With four victories and three additional podium finishes, Dorian Guldenfels has led the Clio Cup France general classification since his brace of wins at Imola in May. Two years after his Junior crown, the Alsace native heads to the finale as odds-on favourite to lift his first crown in the Clio Cup France.

26 points adrift, David Pouget is his closest rival. Victorious on three occasions, the leader of the GPA Racing squad has consistently narrowed the gap in the back half of the season and will try to keep the momentum going at Circuit Paul Ricard to overtake his rival in the season finale.

Five-time Clio Cup France winner Nicolas Milan knows that his fate is no longer in his hands, but he’s still a tough customer when it comes to making up ground and no doubt he will give it his all to create a surprise and maintain his supremacy !

The battle to win a New Clio Cup and a BRM wristwatch uniquely created for the future category winner promises to be even more intense as their respective teams fight for the Teams’ title as well !

Currently in the lead, TB2S can rely on Lionel Viguier, Guillaume Savoldelli and Thibaut Bossy in addition to Dorian Guldenfels. Facing them, GPA Racing will line up Jordi Palomeras, Alexandre Albouy, Kevin Jimenez and Lilou Wadoux, who will make her debut in the discipline while the Nicolas Milan led team will have the services of Mathieu Lannepoudenx and Anthony Jurado, who is the only driver other than the title contenders to have won - twice ! - this season.

The Junior and Gentleman categories will also be decided at Castellet with an exclusive BRM desk clock on offer to each eventual laureate.

In the fight for the Junior crown, Luis Gonzalez (Team VRT) and Edwin Traynard (Autosport GP) will square off in their final duel. Again, the odds favour the challenger even though the Spaniard will come into the finale with an eight-point lead.

In the Gentleman category, David Pajot (Vic’Team) is ideally positioned because all he has to do is start the Saturday race to clinch his second consecutive title due to the absence of Mickaël Carrée, the last one still in the race for the crown.

More than ever, the field will be full of competitors who would like to create a surprise in the final meeting of the year. This will also be the goal of Corentin Tierce (Tierce Racing), Guillaume Maio (GM Sport), Emmanuel Alliot (Emma Compétition), Jérémy Bordagaray (Borda Rallye Team) and Matteo Poloni (Essecorse), who will be out for revenge following his low-profile debut at Magny-Cours.

Antoine Prenveille (Team Prenveille) would like to have his say in the Junior category, as will Emmanuel and Samuel Raffin (Autosport GP), Stéphane Auriacombe (Tierce Racing) and Franck Traynard (Autosport GP) in the Gentleman division while David Quichante (Autosport GP) will make his return to the Clio Cup France.

As will Lilou Wadoux, Colombian Maria Isabel Bonilla (Team VRT) will make her debut in the Clio Cup France while Jérôme Thiery (Autosport GP) will return to the category on a track he knows by heart !

This race week will feature both the Clio Cup France and the Clio Cup Spain and several drivers will take part in both championships and especially David Pouget, who could win two crowns, while specialists from Spain like James Ross (Bob Ross Racing) and Joaquin Rodrigo (Automóvil Club de Zaragoza) will take on their French counterparts.

The final two races of the fourth generation in the Clio Cup France will be aired on the Renault Sport YouTube channel as well as the Renault Sport Series Facebook page.

TIMETABLE

Friday 11 October
10h25-10h55 : Free-practice 1
19h50-20h20 : Free-practice 2

Saturday 12 October
10h20-10h40 : Qualifying 1
18h50-19h20 : Race 1 (25 minutes + 1 lap)

Sunday 13 October
8h00-8h20 : Qualifying 2
15h45-16h15 : Race 2 (25 minutes + 1 lap)

Entry list