endurance 20+1h · COURSE Race⏱ 1h05

On 10 July 2026, the 1,500-metre Piste 1 at Cap Karting in Mer hosted a 65-minute endurance race bringing together 14 teams. At the end of a demanding and strategically rich contest, MERCEDES (kart #41) crossed the finish line first with 38 laps completed, one lap ahead of the field in terms of the gap shown on the results sheet ("Tour 43"). RENAULT SPORT (kart #39) took second place on the same lap count (38 laps) but 10.431 seconds behind, while WILLIAMS (kart #67) secured the final podium position one lap down with 37 laps.

MERCEDES dominated across every metric. The team posted the best overall pace of the field with a median race rhythm of 1:21.064 — 1.1 seconds per lap faster than RENAULT SPORT's 1:22.159 — and set the fastest lap of the entire race at 1:20.373. Across five stints, the team demonstrated consistent speed, with their third stint producing a median of 1:20.795 over nine laps and a singleoutlap best of 1:16.463. The fourth stint was the most demanding in terms of tyre degradation, losing 1.04 s/lap through the stint, but MERCEDES managed the final nine-lap stint to a median of 1:20.973, holding off any challenge from behind.

RENAULT SPORT matched MERCEDES lap-for-lap on tour count and delivered the 2nd best pure pace (1:22.159 median). Their fifth and final stint of 14 laps was exemplary — stable tendency with a 1:22.085 median — suggesting excellent management of the closing phase. Their fourth stint did show the field's sharpest degradation for the team at 1.28 s/lap, but the recovery in the final run proved decisive in securing second place.

WILLIAMS (3rd, 1:24.159 median) and RED BULL (kart #52) tell contrasting stories. RED BULL posted the 4th best pure rhythm at 1:24.537 with the field's best consistency score among the top six (σ = 1.96 s), yet finished 6th — one lap behind WILLIAMS — illustrating the impact of overall tour count and race management. FERRARI (kart #36) showed the 5th best pure pace (1:25.447 median) but completed only three recorded stints against four or five for rivals, finishing 7th with 35 laps.

The race's standout strategic story belongs to ALPINE (kart #47). With only the 10th best pure rhythm (1:26.844 median), the team finished 5th overall, making them the clearest over-performers relative to outright pace. Their four-stop strategy, matched by most top finishers, combined with solid management of their final two stints (1:26.549 and 1:26.432 medians, degradation limited to 0.40–0.60 s/lap), allowed them to bank laps while others struggled.

At the other end of the spectrum, ALFA ROMEO (kart #57) finished 12th despite holding the 7th best pure rhythm — one of the clearest under-performances of the day. The available data covers only one full stint, which showed a sharp degradation of 1.81 s/lap, the steepest single-stint decline recorded across the entire field. Five pit stops also weighed heavily on their final tally of 33 laps. Conversely, ASTON MARTIN (kart #48), classified 13th, recorded the most consistent race pace of any team (σ = 1.51 s), completing 38 laps with only three pit stops — a reminder that consistency alone does not compensate for outright pace deficit.

Key takeaways for teams: Pure speed remains the primary differentiator at Cap Karting — MERCEDES won both on pace and result. However, ALPINE's 5th place with the 10th best rhythm proves that disciplined strategy and controlled degradation can deliver meaningful positions. Managing the fourth and fifth stints appears critical: most teams lost 0.5–1.0 s/lap in closing runs, and those who limited that drop — or stabilised like RENAULT SPORT in their finale — gained the most ground.