Latest news with #MichelinLeMansCup
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Le Mans star leaps out of car and punches and kicks rival's motor in wild scenes
The Road to Le Mans Race 2 was marred by a violent outburst from one of the drivers, who leaped out of his car and attacked his rival on the first lap of the race after a collision A startling clash between two Ferraris sparked chaos on lap one of the Road to Le Mans Race 2. The Michelin Le Mans Cup contest was thrown into disarray as the blue No. 23 and red No. 21 Ferraris tangled instantly. The No. 23 Biogas Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Josep Mayola Comadira, collided with Gino-Generoso Forgione's No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 293 right at the scrappy race start. Comadira rammed into the back of Forgione's vehicle around a curve where many competitors braked suddenly, putting an end to both of their race ambitions, much to the annoyance of the Swiss driver at Le Mans. Following the crash, the cars lay stationary trackside. However, Forgione then burst from his vehicle and stomped towards his opponent's car, which had been flung upwards during the collision, reports the Express. Enraged, Forgione then started launching kicks at the No. 23 car's door before battering its window with his fists. His assault on the windows and roof continued until race officials intervened and steered him away. "It was not a moment of which he will be particularly proud of," observed TNT Sports commentator Martin Haven about the unbelievable fracas. "As you can understand, racing at Les Mans and getting tagged out in the first corner is not going to leave you feeling very happy," he continued. "The problem is, everyone is checking up there because of the spinning Porsche. He has spun because he is checking up because the cars in front are slowing down dramatically." Graham Goodwin, also on commentary, responded: "It is not giving Gino-Generoso Forgione any credit at all for the behaviour at the end there, but he will feel that he checked up and the car behind did not. "That I think is a knock-on effect of the argy-bargy at the front of the field. Yeah, not very happy is the international sign language there." A safety car was drawn before the support race for the 24 Hours of Le Mans restarted, as a sizeable clean-up was required after the many incidents that occurred during a crash-ridden opening lap. Before the race began, issues prevented the No. 59 Racing Spirit of Le Mans Aston Martin driven by Anthony McIntosh from starting. Meanwhile, CLX chose to replace the nose of No. 97, which required it to start from the pit lane. This race was the second Le Mans Cup contest, with the first being held on Friday. In the GT3 category, in which both the No. 21 and No. 23 cars were striving to win on Saturday, the No. 65 Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG GT3 claimed victory. Lena Buhler and Mattéo Quintarelli in the No. 20 23 Events Racing Ligier JS would go on to win the race overall, and Buhler became the first woman to achieve such a feat in a Road to Le Mans contest.
The Independent
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
F1 Academy champion gives health update after massive fireball crash
Former F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia has reassured fans she is recovering in hospital after a frightening fireball crash in which she was momentarily trapped in her smoke-filled Porsche car. Garcia, the first F1 Academy champion in 2023, was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after a high-speed crash while racing for the Iron Dames in Saturday's Le Mans Cup race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Garcia was leading the GT3 Class when her Porsche 911 was sent off track after being clipped from behind by Elesio Donno in the AF Corse Ferrari, smashing into a tyre barrier and rebounding back onto the circuit, with the vehicle then catching fire. The 24-year-old was then scarily stuck in her car before marshals broke through the passenger-side door to help her escape from the smoke-filled cockpit. 'Yesterday, I experienced one of the toughest moments in my career,' Garcia wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of her in the hospital where she was taken for precautionary checks after inhaling some smoke. She was released from hospital on Tuesday morning. 'I had a very heavy crash at the Circuit de Barcelona, with an impact of 21 Gs. Another driver hit me from behind and I went straight into a tyre barrier next to the wall. 'The car caught fire, and although I managed to get out by myself, I inhaled some smoke and felt dizzy afterwards. 'I couldn't open my door because it was stuck from the impact, and I started panicking as more and more smoke was coming into the car… until the marshals broke the co-driver's door and got me out. 'I'm so thankful to them for reacting so quickly and for the job they did.' Donno, 20, took full blame for the incident and apologised with a statement on Instagram, saying: 'I would like to sincerely apologize to Marta Garcia and the Iron Dames team for the incident during the Michelin Le Mans Cup race at Montmelò. 'I take full responsibility for my actions on track. Sorry again.' Garcia's Iron Dames team also released a statement, expressing their 'gratitude' to the trackside marshals for their quick response. 'We are pleased to confirm that Marta Garcia is recovering well following her incident,' a statement read. 'After undergoing extensive medical examinations, she has been cleared of any major injuries and is already back to smiling. As a precaution, she stayed under observation overnight and will have a follow-up assessment. 'We extend our gratitude to the trackside and hospital medical teams, as well as to all the fans for their support. Marta's health and safety remain our top priority, and we look forward to seeing her back on track soon.' Garcia won the inaugural F1 Academy title – the all-female racing series – in 2023 and raced in the Formula Regional European Championship last year, though failed to score a point in 20 races.
