Akkodis ASP Team confirms ‘Bronze’ drivers for Lexus LMGT3 assault
Akkodis ASP Team has revealed the identities of the two ‘Bronze’ graded drivers who will pilot its pair of Lexus RC F LMGT3 cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2025.
Two-time world champion José María López and rising British star Ben Barnicoat were confirmed last month as ‘Pro’ drivers for the French outfit, which achieved four points-scoring finishes last season – its first in FIA WEC – highlighted by a double top eight result on home soil in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the #87 entry, López will be partnered by Romania’s Petru Umbrarescu, who previously competed for Jérôme Policand’s team in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup in 2021 and 2022, twice reaching the rostrum in partnership with current Alpine Endurance Team Hypercar ace Jules Gounon.
“It feels surreal that I will be joining the FIA WEC grid in 2025, especially with a team that I am very fond of and with which I have shared so many amazing moments in the past,” enthused 31-year-old Umbrarescu. “I honestly couldn’t be happier and more motivated for this new challenge.”
In the sister #78 car, Arnold Robin remains on-board following a strong rookie campaign during which he frequently shone in qualifying, advancing to the Hyperpole session on three occasions and impressing with a sixth-place start in the penultimate round at Fuji. The 40-year-old Frenchman was crowned GT3 class champion in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2023.
“I’m very proud to participate in this championship again, and in particular with Akkodis ASP Team,” Robin remarked. “I learned and improved a lot last year, and I’m sure the work done in 2024 by everybody involved will prove useful. I can’t wait for the season to start and want to thank the team for retaining its trust in me.”
