The first round of the 2025 European Endurance Prototype Cup season lived up to all its promises. The 23 NOVA NP02s on the grid fought out an intense battle on the Circuit Paul Ricard. After 4 hours of racing, victory went to DB Autosport.
For the first time since the Estoril round in 2023, Daniel Bassora’s team triumphed. This success was the reward for a race perfectly run by the N°20 crew. The trio had already made a name for themselves in qualifying, taking fourth place. The experienced Mathias Beche set the fastest time of the session. Philippe Lenoir got the car off to a perfect start with a very solid first stint. Romain Carton managed the middle of the race perfectly, where strategy played a crucial role.
Going into the final half-hour, the N°154 COGEMO (Nicolas Prost, Erwin Creed, Marlon Hernandez) appeared to be on course for victory. The team, which won the last race of the 2024 season, had to make a late splash-and-dash.
Marlon Hernandez emerged in third position and made a superb overtake on James Winslow (N°28 23 Events Racing). A drive-through for a pitstop infringement pushed him out of the podium until the N°28 23 Events Racing car had to slow down to reach the finish without refuelling.
Mathias Beche, the last driver in the N°20 car, led the DB Autosport team to the top step of the podium. After a difficult 2024 season, the team could savour this first place.
‚This celebration represents all the team’s efforts,’ confided Mathias Beche at the finish. ‚The championship is getting more and more competitive and we’re still able to win. It’s really cool because we’re one of the smallest teams in the paddock. This win means a lot, it’s a real achievement. The outcome is just perfect.‘
The N°9 Graff took second place. The reigning champion car scored vital points in its quest for a second consecutive title. Quentin Joseph, David Droux and Eric Trouillet were logically rewarded after a controlled race.
Initially third, the N°154 COGEMO suffered a penalty that pushed them out of the top-3. The N°71 ANS took advantage of this to climb onto the podium that had so eluded them in 2024. Paul Trojani, Adrien Chila and Belén García started their season in the best possible way.
COGEMO can console itself with a one-two finish in the NP02-Am category. Defending champions Denis Caillon, Sébastien Morales and Philippe Thirion (N°154) won ahead of the N°57 of Nicolas Chartier and Stéphan Rupp. Alexandre Bochez and Mikael Bochez secured third place.
Pole sitters, Maxence Maurice and Christophe Cresp (23 Events Racing) were on course for a strong result in the Am category and overall standings. Unfortunately, the N°27 car was forced to retire.
