Reigning LMP3 Champion Malthe Jakobsen made the move up to LMP2 this season with Cool Racing and has taken to the category like the proverbial duck to water.
The young Dane took two podium finishes, including a race win, in the Asian Le Mans Series in February and has followed this up with an LMP2 Pro/Am podium finish on his ELMS LMP2 debut. Racing alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Alexandre Coigny, Jakobsen crossed the finish line in 4th overall and setting the fastest lap of the weekend in the LMP2 Pro/Am category.
So how does Malthe Jakobsen rate his start of the season? “It was a very positive first weekend in ELMS in LMP2. I knew the series from the LMP3 and the car from Asian LMS. Still, I must learn and gain more experience.”
So, what was it like compared to the LMP3 car he drove last year? One of the biggest differences is to manage the traffic. Basically, everything happens a lot faster and “as a driver it requires you to take the correct decision a lot quicker.”
Was it a surprise for Jakobsen to see the Pro/Am cars filling three of the top four places? “The competition in LMP2 and the Pro/Am is at a very high level right now, which I really like, so I wouldn’t say I’m surprised! Our main focus is the Pro/Am class, but we have some strong assets with Nico and Alex, the pace was strong, and the strategy was good. If you have a faultless race, you have a chance to be at the front in the overall standings. We could have done even better.”
Has staying with the team that he won the LMP3 title with helped his successful transition to LMP2? “Of course, it’s helping me a lot to continue with this team,” Jakobsen smiled. “I feel like home when I’m together with the crew, and I really like the way the team operates. Especially to have Maxime (my engineer last year in LMP3) moving into LMP2, together with all the experience Nicolas has collected through his career. It has prepared me very well for this new challenge.”
The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans will be Malthe Jakobsen debut in the world’s greatest motorsport event, but it isn’t the first time he has raced on the full 13.6km circuit, having competed in Road to Le Mans last year. With the ACO celebrating 100 years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, what is the young Dane looking forward to?
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans has always been something special for me, so I’m super excited and proud to be able to participate in this race already at 19-year-old! It’s even more special because it’s the 100th anniversary. Even if I already race on this track, during Road to Le Mans, which was a great opportunity to learn, I still have a lot to discover. The race itself with night and various conditions the atmosphere in general. I am looking forward to it.
So, what are the biggest differences between Le Mans and a normal ELMS event for you as a driver and for the team?“As it’s going to be my debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it's a difficult question, but I expect it will be special because of all the spectators and all the events, like the driver’s parade. The race is longer, the rules are a little bit different and there will be all the hypercars. It will be something I will remember the rest of my life.”
