In the #87, José María López will team up with the young Franco-Canadian Esteban Masson and the experienced Japanese driver Takeshi Kimura.
• José María LÓPEZ (ARG), born on the 26th of April 1983 in Rio Tercero (Argentina). José María López’s track record accumulates prestigious titles and victories, including double FIA WEC World Champion (2019 and 2021) and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2021) with Toyota Gazoo Racing.
The Argentinian, key asset of Akkodis ASP Team in 2024, has also won titles in WTCC (2014, 2015 and 2016), Super TC 2000 (2012), Top Race V6 (2009), TC 2000 Championship (2008-2009), Formula Renault V6 Eurocup (2003) and Formula Renault Italia (2002). A strong list of achievements and experience that should be a wonderful contribution.
• Esteban MASSON (FRA), born on the 18th of September 2004 in Montreal (Canada).
19 years old, Esteban Masson is a karting driver who has since also raced in single seaters. Having taken part in his first race races in 2019 and 2020, alongside karting, he then became Formula 4 France Champion in 2021 in his first full season in single seaters. In 2023, he followed up with the Eurocup-3 Series title and had his first experience in WEC during the 8 Hours of Bahrein. Esteban took part in the LMGTE category and took 5th place in the category (after a triple stint) alongside… Takeshi Kimura.
• Takeshi KIMURA (JPN), born on the 22nd of October 1970 in Niigataken (Japan).
A businessman who is also passionate about motorsport, Takeshi Kimura is an experienced driver who knows GT inside out. It all started with the Japan Carrera Cup in 2005. In 2018, he took part in the highly contested Japanese Super GT Series (GT300) with his own team and followed it up with the Asian Le Mans Series, taking th title with four victories in GT. In 2019, he took part in his first 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished fifth place in the LMGTE Am category. In the 2019-202 season, he finished Asian Le Mans Series (LM GT) vice-champion. The following seasons, he took part in the Japanese Super GT Series (GT300), Asian Le Mans (LMGT), FIA WEC (GTE Am) and European Le Mans Series (GTE).
At the wheel of the #78, led by Kelvin Van der Linde, you can find a well-known Akkodis ASP Team regular, Timur Boguslavskiy, as well as the Frenchman Arnold Robin.
• Kelvin VAN DER LINDE (ZAF), born on the 20th of June 1996 in Johannesburg (South Africa)
At 27 years old, the South-African driver has already explored several disciplines and has a strong track experience, including in GT3. Kelvin was a precocious driver, the youngest at the national level (South Africa) in 2011 when he was 15, and then the youngest ADAC GT Masters champion at only 18 years old. That was then followed by another title in the ADAC GT Masters (2019), two victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (2017 and 2022) and a victory at the 10 Hours of Suzuka (2019).
His arrival in the Akkodis ASP Team and his collaboration with José María López can only mean good things.
• Timur BOGUSLAVSKIY, born on the 30th of April 2000 in Kazan (Russian federation)
Timur began his career at 15 in karting. In 2017 and 2018, he took part in the Radical Middle East Cup, and then followed with ELMS and the Lamborghini Super Trogeo Middle East (2019 Pro Champion). In 2019, he started his collaboration with Akkodis ASP Team, joining the ranks of the Blancpain GT Series, in Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup. He finished Silver vice-champion in the Endurance Cup. The following year, he took the ‘overall’ drivers’ title, from the joined endurance and sprint classification, the youngest driver in the history of the championship. In 2021, he finished third in the Sprint Cup and also finished on the third step of the podium of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (2nd at Indianapolis and winner in Kyalami). In 2022, Timur was Sprint Cup vice-champion and in 2023, he took the Endurance title and, once more, the overall title.
• Arnold ROBIN (FRA), born on the 7th of October 1984, in Le Mans (France)
Born in the land of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Arnold was a horse rider before becoming a racing driver. Passionate about motorsport (like most from the Sarthe region), he ran in 2023 in the European Le Mans Series (GTE) and in the Michelin Le Mans Cup as well, where he took the GT3 category title. Arnold also experimented in the ELMS in the LMP3 category, and then in LMP2. In 2022, he moved to GT and took part in the Endurance Cup (Gold Cup) in the GT World Challenge Europe. He has also raced in the Fun Cup, the VdeV Championship and in the Le Mans Classic. Arnold took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice (2021 and 2023).
Jérôme Policand’s team will this have two high-performance and complementary crews, mixing experience and enthusiasm. Competition on track will be fierce with an extremely competitive grid. Taking up this new challenge will be Akkodis ASP Team’s objective in 2024 with the two Lexus RC F GT3 cars.