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Our favourite images from the competitive debut of the brand-new Vortex 2.0 at the 2023 Hankook 12H KUWAIT.
Photos – Nico Mombaerts
Following its unveil two months earlier in Barcelona, the brand-new ‘2.0’ Vortex made its competitive debut at the 2023 Hankook 12H KUWAIT.
Built entirely from carbon atop a new tubular spaceframe chassis and boasting a brand-new aero package, few could deny that the Vortex 2.0 was a significant step up from its predecessor. Ditto the brand-new centre console, a blank-sheet redesign aimed to improve driver comfort and durability.
Team staple Lionel Amrouche was among the four Vortex drivers confirmed for Kuwait, alongside team owners (and brothers) Arnaud and Olivier Gomez, and Philippe Bonnel. In another historic moment, one year earlier at the same event, Lionel was one of three drivers making their 50th start – a record – at an official CREVENTIC event.
After its shakedown during the first unofficial private test on Wednesday, the new 2.0 started to show its form: Vortex topped the second private test session and fell just 0.071s shy of the fastest GTX time in official Free Practice.
Things improved further in Qualifying when the 2.0 took GTX pole at its first attempt by just over a second from Toro Verde. So impressive was Philippe, Arnaud and Olivier’s combined efforts, the Vortex lined up 4th overall in Kuwait behind only the GT3 frontrunners.
Given that Vortex was celebrating its best-ever overall spot on a 24H SERIES grid, and its first category pole in more than a year, many wondered, come race day, whether the French independent would be gunning for GTX victory in Kuwait. The goal however was more modest: just make it to the finish.
A beautifully timed jump by Olivier Gomez at the start saw Vortex leapfrog the Manamauri Energy by Ebimotors Porsche and move into 3rd on the opening lap. Sadly, this would prove a false dawn, and the Vortex was in the pits just 12 minutes later with a snapped alternator belt.
25 minutes later, Olivier Gomez was back out on-track, and on lap 26, the Vortex co-founder posted the car’s fastest lap of the race, a 1m 46.128s. It would remain the fastest GTX race lap overall until Haytham Qarajouli posted a low-fueled 1m 45.997s in razoon – more than racing’s tenured KTM X-BOW almost 11 hours later.
After its ropey start, all seemed to be running smoothly come half-distance. The Vortex was back up to 2nd in-class (aided, admittedly, by several off-track moments and ABS failure for the razoon KTM) and had pulled a lap back on the class-leading Toro Verde Ginetta. Then came lap 168…
It may look dramatic, but quick action from KMT’s fire crew meant this small fire was soon extinguished. Thanks to a dislodged heat shield, the exhaust pipe had been slowly melting away part of the rear carbon undertray during the opening six hours until it finally ignited. Amazingly, the rear undertray was the only component that needed replacing, although the team erred on the side of caution, and parked the 2.0 for over 90 minutes for a thorough inspection.
Early alternator issues would raise their ugly heads again in the closing two hours, and the Vortex even had to be towed back to the pits at one point. Still, at the end of a busy development race, the 2.0 went the distance to finish 3rd in-class at the 2023 Hankook 12H KUWAIT. It was a determined performance that earned Vortex radiolemans.com’s coveted Spirit of the Race award.
