Romanian racing driver Petru Răzvan Umbrărescu came within 1.8 seconds of securing a historic podium finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after the #87 Akkodis ASP Team crew finished fourth in the LMGT3 category and 37th overall in the world’s most prestigious endurance race.
Umbrărescu, sharing the Lexus RC-F LMGT3 with teammates Clemens Schmid and José María López, enjoyed a highly competitive weekend from the outset. The trio impressed in qualifying, securing third place in the Hyperpole session and establishing themselves among the leading contenders in the LMGT3 class.
Throughout the race, the #87 Lexus remained firmly in contention for top positions. Umbrărescu delivered a series of strong stints, battling established competitors including Dan Harper and Ayhancan Güven. Meanwhile, López recorded the fastest lap in the LMGT3 category with a time of 3:54.445.
At one stage, Akkodis ASP Team occupied the top two positions in the class. However, a drive-through penalty issued during the night significantly affected the podium prospects of the #87 crew.
Despite the setback, Umbrărescu, Schmid and López mounted an impressive recovery drive, fighting their way back into podium contention. The battle for third place went down to the final moments of the race, with the Romanian driver’s crew crossing the finish line just 1.8 seconds behind the third-placed car fielded by The Heart of Racing team.
The result marks another significant milestone in Umbrărescu’s Le Mans career. After finishing fifth in the LMGT3 class last year, the Romanian improved to fourth place in 2026, achieving his best result to date in the legendary French endurance classic and one of the most notable performances by a Romanian driver in international endurance racing.
Looking ahead, Akkodis ASP Team is set to compete next season with the new Toyota GR GT3 model. The team’s stated objective is to challenge for a podium finish at Le Mans, widely regarded as the pinnacle of endurance motorsport.
