In the tabloid format, the podium at the W Series race in Le Castellet, France featured Belen Garcia in second place, Jamie Chadwick as the race winner, and Nerea Marti in third place. This exciting event took place on July 23, 2022.
Belén García had an impressive debut in the European Le Mans Series at the 4 Hours of Barcelona. Despite initial setbacks at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the former W Series driver worked well with her DKR Engineering teammates Wyatt Brichacek and Alexander Mattschull.
García faced challenges during her debut ELMS weekend driving the #3 LM P3. She even experienced her first-ever flat spot in her career. However, she persevered and completed 55 laps out of the team’s total of 195 laps.
During the Friday Practice session, the #4 Duqueine M30 – D08, driven by a different team, caught fire. Despite this setback, García and her teammates remained determined to fight for a good result.
García expressed her pride in the team’s resilience and their ability to bounce back after multiple setbacks. She particularly praised Wyatt’s outstanding qualifying run, which helped the team secure a fourth-place starting position, just 0.7 seconds behind the leader.
Currently, Belén Garcia is in sixth place in the LMP3 class. You can watch her in action on YouTube.
In her inaugural European Le Mans Series (ELMS) race weekend, García took over the #3 car from Mattschull after his challenging double stint secured them a spot in the top five.
García encountered a malfunctioning right rear wheel while using the old tires provided by Brichacek during their fast qualifying session, entering the track in sixth position.
Engaging in a fierce battle for a podium spot, the Spanish driver climbed up to fourth place and successfully fended off the rapid LMP2 cars on her home turf.
After a 40-lap stint dueling with the #15 RLR M Sport and #88 Inter Europol Competition, García secured fourth place before handing over the reins to her teammate Brichacek.
Despite Brichacek’s spin in the final set, which cost the team nine seconds, the Spaniard had an incredibly successful debut weekend, leaving a lasting impression.
García expressed, “The key takeaway from this weekend is that I can build upon the laps I completed this time around and use them to start from a different position in our next race. This will be immensely beneficial and advantageous.”
“Scoring some points and finishing not far behind the frontrunners and podium finishers in our first race together is satisfying, but I always strive for more. It’s a solid result, but I am confident that I can perform even better, and we will collaborate to maximize our potential starting from the next round.”
Looking ahead to her upcoming ELMS appearance, García aims to enhance her performance at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, scheduled for May 3-5, 2024, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France.