RELAIS ESTIVAL · Course Race⏱ 22 min

The 22-minute endurance race held on 8 July 2026 at Karting Circuit Paul Ricard (964 m) brought together 22 teams for a closely fought contest that came down to strategy, pace management, and consistency across multiple stints.

AL PEASE (kart #26) took the chequered flag in first position after 20 laps, crossing the line with a final gap described as a lap advantage over the chasing pack — a result that reflects a solid overall performance across 3 pit stops. CAVALLINO RAMPANTE (kart #16) secured second place, also on 20 laps, but only 1.019 seconds behind at the flag — a remarkably tight finish at the top. ARX06 (kart #13) rounded out the podium in third, 25.670 seconds adrift after completing their own 20-lap race.

Positions four through six were covered by just over two seconds: SAMIR (4th, +41.784 s), TEAM 1 CPR MARATHON (5th, +43.072 s), and LES MOINS MAUVAIS (6th, +43.135 s). TEAM 6 CPR MARATHON and CLAUDIO LANGES completed 21 laps and finished 7th and 8th respectively, the extra lap placing them slightly ahead on count but behind on time.

The fastest lap of the race was set by CAVALLINO RAMPANTE with a time of 59.836 s, the only team to dip below the one-minute barrier across the entire event.

Turning to the pace analysis, CAVALLINO RAMPANTE posted the best pure median pace of the field at 1:00.575 — yet crossed the line in second. Their second stint showed strong acceleration (gaining 0.24 s/lap), but a higher consistency spread (σ = 1.05 s) compared to the eventual winner allowed AL PEASE to hold the advantage built on track. AL PEASE, ranked 2nd in pure pace at 1:00.765 with a tighter σ of 0.59 s, converted their regularity into the race victory.

The most consistent team of the race was LES MOINS MAUVAIS, recording an exceptional standard deviation of just 0.46 s across their laps — the lowest in the field. Both their stints were rated stable, with a median pace of 1:01.356. They finished 6th, which represents a position gap relative to a pure pace ranking of 3rd — consistency did not fully convert into positions on this occasion.

SAMIR produced the most notable strategic result: ranked only 10th in pure pace (1:01.828), they came home 4th, overperforming their raw speed through disciplined, stable driving across both stints (σ = 0.84 s, both stints rated stable). TEAM 2 CPR MARATHON showed the opposite story — 4th-fastest in pure pace at 1:01.400, they finished 11th, hampered by an accelerating lap-time trend (losing up to 0.35 s/lap in their second stint) and completing only 19 laps.

ARNAUD GCD (20th overall) was ranked 12th in pure pace, suggesting pace that could have delivered a mid-field result but ultimately did not translate into positions on the timing sheet.

Key takeaways for teams: In a 22-minute sprint endurance format, regularity and pace conversion matter as much as raw speed. AL PEASE's victory demonstrates that a solid median pace combined with tight consistency (σ = 0.59 s) and clean pit stop execution can beat the fastest team on track. SAMIR's 4th place from 10th-ranked pace confirms that stable, mistake-free driving is a genuine weapon in short endurance events at Karting Circuit Paul Ricard.