ELMS, show of strength for MAK Wheels Sponsored Driver Matteo Cressoni and Team Iron Lynx. The second round of the European Championship ELMS (European Le Mans Series) was held over the weekend of 14-16 July in the French Provence, at Le Castellet, on the circuit entitled to Paul Ricard, roughly 5.800 metres long but with a myriad of variants that can change its development and tech range. In the case of the ELMS championship cars, the track measured 3.642 metres with 5 left-hand and 8 right-hand bends, in addition to the famous straight, the longest of all the circuits in the world, where the cars unleash all their power.

Fresh from their 4th place in a comeback at Barcelona on 23 April, the first round of the ELMS, Matteo Cressoni and Team Iron Lynx arrived at Le Castellet with the intention of confirming their performance. And the confirmation came punctually from the timekeeping of the two free practice sessions, in which their Porsche 911 RSR #60 installed itself in the top positions with a third and a second place that made clear the potential of the car and drivers.
Official qualifying on Saturday 15 July was entrusted, as per the regulations, to “gentleman driver” Claudio Schiavoni, who had to settle for 12th place on the starting grid due to some problems with the car set-up.

The race on Sunday 16, scheduled over four hours, saw Claudio Schiavoni immediately take the steering wheel. In his two stints, alterneted with a pit stop for refuelling and a tyre change, he managed to climb a couple of positions. After about two hours the steering wheel was handed over to Matteo Cressoni and the race took a completely different turn. “I came onto the track just before the entry of the ‘safety car’, which had come in after an accident involving other cars,” said Matteo Cressoni. “The group packed together and the gap was practically null. I managed to overtake many competitors in an hour, grabbing second position at 14” from the temporary leader. Matteo Cairoli, the third driver to sit in the seat of our Porsche 919 RSR, consolidated the place of honour by finishing just over 11″ behind the winner. We are very happy because this placing allows us to take the lead in the general classification, even though the championship is still long, there are still four races left. The next one will be on the Spanish circuit of Aragón, 25 and 26 August, a track on which I have never raced, not easy also because it will be a night race. In any case, we leave for the holidays with a smile, this podium was really deserved.”