EN: Car Collection enters the Asian Le Mans Series with two cars
The Car Collection Motorsport team continues to go full throttle in the winter and will compete in the Asian Le Mans Series for the first time. The Hessian team will line up for the entire championship with two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs.
It is a year of premieres for Car Collection Motorsport. After debuting in the GT Open Championship, at the 8H of Indianapolis and on the iconic race track in Bathurst, Australia, the team from Walluf is now entering new ground once again. Team Principal Peter Schmidt’s squad will contest the Asian Le Mans Series for the first time, returning to the Asian continent at the end of the year, where the long season began in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in January.
The line-ups of both cars consist of a mixture of regular drivers and new faces. The #12 Porsche will be driven by Briton James Kell, who despite his youth already has some GT3 experience and is currently second in the GT World Challenge Endurance Cup Silver standings. At his side will be Bashar Mardini from the United Arab Emirates, one of this year’s regular Car Collection drivers in the GT Open. They will be supported by experienced Porsche driver Nico Menzel, who is also one of the team’s regular drivers this year.
The second Porsche 911 GT3 R will be driven by the two team mates “Hash” and Alex Fontana. Both shared the cockpit this year in the GT Open Championship as well as in Indianapolis and Bathurst. As in Indianapolis, Swiss driver Yannick Mettler will once again climb behind the wheel in third place.
In the Asian Le Mans Series – organized by the ACO – sports car prototypes in the LMP2 and LMP3 classes compete alongside the GT3 cars. All driver line-ups consist of one bronze, one silver and one gold/platinum driver. The championship is not only about the title, but also about a very special top prize: the champion of each class will receive the right to compete in the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans! The season starts on December 7/8 in Sepang and continues via Dubai on February 8/9 to the finale in Abu Dhabi on February 15/16, 2025. The four-hour races will be streamed live on the organizer’s website.
Peter Schmidt, Team Principal: “With the Asian Le Mans Series, we are opening another new chapter in the history of Car Collection. It is our first start in a racing series organized by the ACO and the points of contact with the 24-hour race at Le Mans are exciting. We have put together two very good driver pairings and obviously want to have a say in the title if everything goes well.”
Nico Menzel, driver: “I’m really looking forward to the Asian Le Mans Series season with such a strong team and drivers. It’s great to welcome James to our team and to the Porsche and to continue working with Bash and the whole CC crew. We have had an learnful and successful last month in GT Open and can’t wait to continue this journey in the ALMS. This gives us the perfect opportunity to continue racing at a very high level in the European winter. There is a Le Mans entry to be won!”
Alex Fontana, driver: “Reuniting with Car Collection, Hash and Yannick feels great. This time we are embarking on a new experience for all of us and it’s exciting to be part of such a prestigious platform as the Asian Le Mans Series. The common ground is our Porsche GT3 R, which we now know well, and our crew of mechanics and engineers. The last time I was in Sepang was five years ago, in the China GT. I’m lhappy to being back and competing in the 2024 season!”
Yannick Mettler, driver: “It’s exciting to go into the winter knowing that we will keep racing! I thank Hash, Alex and the Car Collection crew for bringing me back on board for this new adventure. The Asian Le Mans Series is an incredibly competitive Pro/Am championship, which will make the coming months very exciting for all of us. Bring it on!”
Bashar Mardini, driver: “The Asian Le Mans Series is now one of the most competitive GT racing series. I’m really looking forward to working with Car Collection, Nico and James. I can’t wait for the season opener in Sepang and then it’s on to my home races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”
James Kell, driver: “I am looking forward to working with Team Car Collection in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, a new car to me, to undertake ALMS, which is also a new championship for me! I’m excited to be teaming up with Nico and Bash for the campaign, I think we have a really competitive lineup, now the hard work starts!”