Podium success for Frikadelli Racing in Zandvoort
15.07.2024
Klaus Abbelen and Felipe Laser achieved their first podium finish of the Prototype Cup Germany season during the third round in Zandvoort. In Sunday’s race, the driver duo secured an impressive second overall with their #30 Ligier JS P320 and also claimed victory in the Trophy class. Already on Saturday, Frikadelli Racing led laps with their LMP3 car on the 4.259 km dune circuit along the Dutch North Sea coast.
“We’re obviously very happy about our first overall podium in the Prototype Cup Germany this season,” said Abbelen. “The setup changes we made to our Ligier for Sunday’s race day really paid off. The car was well-prepared and a joy to drive. It was a day from which we can take a lot of positives for the upcoming rounds.”
Starting from ninth on the grid, Abbelen delivered a flawless first stint before handing the car over to Laser at mid-race. Laser immediately impressed with strong pace, quickly moving up to seventh. After a safety car period, his remarkable charge continued, ultimately crossing the line in third place overall. However, due to a time penalty issued to the second-place finisher, the Frikadelli Ligier was promoted to second in the final standings. The team from Barweiler also celebrated a win in the Trophy classification.
The day before, Frikadelli Racing had already made a strong impression in the highly competitive field of the Prototype Cup Germany. In challenging weather conditions, Felipe Laser qualified the #30 Ligier JS P320 in an excellent second place and even took the lead at the start. However, as the race progressed, the pair gradually dropped back and finished eighth overall.
“In Saturday’s race, unfortunately, several factors combined that kept us from achieving a better result,” Abbelen explained. “A safety car came out at a particularly inopportune time, we didn’t manage a completely mistake-free run, and the car setup wasn’t yet optimal due to our limited experience at Zandvoort and the short practice time. But we analyzed the race thoroughly and came back with the right answers on Sunday.”
