Malthe Jakobsen faced an unexpected exit from the third round of the European Le Mans Series, held at Motorland Aragón, after a collision with a teammate. Despite showing exceptional speed earlier in the week, Jakobsen's race was derailed by a series of unfortunate events.
Jakobsen and his team at COOL Racing demonstrated impressive performance during the free practice sessions, consistently topping the timesheets. This had set the stage for a strong showing in the race held in the picturesque but challenging Spanish desert.
Starting from sixth in the LMP2 Pro/AM class, Jakobsen, alongside co-drivers Nicolas Lapierre and Alexandre Coigny, had a formidable task ahead. However, a technical malfunction early in the race set them back significantly. "There was a misfire while Alexandre was in the car, and even though the team was quick to identify the issue, it took two laps in the garage before we were back on track, and at that point, the race was pretty much over," said Jakobsen, who entered the race as the last driver on the COOL Racing lineup.
With the team now two laps down, Jakobsen received instructions to maintain his position behind his teammate. However, as opportunities arose during the race to increase speed, Jakobsen took advantage of these moments to set the fastest lap time of the race. "I was told it was okay to pass if I had the pace, so I closed the gap and prepared to overtake. But just as I was about to go past, he closed the door and sent us both off the track," Jakobsen recounted, revealing the unfortunate miscommunication.
In the world of motorsport, such incidents often evoke concern among teams about teammates colliding. "That’s what everyone fears; teammates taking each other out. We've discussed this extensively within the team, and now we look forward to regrouping and coming back stronger in Belgium in a month," Jakobsen stated, emphasizing the importance of moving forward.
Post-race, COOL Racing currently sits fourth in the LMP2 Pro/AM standings following the event at Motorland Aragón, as Jakobsen and his team reflect on what could have been. The upcoming rounds in the series will offer them a chance to rebound from this setback and enhance their competitiveness.
In the world of high-speed racing, the opportunities for redemption are always just around the corner, and for Jakobsen and COOL Racing, the focus is on future performances now that they've learned from this weekend's trials. The team looks ahead to competing in Belgium, hopeful that the lessons learned will lead to better outcomes in their quest for success in the championship.
