Richard Mille Racing Team shows pace and grace in Bahrain

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Three years after embarking on its adventure in Sakhir, the Richard Mille #racing Team returned to the Kingdom of Bahrain to conclude its third campaign.

Determined to finish the season on a high, Charles Milesi, Lilou Wadoux, and Paul-Loup Chatin completed a productive free-practice programme before tackling qualifying on Friday evening. Charles Milesi did an excellent first flying lap to place third, but a minor brake lockup in his second and last attempt eventually settled him for ninth in the LMP2 category. However, the team finished just half a second off the pole position, further narrowing the gap to the leaders.

The Richard Mille #racing Team was full of hopes but experienced two setbacks early in the race run in the sweltering heat on Saturday. Paul-Loup Chatin was squeezed in the first corner with contact causing a slow puncture to the front right tyre of the N°1 Oreca-Gibson. The team made an early stop in relation to its pre-race strategy, but two inauspicious neutralisations delayed its comeback before Lilou Wadoux was then sent spinning by a GT car 90 minutes into the race.

Relegated to thirteenth place, the trio did everything to make up ground with the help of the Signatech technical team. Lilou Wadoux went on the attack again and raised her game impressively. Charles Milesi then made a series of overtaking moves, regularly showing himself to be the fastest on the track. Just as determined, Paul-Loup Chatin also put in some solid stints to get back into the top ten at nightfall.

Although the race was too straightforward to reshuffle the order, the three drivers put all their heart into the battle to accelerate their comeback, which concluded with Lilou Wadoux taking the chequered flag in eighth place. With this result, the team finishes the season ninth in the FIA Endurance LMP2 Trophy. The whole team was then proud to see Lilou Wadoux get behind the wheel of one of the premier class prototypes during the Rookies Tests, just one year after her first drive with the Richard Mille #racing Team.

Charles Milesi: "This was without a doubt our best race this season, but the puncture caused a domino effect. We were strategically out of sync with our rivals and the neutralisations did not work in our favour. In these conditions, however, we optimised all the aspects under our control to finish eighth. It's a shame because we could have hoped for much better. We got off to a slow start this year, but we turned things around, and this experience has taken me to a new level as a driver."

Lilou Wadoux: "Everything was there to be competitive, both with the team and the drivers. Unfortunately, this was without counting on the incidents during the race. Despite this, we finished eighth, which shows how good our pace was. The result is mixed because everything was perfect, but it didn't pay off as was the case in Monza. I have a lot of positive things to take away from this season though. I learned a lot - more than ever before - between my first laps in LMP2 a year ago and my first experience with a Hypercar on Sunday. When I think back over the last 12 months, it's pretty incredible and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped me to have these lifetime opportunities."

Paul-Loup Chatin: "We had a puncture at the beginning of the race, and then Lilou was sent spinning-. It's a pity as we had already begun our comeback, but we were solid and had an excellent pace until the end to reach eighth. We need to focus on the positives. Everyone stayed extremely motivated right to the end, and no one gave up. The team's strength is the unity between all of us. We all did very well, and I would also like to highlight Lilou's work. I see a lot of potential in her. We were there to help her as best we could in her rookie season. She is incredible, and I am confident she has a bright future."

Philippe Sinault, Team Principal: "There is certainly some frustration but more than anything else, a lot of pride. The final result doesn't tell the whole story because the team again delivered a solid result with a very high level of performance. We could not highlight it because of the race circumstances and their consequences on our strategy. With the unexpected stop and the full course yellows, we lost about two minutes even before Lilou was spun out. We could have finished much higher, but I would like to highlight the excellent work of the drivers and the team. Our lap times were equal to those of the leaders, and I know our performance did not go unnoticed. We should also not forget that Lilou made her Hypercar debut on Sunday. In this sense, we all feel very proud. The fact that we were able to challenge ourselves to initiate a positive dynamic is also a source of pride, and it was brave from all the team members, who proved we are able to quickly react to compete with the best."
 
Classification 8 Hours of Bahrain (LMP2)
1. WRT n°31
2. United Autosports USA n°23 +49:264s
3. JOTA n°38 + 1 lap
4. Prema Orlen Team n°9 + 1 lap
5. Realteam #racing by WRT n°41 + 1 lap
8. Richard Mille #racing Team n°1 + 2 laps  

General classification (LMP2)
1. JOTA n°38 137 points 
2. Team WRT n°31 116 points
3. United Autosports USA n°23 113 points
4. Realteam #racing by WRT n°41 96 points
5. Prema Orlen Team n°9 94 points 
9. Richard Mille #racing Team n°1 30 points