Griffin Peebles is heading into the final European Le Mans Series round at Portimão as overall championship leader at just 18 years old. Sitting at the top of the table by 13 points over Forestier of Panis Racing, who still has a Le Mans 24 hours invite to fight for, the New Zealander has his eyes set on his first title in his second ELMS season, driving the #22 United Autosports LMP2 together with teammates Grégoire Saucy and Benjamin Hanley. Despite not having the most poles or victories, consistency defines their season as they stood on the podium in every race except round 4 at Spa‑Francorchamps where they finished fourth.
With the #29 LMP2 Forestier Racing by Panis, driven by Esteban Masson, Oliver Gray, and Louis Rousset, being their closest rival, the French‑based team can’t only be the hunter; it’s also being hunted by the #25 Algarve Pro Racing team, who trail by 18 points, for an automatic invite to the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
United Autosports lead APR by 31 points and are therefore not in danger of losing the invite as only the top 2 in the LMP2 class get one. The New Zealander elaborates on this advantage to GT REPORT:
“For sure, the buffer gives us a bit of freedom and a bit of margin to play it safe when we really need to,” but the goal remains clear. “To do as best as we can, try and be at the top and see where we end up.”
Being in the team with 41-year-old British driver Benjamin Hanley and 26-year-old Swiss Grégoire Saucy they scored together only one victory at Paul Ricard, where their direct rival retired due to an mechinal failure, and are still looking for their first pole position. But standing on the podium in almost every single round, it was key to their success so far.
“Other teams have been maybe a little bit quicker in some races. But overall we’ve been very consistent at the front, and we have a very good overall lineup. We could have had almost five podiums in a row. That’s very good for consistency within the championship. Now it’s still all cut down to the last race, but I think we have what it takes to bring it home.”
Ready to take on the fight for one last time this year, the challenge on this rollercoaster type of track is clear with its many elevation changes.
“It’s quite narrow in some places. Traffic will be a big factor, whether it hurts you or benefits you. I think a lot of traffic management will help us.”
