Valentino Catalano and Oscar Andrés Tunjo have reflected on their dramatic victory in the inaugural 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Cup (ALMC) race at Circuit Paul Ricard. The GMS Team pairing overcame a wheel failure and unpredictable weather to secure the championship’s first overall win, with a bold decision to remain on slick tyres ultimately proving decisive.
The #75 Duqueine D09-Toyota completed 55 laps of the two-hour contest, finishing 5.434 seconds ahead of Giovanni Maschio and Colin Queen in the pole-sitting #50 23Events Racing Ligier. Kyuho Lee and Luciano Morano completed the LMP3 Pro podium for R-ace GP.
Having appeared in danger of losing their opportunity to challenge for victory, Catalano and Tunjo recovered through a combination of determination, careful driving and effective strategic decisions. Following the race, both drivers acknowledged the difficulties they had faced, with Catalano describing his extraordinary experience of losing a wheel and Tunjo revealing his doubts about remaining on slick tyres as the rain intensified.
Catalano describes difficult opening stint and wheel failure
Catalano began the inaugural race from second on the LMP3 Pro grid, having narrowly missed pole position during Friday’s qualifying session. The German initially concentrated on maintaining his position behind Maschio, who established a substantial advantage in the #50 23Events Racing Ligier.
With the circuit still damp, Catalano prioritised consistency and tyre preservation rather than attempting to match the leading car immediately. His strategy reflected the importance of managing the complete two-hour distance, particularly as changing weather threatened to complicate the race.
However, the #75 encountered a major setback shortly before the mandatory pit-stop window when Catalano lost a wheel, leaving him attempting to return to the pits on just three wheels.
Reflecting on the incident, Catalano explained:
“I can’t even describe it how that race was. In the first place, it was all going quite well. I took it easy because in the beginning it was really damp, and I was just looking for the long distance, so I kept it safe in P2, saved the tyres and everything, and then in the end I started to push. Right before the pit window, my tyre just flew away, and I had three tyres left. I still pushed because I knew we can still pit, so I went flat out with three tyres, and then Oscar jumped in, and I can’t even describe how we still won the race. Everyone did a mega job with the decision of Oscar and the team in the end to stay on slicks. It was mega.”
GMS Team recovers from setback through strategic gamble
Despite the wheel-related problem, Catalano managed to reach the mandatory pit stop, allowing GMS Team to complete the driver change and hand the car to Tunjo.
The difficulty came at a particularly important moment, with rain beginning to affect Circuit Paul Ricard and teams facing uncertainty over the most suitable tyre strategy.
Rather than changing to wet-weather tyres, GMS Team elected to keep the #75 Duqueine on slicks. The decision initially appeared increasingly risky as the rainfall intensified, leaving Tunjo struggling with the available grip.
However, the team remained committed to the strategy, anticipating that improving conditions could eventually favour the dry-weather compound.
The official ALMC account of the inaugural race describes how the changing weather eventually transformed the team’s fortunes, allowing Tunjo to regain positions as the circuit began drying.
The decision proved central to GMS Team’s recovery, providing an opportunity to challenge 23Events Racing despite the earlier setback.
Tunjo admits questioning slick-tyre decision in worsening rain
Tunjo faced considerable uncertainty after taking over the #75 Duqueine, with the wet circuit making the slick-tyre strategy particularly difficult to manage.
As rain continued falling, the Colombian began questioning whether the decision would allow him to remain competitive. However, he continued following the team’s strategy, hoping that the conditions would improve sufficiently to recover the lost ground.
His patience eventually paid off as the circuit began drying, providing the grip needed to increase his pace and challenge the leading competitors.
Following the race, Tunjo admitted that he had struggled to understand the decision during the wettest stages.
“Today we had everything that looked like it was not going to happen, but we kept the faith. Thankfully, we took the right decisions. There was a point in the race, I was like, ‘What I’m doing with dry tyres in the rain?’ But in the end, it worked out, and I am super happy. Thanks to all the Gebhardt team for the effort. I was praying in the car, please, no more rain, no more rain. I just need a little bit of dry track, and we can fight back. And yeah, at the end, super result for the team. So, super happy to get the first win of the Asian Le Mans Cup.”
Changing conditions overturn 23Events Racing’s early advantage
The changing weather proved decisive in the battle between GMS Team and 23Events Racing, which had entered Saturday’s race as the leading contender.
Maschio had secured pole position for Race 1 with a 1:58.402, defeating Tunjo by just 0.176 seconds. The Italian subsequently made an impressive start, establishing a substantial advantage over Catalano during the opening stint.
However, the arrival of rain changed the strategic picture. While the #50 Ligier had appeared comfortably positioned during the opening stages, GMS Team’s decision to remain on slick tyres created an opportunity for Tunjo to recover as track conditions improved.
The Colombian capitalised on the drying circuit to challenge for the lead, eventually overcoming the deficit and moving ahead of the 23Events Racing entry.
His recovery transformed a race that had appeared unlikely to produce victory into an important result for the German organisation.
Although Maschio and Queen ultimately finished second, their performance demonstrated the competitiveness of the #50 crew, which had also secured pole position for Sunday’s second race.
Catalano and Tunjo secure historic first ALMC victory
Tunjo eventually crossed the finish line after 55 laps, securing the inaugural ALMC overall and LMP3 Pro victory for GMS Team.
The #75 Duqueine finished 5.434 seconds ahead of 23Events Racing, while R-ace GP completed the podium with Lee and Morano, 46.235 seconds behind the winners.
The result provided a significant achievement for Catalano and Tunjo, who reunited for the 2026/27 ALMC programme with GEBHARDT Motorsport after previously competing together in prototype racing.
Both drivers brought championship-winning experience into the new campaign. Catalano claimed the 2024 Prototype Cup Germany title and the 2025 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge championship, while Tunjo secured the latter title in 2026.
Their established relationship proved valuable during an opening race that demanded adaptability and confidence in the team’s strategic decisions.
The victory also carried particular significance for GMS Team, which entered the inaugural championship with two prototypes. Its sister #11 Ligier, driven by Danny Soufi and Sven Barth, finished fourth in LMP3 Pro, completing a strong opening result for the organisation.
GMS Team takes early LMP3 Pro championship lead
The victory gives Catalano and Tunjo the early lead in the ALMC LMP3 Pro standings ahead of Sunday’s second race at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Their performance demonstrated the importance of strategic flexibility in endurance racing, particularly as changing weather conditions created opportunities for teams willing to make different tyre decisions.
For Catalano, the experience proved remarkable after the wheel failure threatened to compromise the team’s race. Tunjo similarly acknowledged that remaining on slicks had initially appeared questionable, but the pair credited the team’s decision-making and collective effort for the eventual result.
The final ALMC Race 1 classification confirms GMS Team’s victory ahead of 23Events Racing and R-ace GP, with all eight LMP3 Pro entries reaching the finish.
Attention now turns towards the second two-hour race, scheduled for Sunday, 15 November, when Queen will start from pole position for 23Events Racing. Catalano and Tunjo will begin seventh in LMP3 Pro after qualifying 0.816 seconds behind the leading #50 Ligier.
Having already recovered from a difficult position to win the opening race, the GMS Team pairing will aim to build on its championship advantage as the inaugural ALMC season continues.
