With one race on the 2021 Michelin Le Mans Cup calendar remaining, 26 points still to be won, there are no less than five teams still in the title hunt, with the top three split by just 14 points.
While the name of the championship winning team is still unknown, it will be the first season since 2017 that DKR Engineering won’t be the recipients of the title.
As the series heads to Portimão for the final race of the season on Sunday 24 October, the no7 Nielsen Racing Ligier of Colin Noble and Tony Wells is the current championship leaders on 73 points, the all British team scoring a win at Paul Ricard and in Race 1 at Road To Le Mans, with a further podium finish in Monza to their credit.
The nearest challenger is the no66 Rinaldi Racing Duqueine of Alexander Mattschull and Nicolas Varrone 11 points behind on 62 points. The German-Argentine pairing have taken three second place finishes, at Monza and in both Road to Le Mans races, but have yet to score a win this season.
The no69 Cool Racing Ligier of Maurice Smith and Matt Bell are in third spot on 59 points, 14 behind the championship leaders. They have scored four podium finishes from the six races held so far this year, two seconds at Paul Ricard and Spa, and two third place finishes at Barcelona and in Race 1 at Road To Le Mans, but, like the no66 Rinaldi Racing crew, they have yet to take a victory in 2021.
The no22 and no23 United Autosports Ligiers are tied on 51.5 points, with the no22 Ligier of Gerald Kraut and Scott Andrews lying in 4th spot thanks to their two race wins in Barcelona and Monza. John Schauerman is in 5th place thanks to two podium finishes in Barcelona and Paul Ricard alongside Wayne Boyd in the no23 Ligier. Boyd is currently in 6th place in the driver standings on 47 points after his American teammate raced with Duncan Tappy in the two races at Le Mans.
Colin Noble and Tony Wells need to finish second in the final race in Portugal to be sure of the title. If the no66 Rinaldi Racing Duqueine takes pole position and the race win, a third-place finish would put the no7 Nielsen Racing crew on equal points with one win each. But the second-place finish for Mattschull and Varrone at Le Castellet would give them the championship.
If Matt Bell and Maurice Smith should score their first pole and win of the season, the no7 Nielsen Racing Ligier would have to finish third to secure the title.
The calculators will certainly be on standby when the cars take to the track in Portimão for the final time this season.
CLICK HERE for the LMP3 drivers’ classification after six races
CLICK HERE for the LMP3 teams’ classification after six races
