As he parked his Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II at the end of the GT World Challenge Europe final on Sunday evening, Lorens Lecertua could not hide his emotion. Tasked with driving the third and final stint of the three-hour race, he was just a few seconds short of securing another podium finish in the Silver Cup, the category for young professionals and semi-professionals.

“I gave it everything,” said the Saintéloc Racing driver. “During that last hour, I moved up nine places in the overall standings to break into the top 20. But it was the Silver Cup that really interested me! I gained several positions and closed in on the Mercedes-AMG in front of me, but I was a few laps short of taking third place.”

This podium finish would have been a great reward for Lorens and his teammates, Ukrainian Ivan Klymenko and American Reece Gold, at the end of a weekend which had not started ideally.

“It is no coincidence that the GT World Challenge Europe is considered the most competitive GT championship in the world!” says Lorens. “There were 60 cars on the grid this weekend in Barcelona and the level of the drivers and teams is incredible. Everything has to be perfect if you want to win. However, we missed out on qualifying with a 40th place overall and 11th in the Silver Cup. On a personal level, I was pushing hard and could have set a good time during my session, but I was a little too greedy. I made a small mistake by going over the track limits in the final corner, which invalidated two of my laps. I was angry with myself but I made up for it with a great stint in the race, but I know I did not have a perfect weekend. And in such a competitive championship, the slightest mistake like that costs you dearly.”

Recognising your mistakes is part of learning. And Lorens Lecertua has learned a great amount this year! “It was my first full season in GT World Challenge Europe and I have to thank the entire Saintéloc Racing team for the confidence they have shown in me,” smiles the Namur native. “Taking part in all ten races this season allowed me to gain considerable experience, both in Sprint and Endurance, and to show my potential. There were a few disappointments, but there were also some unforgettable moments. I will particularly remember our second place overall in the Sprint Cup at Zandvoort and our second place in the Silver Cup for my first CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. I had a great time this year, I learned a great amount and I cannot wait to come back next year to do even better!”