Podium for Proton Competition at the season finale in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi – Proton Competition bowed out of the 2024/2025 Asian Le Mans Series with a podium finish at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Giorgio Roda, Vladislav Lomko and Tom Dillmann secured third place in the Ummendorf-based team’s Oreca 07-Gibson in Saturday’s race after maintaining the lead until shortly before the chequered flag. Unfortunately, a penalty prevented their first win of the season.

Giorgio Roda stood out among the competition in this increasingly popular championship. The Proton Competition driver dominated qualifying sessions with consistent brilliancy at the season opener in Sepang as well as in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; he secured pole position for his team in all six races of the season.

In the second Abu Dhabi race on Sunday, the trio piloting the #22 car was also on course for a podium result until shortly before the finish. Ultimately, they had to settle for sixth place. The second Oreca 07-Gibson from Proton Competition comprising Alexander Matschull, Jonas Ried and Mathias Beche (#11) narrowly missed out on the podium with a fourth-place result on Saturday and finished fifth on Sunday.

Proton Competition fielded two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs in the GT class. The #85 911 entered for Team Iron Dames driven by Celia Martin, Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting finished seventh on Saturday and 13th on Sunday. Claudio Schiavone, Matteo Cressoni and Alessio Picariello crossed the line in 20th and 18threspectively in the second 911 (#60) entered by Christian and Michael Ried’s team.

Complete results and standings are available at asianlemansseries.com

Comments after the races
Michael Ried, Team Principal and CTO Proton Competition: “It wasn’t an easy start to the 2025 motorsport year for us. On a positive note, our qualifying performances were extremely strong. Now, our sights are set on the upcoming season opener in the WEC.”

Christian Ried, Team Principal Proton Competition: “It wasn’t just in Abu Dhabi that the team and drivers deserved a win. There wasn’t much missing, but ultimately, we weren’t able to capitalise on our opportunities consistently. We have to put that behind us now. We have many exciting challenges still awaiting us this season, which we want to successfully overcome with the support of our partners. That’s our focus now.”

Giorgio Roda (Oreca 07-Gibson #22): “Six races, six poles – that was the maximum I could achieve for the team. Unfortunately, that didn’t help us secure the victory in Abu Dhabi either. We were leading in both races. In the first, a contact and the subsequent penalty cost us victory, in the second our strategy didn’t quite work out. It was a tough season, but we showed our potential and the team worked tirelessly to give us a perfect car.”

Tom Dillmann (Oreca 07-Gibson #22): “Sadly, we didn’t manage to bring everything together to win races this season. Something was always missing.”

Vladislav Lomko (Oreca 07-Gibson #22): “The first race was nigh on perfect until shortly before the finish. We had a really fast car. But then we got hit with an unfortunate penalty that cost us the win. We weren’t as close to the front today.”

Mathias Beche (Oreca 07-Gibson #11): “The race started well for us. But as night fell and temperatures dropped, it became more difficult to realise the full potential of our car on the track. That’s why, in the end, it wasn’t enough for the podium we had hoped for. For me, the races with Proton Competition were a very positive experience.”

Matteo Cressoni (Porsche 911 GT3 R #60): “Those were two tough races. The team provided excellent support and we did our best. We lost a lap in the heavy traffic of the first stint, which we couldn’t recover. Nevertheless, this season was a fantastic experience.”

Michelle Gatting (Porsche 911 GT3 R #85): “That was a difficult weekend with the last two races of the season. We worked hard to find a good set-up for the car and I think we managed to do that. Ultimately, we lacked a bit of pace compared to our rivals. Nevertheless, I think we learnt a lot. This is one of the toughest championships. In two weeks, when the WEC starts, we’ll hopefully finish further up the field.”