The SD Sealants-backed crew have enjoyed a successful first full year of European racing, scoring two podium finishes so far, with third place during the last event at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium following a second place in the championship opener at Monza in Italy.
While the summer months weren’t kind to the duo and their Team Parker Racing-run Porsche 992 GT3 R – some harsh Balance of Performance changes heavily restricting the car, and the sky-high temperatures of a scorching European summer making life tough for naturally aspirated machines like the 911 GT3 R – the result at Spa signalled a return to form and elevated the pair to fifth in the GT3 drivers’ championship.
Jones and Malvern have already benefited from a test at the Portimão circuit, and will gain further mileage this week as the crew aim to better understand the setup and tyre characteristics of the new-generation Porsche. Portimão is also where the pair’s European adventure began, with Jones and Malvern making their Le Mans Cup debut at the track this time last year as a toe-in-the-water before a full campaign this term.
With temperatures expected to be in the low 20s, and even with some rain forecast, it could be a dramatic finale as a 40-car field tackles the undulating 2.9-mile circuit on Sunday morning.
Nick Jones says: “I’m really looking forward to Portimão: it’s a great circuit and one that I know really well, and it’s always nice to get back to familiar ground as you always feel like you hit the ground running that bit more. We’ve definitely made some big progress across recent weeks, and I think that showed with our performance at Spa. I’ve lost some weight, and so did the car thanks to a BoP break that we were long overdue, and we got to show that we’re competitive again after a few difficult rounds fighting against a lack of power. To be on the podium again at Spa was brilliant, and I know the whole team will be pushing to finish this year on a high note and bag a few extra trophies this weekend.”
Scott Malvern says: “Portimão is actually one of the most familiar European tracks for us – personally I’ve driven 1000s of laps there now and I love the place. There’s so much elevation change and a great mix of fast- and medium-speed corners, so you have to be very precise with the steering and brave on the throttle to get the most out of a lap there. The older 991-spec Porsche suited the track very well last year as it’s traction-heavy and agile, so hopefully the new 992 will also go well there. We maximised our race performance at Spa, with the team making some great strategy calls and executing a clean pitstop, so all we can ask is to do the same again. Nick’s been driving really well recently, so we have to go into the last round with our eyes on the podium, which would be a great way to bookend the year.”
The final round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup gets underway with free practice sessions on both Thursday and Friday, before qualifying at 15:00 on Saturday, October 21. The 100-minute season finale is set for 09:00 on Sunday. Both qualifying and the race will be streamed live via the Le Mans Cup YouTube channel, with live timing available for all sessions via the official championship website.
