The end of Porsche Carrera Cup France season took place at the Paul Ricard circuit, as always. The intrigue was kept until the last round both in overall classification and in the Division B.

This season was not crucial for Tsunami RT: we were not competing for the titles. The most important task for us was to give the young driver Thomas Nicolle the chance to show himself. For the whole year the team was working to help Thomas in familiarizing with the new car and in feeling confident among more experienced competitors. So, we achieved this goal: the forth result among gentlemen drivers in this season was a great debut!

But we are leaping ahead. So, it is Saturday, and the drivers are lining up on the starting grid waiting for the starting signal.

Both of the main aspirants for the champion's title – Julien Andlauer and Joffrey De Narda – start not from the first row. Andlauer, who is the favorite of the season, quickly does away with Vincent Beltoise and targets to his team mate Florian Latorre who is leading the peloton. Latorre would be happy to oppose, but he was turned in the moment of attack, and while he was trying to regain control over the car, he moved to the last position instead of the first one – everybody had already driven away.

Latorre will be gladdening us with spectacular overruns within the whole race and will finish on the eighth place!

Thomas Nicolle also could not avoid getting outside the track, and, of course, he gathered all the mud on the tires. It is not quite possible to dry fast on dirty tires (rather it is possible, but not for a long time), but Thomas keeps competing and finishes the race on the sixth position in the Division B.

Christophe Lapierre is satisfied with his second place in the same qualification to provide himself a champion's title – he can even miss the tomorrow race. However, the title in the overall classification is not guaranteed for Julien Andlauer despite his victory in the race. Let us live till Sunday and see?

Sunday comes according to the schedule, immediately after Saturday. Thank God, no surprises here. Florian Latorre is on the pole position again, and Andlauer and De Narda are starting from the third row.

The race begins from the driving of the newly-minted Division B Champion Christophe Lapierre to the boxes just from the start. Of course, he does not resign from competition, these are just caprices of the machinery that has decided that it did everything it could. However, the race did not become less intense due to that.

Latorre preserved his leadership this time, and no Andlauer was not working his nerves because the latter was satisfied with the fifth place he reached. But Thomas Nicolle was decisively targeted to the podium having started from the seventh position in his classification...

All the team gathered together in the boxes, including Irina Kolomeitseva, drivers Oleksandr Gaidai and Alessio Rovera. We were watching heart aflutter how our young driver was driving toward his first bronze in the French Porsche Cup. Immaculately, rapidly, precisely – and here he is, on the podium, accompanied by such Division B veterans as Egidio Perfetti and Roar Lindland! It was a triumphant conclusion of the season. Well done, Thomas!

The laurel-crowned Julien Andlauer becomes the Champion of the season-2017. Lights are off, engines become silent, the Paul Ricard circuit paddock becomes empty. Porsches go into winter hibernation. Be quiet, do not wake them up. Let them have some rest.

Moreover, this weekend is not the last in this season for us. The very fascinating round in Monza is waiting for us – Porsche Carrera Cup Italia is also preparing laurel crowns and titles!

By: Irina Boyarskaya