300KM OPEN KART · COURSE Race⏱ 5h34

On 26 September 2026, the Karting Circuit Paul Ricard (964 m) hosted a 333-minute endurance race with 23 teams on the grid, making for one of the most demanding events of the season on this technical layout near Le Castellet.

LA BONNAS (kart #8) took the overall victory with 309 laps completed, crossing the line a lap ahead of ORECA 1 (kart #1, 310 laps on the counter but classified one lap down) and ORECA 2 (kart #2, 307 laps). The gap between second and third was a mere 22 seconds, while the top three were separated by just one lap on the road. RACING 72 (kart #13) came home fourth, two laps down, ahead of AMR TEAM (kart #12) in fifth and SCHNEIDER 1 (kart #4) in sixth. The fastest lap of the entire race was set by LA BONNAS with a time of 59.145 s.

In terms of pure pace, the analysis confirms LA BONNAS as the dominant force: their median race pace of 1:00.284 earned them 1st place in pure-pace ranking, backed by solid consistency (σ = 0.77 s). Their 11 stints were overwhelmingly stable, with two long 50–52-lap stints in relays 2 and 10 producing their sharpest median times (59.722 and 59.907 respectively). The final stint even showed a positive trend, gaining 0.16 s/lap as the race drew to a close.

ORECA 1 was the most consistent team across the race (σ = 0.64 s, lowest in the field) and held 2nd place in pure pace at 1:00.386 median. Their ten stints were remarkably homogeneous, with the final short relay accelerating at 0.35 s/lap — a controlled finish. ORECA 2 matched their sister car closely in pace (1:00.447, 3rd in pure pace) but showed more variability in the middle of the race, with several short stints displaying rising degradation (up to 0.45 s/lap in relay 9), ultimately costing them any shot at the lead.

RACING 72 opened their race with a very competitive 52-lap stint at a 59.728 median, but their overall median of 1:00.776 (4th in pure pace) and higher variability (σ = 0.94 s) across ten stints meant they could not match the top three's consistency over the full distance. SCHNEIDER 1, 5th in pure pace (1:01.203), finished only 6th despite showing sub-60-second pace in relays 4 and 11 — illustrating how pace alone does not determine the final result in this format.

A notable strategic story came from AMR TEAM, who made only 10 pit stops — three fewer than most top rivals — and managed to finish 5th overall despite ranking only 7th in pure pace (1:01.648 median). Their fewer stops saved time in the pits and proved decisive in the final classification. Conversely, SCHNEIDER 2 (15th overall) ranked 9th in pure pace but were held back by a degradation trend visible in relay 6 (slowing at 0.15 s/lap) combined with the highest number of pit stops in the field (14), making them one of the clearest examples of pace outpacing final position. LES 3 TEUCHES (7th overall, 6th in pure pace at 1:01.494) were penalised by notably high variability (σ = 1.45 s), their slowest stints reaching a 1:05.162 median, which eroded their overall rhythm despite genuine pace in their best sequences.

Key takeaways for competing teams: At Karting Paul Ricard, raw pace must be sustained over long stints — managing degradation relay after relay matters more than isolated fast laps. LA BONNAS demonstrated that combining the best pace, consistent stints and 13 well-timed pit stops is the winning formula. AMR TEAM showed that a reduced stop strategy can compensate for a pace deficit of over one second per lap. Teams aiming for the podium should target median pace below 1:00.5 and standard deviation below 0.80 s across all stints.