CrowdStrike Racing by APR and George Kurtz Crowned Two-Time Asian Le Mans Champions to Secure Coveted Le Mans Entry

CrowdStrike Racing by APR and George Kurtz are two-time Asian Le Mans Series (ALMS) LMP2 Teams and Drivers Champions, the 2025-26 title coming with a highly coveted invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June).

The team executed brilliantly and recaptured the ALMS crown with a flawless win and a measured P8 result for Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Delétraz in the season-ending 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi (7-8 February), extending Algarve Pro Racing’s extraordinary record to six titles.
Title all but sealed with third consecutive ALMS victory 

CrowdStrike Racing arrived at Yas Marina Circuit tied on points with the #47 Cetilar Racing that, in a dramatic twist, started the final two races of the season from the back of the 16-strong LMP2 grid after being penalised for causing a red flag in qualifying.

The incident had significant championship ramifications because, in addition to starting last, Cetilar also had to begin both races with its fastest pro driver and make an extra stop to install its Am.

It all aided CrowdStrike Racing’s bid for a second ALMS title, especially as Kurtz placed the #4 ORECA 07-Gibson fourth on the Race 1 grid (1m43.015s) and held position while the field jostled on the opening lap.

With fading tires, CrowdStrike’s Kurtz was put under intense pressure by the #43 Inter Europol Competition, and his defence was made all the more difficult by uncooperative lapped GTs and LMP3s.

Traffic ultimately decided the battle for P4, delaying Kurtz enough for Inter Europol to cut underneath him at the apex of the Turn 5 hairpin on lap 13. 

With the championship at the forefront of his mind, Kurtz raced smartly by not engaging in futile, risky and unnecessary dogfights, and Jakobsen subsequently received a clean ORECA.

The Dane brought CrowdStrike Racing back into the top five with a diminishing deficit to the #49 High Class Racing, with which he locked horns as the 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi neared halftime.

He was later met by the #25 APR prototype of Enzo Trulli after the mid-race stops and simply pegged his stablemate for pace to see out another outstanding stint in third.

Switzerland’s Delétraz, though, enjoyed fresh Michelins and could really push the #4 CrowdStrike-liveried prototype hard into the night, with degradation much less of an issue than it had been the previous weekend at Dubai Autodrome.

Every point was critical and Delétraz pressurised the fourth-placed High Class into a small error at the Turn 6-7 chicane before chasing down the #25 APR machine, which lost time entering its final fuel stop.

The lead consequently went CrowdStrike Racing’s way and Delétraz made hay as temperatures fell in the darkness, following up the team’s Dubai double with a third win that placed it in a dominant championship position. 

The result meant CrowdStrike Racing by APR began the title-deciding ALMS 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi (Sunday 8 February) with 25 points – the equivalent of a race win – in its pocket.

CrowdStrike Racing reclaims ALMS crown with measured Race 2 performance

Kurtz delivered a second-fastest qualifying time of 1m43.177s on his final flying lap to lock in a respectable P5 start, and he kept his nose clean until an early Virtual Safety Car (VSC) splash-and-dash.

The restart was taken behind the only car not to pit, the #30 RD Limited. Only high-percentage moves were of interest to Kurtz and he confidently dived underneath his off-strategy opponent to reclaim P5 as they swept into Turn 9 moments before a protracted red flag.

Kurtz relinquished the #4 ORECA to Jakobsen as soon as racing resumed with just over two hours on the clock, when stewards issued a drive-through for a starting procedure infringement.

A rampant Jakobsen did all he could to recover lost ground, as he consistently lit up the timing screens, climbed to eighth and got to within 30 seconds of the leaders. 

Delétraz had the honor of bringing the #4 car home to the checkered flag, a P8 finish enough to capture his maiden ALMS crown, make CrowdStrike Racing and Kurtz two-time Champions, Jakobsen a three-time victor and APR a six-time title-holder.

George Kurtz (#4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2): “I couldn’t be happier because we came back to the Asian Le Mans Series to reclaim the championship and we got the job done. CrowdStrike Racing by APR was phenomenal, and Malthe (Jakobsen) and Louis (Delétraz) are exceptional talents.

“There are so many emotions flying around; I’m excited we won, but there’s also a massive sense of relief because it was tense until the checkered flag flew, and I’m slightly disappointed we didn’t win Sunday’s race. At the end of the day, we had to play it safe. The big prize is the entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and we’re already looking forward to that.”

Malthe Jakobsen (#4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2): “I’m very happy and proud that we’ve won another Asian Le Mans Series title. That was the goal from the start, and both CrowdStrike Racing by APR’s hard preparations and the close cooperation between me and my teammates, George (Kurtz) and Louis (Delétraz), have made it possible to compete and win again.

“A huge thank you to the team for delivering a winning car every single time. It has been a crazy start to the year and, even though it has been a tough month, it just gives me so much energy and motivation to keep fighting.”

Louis Delétraz (#4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2): “I’m very proud to have won the 2025-26 Asian Le Mans Series with CrowdStrike Racing by APR, George (Kurtz) and Malthe (Jakobsen). I entered the season excited about our potential and it’s an honor to have shared a car with such talented drivers. I had competed in Asia before but it was the only title I was yet to win in LMP2 and I was determined to add it to my CV.

“I have really enjoyed racing in Asia because the competition has never been higher, taking on a big entry of talented pros and fast Bronzes. Two wins from two races made Dubai a perfect weekend and we were definitely capable of repeating that feat in Abu Dhabi. A flawless victory on Saturday put us in a great championship position and we’re super happy to come away as ALMS Champions. A big thanks to CrowdStrike Racing, George and Malthe, because they have been exceptional and fast from start-to-finish.”

CrowdStrike Racing by APR Team Principal, Stewart Cox, said: “We got the job done by winning the 2025-26 Asian Le Mans Series with George (Kurtz), Malthe (Jakobsen) and Louis (Delétraz), and for Algarve Pro Racing to have won three championships in a row and six in total is impressive.

“We also achieved an historic one-two-three in Dubai and came close to another in Abu Dhabi, and everybody can be really proud to have placed all three APR cars in top six championship positions. It’s a huge accomplishment. Ultimately, we got what we came for – a sixth ALMS title and an entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – so we can’t grumble.”