were great battles, plenty of pace, and I really enjoyed it. Well done to Philippe for his win on Friday, Anthony for his fine comeback, and Laurent for the battle on Saturday. I’m still leading the category. I can’t wait to be at Le Castellet, where we’ll have to find the right balance between pace and aggression again.”
CLASSIFICATIONS
Race 1
1. Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) 15 laps
2. Lukas Papin (Schumacher CLRT) +3.897s
3. Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting) +8.630s
4. Enzo Geraci (Chazel Technologie Course Junior) +9.909s
5. Alexandre Gadois (Schumacher CLRT) +17.208s
Pole position: Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) – 1m51.690s
Fastest lap: Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) – 1m52.717s
Race 2
1. Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) 15 laps
2. Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting) +0.255s
3. Enzo Geraci (Chazel Technologie Course Junior) +7.835s
4. Lukas Papin (Schumacher CLRT) +8.145s
5. Thibaut Bossy (Herrero Racing) +23.308s
Pole position : Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) – 1m51.396s
Fastest lap: Charles Roussanne (VPS Racing) – 1m51.540s
General classification*
1. Charles Roussanne – 156 points
2. Léo Jousset – 114 points
3. Lukas Papin – 68 points
4. Enzo Geraci – 66 points
5. Florian Coruble – 54 points
* pending final technical scrutineering