Léna Bühler fights through adversities to secure commendable fourth-place on Asian Le Mans Series debut
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Despite encountering gearbox complications in the first race of the Dubai Asian Le Mans Series weekend, Léna Bühler and the R-Ace GP team demonstrated resilience by securing a commendable fourth-place finish in the fourth round on the following day, overcoming a tyre puncture.
Despite encountering gearbox complications in the first race of the Dubai Asian Le Mans Series weekend, Léna Bühler and the R-Ace GP team demonstrated resilience by securing a commendable fourth-place finish in the fourth round on the following day, overcoming a late-race tyre failure.
Léna Bühler has been one of the protagonists of the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup on her debut season in sportscars after making the step from single seaters. The 2023 F1 Academy Vice-Champion in fact progressed through FRECA in 2024 and then made a ramarkable switch to prototypes, immediately establishing herself as one of the most promising drivers on the grid: the Swiss racer consistently fought at the top of the field in LMP3, before securing a historic victory at the Road to Le Mans round.
Bühler announced her participation in the Asian Le Mans Series as she joined the #85 R-Ace GP crew in LMP3 for the third and fourth round of the season, contested back to back at Dubai Autodrome.
For the two four-hour races, Bühler would be joined by bronze-rated Shahan Sarkissian and silver-rated Danial Frost.
The weekend at Dubai Autodrome started off with a positive progression over practice; Bühler was the fastest of the trio in FP1, then the team improved to fourth fastest in FP2, before Sarkissian took over driving duties for qualifying. The Lebanese driver set the eighth time with a 1:59.355, and would secure seventh on the grid of race 2 with the seventh second-best time in 1:59.447.
For Saturday's first 4 Hours of Dubai, Sarkissian navigated the Nr. 85 car skillfully through the opening laps, starting from a respectable 24th overall and eighth in the LMP3 class. The prototype classes commenced smoothly with minimal jostling. While the GT3 class witnessed some contact, it proved inconsequential to the overall race dynamics. Sarkissian maintained his eighth position, trailing the 23 Events Racing car but leading Team Virage.
Sarkissian's clean approach early on preceded a quick surge in the latter stages of his stint, where he maneuvered past both the Ligier No. 71 and No. 23, proving the good pace of his sole Duqueine entry.
The race was then disrupted when the No. 6 LMP2 car spun off at the almost hour mark, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car. The neutralization prompted an immediate scramble for pit stops as both the LMP3 and GT3 cars were due for their scheduled stops.
Many had already pitted earlier but returned to maximize track time. Amidst the chaos, the R-Ace GP car seized the opportunity to climb to fifth place in the LMP3 class. The extended duration of the VSC ultimately led to a full Safety Car deployment for the restart.
The restart found the R-Ace GP team settling into eighth position with two hours and thirty-six minutes on the clock. After pitting, the No. 85 Duqueine realigning itself with the pursuing LMP3 pack, though a slight distance remained between them. Léna Bühler took over for her first stint at the halfway point of the race.
Just a few laps later, however, disaster struck as the No. 11 Corvette met a fiery end. A trail of fluid marked its desperate journey back to the pits from Turn 9, forcing another safety car deployment. The wait for track repairs stretched on, and when the pit lane finally reopened, only a handful of teams cautiously emerged. R-Ace GP, however, saw their hopes shattered when Bühler was left stranded with gearbox woes, their dreams reduced to dust with just 100 minutes remaining. Léna pitted and the car was eventually retired.
Shahan Sarkissian started again the first stint in the second race on Sunday, this time one position further forward. Again, the prototype start was more orderly than the GT class; the No. 21 Ferrari spun off the track and came to a stop after a minor impact. After a short break, the car was however able to continue under its own power, but race control had already deployed the first safety car as a precaution.
Sarkissian's race took a positive turn: starting seventh, he battled hard to climb the ranks, but film star Kumar made contact with the GT3 leader, causing them to stop on track and triggering a virtual safety car that brought out the drama, as Sarkissian seized the moment, surging forward. Despite some GT3 traffic at the restart, he still held a strong second in LMP3.
The green light flickered briefly before fading once again on the third attempt: a collision had sent debris flying across the track, creating a dangerous obstacle for the racers. A full course yellow was therefore issued after 44 minutes of intense competition to allow for the cleanup. Just five minutes later, the race roared back to life with renewed vigor. The Lebanese driver seized the opportunity to maneuver into a prime position, aiming to challenge the GT3 cars.
The 23 Events Racing car encountered tricky conditions on the slick asphalt, resulting in a spin against the barrier. The heavy impact necessitated another safety car intervention. Pits remained closed throughout this disruption. Upon the race's resumption after an approximate delay of twenty minutes, numerous cars swiftly entered the pits, among them was the R-Ace GP car, as Swiss driver Léna Bühler assumed control of the vehicle and returned to the track, securing third place in the LMP3 class.
Bühler was on a mission and soon surged past Rabin, her impressive speed soon allowing her to close the gap with astonishing swiftness after a wheel to wheel duel. Bühler went on the attack and when her rival entered the pits, she claimed the lead in LMP3.
But again fate twisted its knife - Bühler, battling fading tyres, had managed to open a gap but an issue soon saw her pursuers hot on her heels again.
The lead vanished in a couple of laps and lap times plummeted, six seconds lost each time around, revealing a silent killer: a slow puncture wreaking havoc. Bühler's dream turns into a nightmare as she limped back to the pits. With an hour and fifty minutes left on the clock, Danial Frost stepped in, inheriting a daunting task - battling from 36th overall and 7th in class, two laps behind.
Driven and determined, Frost pushed through the GT3 field, gradually closing the gap on the LMP3 competitors. Capitalizing on setbacks by other teams during the third hour, he skillfully got past the GT3 cars. By the end of his inaugural hour, he had surged back into a commendable fifth position within the LMP3 class.
Frost picked up more positions with a the final pit stop, leaving Voisin trailing behind. Frost would securing a respectable fourth place after a challenging weekend for the R-Ace GP trio.
The Asian Le Mans Series season finale is set to occur in Abu Dhabi from February 7th to 8th. Despite encountering setbacks in the initial four races, the R-Ace GP team of Sarkissian, Bühler and Frost still secured valuable points and a positive finish in the second race, bouncing back from misfortunes.
