Javier Ripoll Jr. left Portimão with a Michelin Cup podium in Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe Club Division, following a Sunday dominated by heavy rain and unstable grip at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Qualifying on 25 January 2026 was run in wet conditions and Ripoll Jr. placed the No. 91 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) third in Michelin Cup, setting a best lap of 2:05.061.
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In Race 1, Ripoll Jr. converted that into a class podium, finishing second in Michelin Cup after 18 laps, 35.731 seconds behind Joel Monegro. His quickest lap was a 1:49.932.
Race 2 ran to 14 laps and Ripoll Jr. finished fourth in Michelin Cup, 13.455 seconds off the win, with a best lap of 2:06.512. The race included a Safety Car period of six minutes and 30 seconds, as conditions continued to change.
Sunday’s weather was the constant. Heavy rain affected the circuit throughout the day, producing wet laps and reduced grip, with damp patches persisting even as parts of the track began to dry later on. Winds were reported gusting 40–60 km/h, with light rain continuing into the night.
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Raimo Kulli said the team spent most of the day reacting to conditions rather than chasing outright lap time. “In weather like this you’re managing risk every lap,” Kulli said. “Javier’s qualifying put us in the right place and the Race 1 result came from staying clean and making the right calls.”
Alex Reimann pointed to the way the track changed across the day. “It wasn’t one set of conditions,” Reimann said. “Grip came and went, and you could lose it in one corner even if the previous lap felt fine. From that point of view, the Race 1 podium and a solid finish in Race 2 is a good return.”
Results (Michelin Cup, Club Division)
Qualifying: P3, 2:05.061
Race 1: P2, +35.731s (18 laps)
Race 2: P4, +13.455s (14 laps)
