The team experienced the highs of record-breaking pace and the lows of mechanical heartbreak at the Asian Le Mans Series finale. However, the weekend belonged to Giorgio Roda in the #5 ORECA 07 LMP2. Roda delivered a stunning performance during Saturday’s qualifying sessions, securing pole position for both Race 1 and Race 2. With a best lap of 1:42.179, Roda was nearly half a second clear of the field, reinforcing United Autosports’ reputation for raw pace. The sister #6 LMP2 secured a respectable starting position of eighth on the grid set by Phil Fayer, whist in the GT category, newcomer Andrey Mukovoz also started P8.
Race One began with Roda pulling a commanding 10-second gap. Despite a spin from Phil Fayer in the #6 car, the team looked dominant. Roda led the race for an amazing 80-minutes, however, the #5 car’s charge ended prematurely when it was forced into the garage with a transmission failure, a cruel echo of the previous week in Dubai. Despite Grégoire Saucy returning to the track, the car was retired with only twenty-minutes left on the clock so that the mechanics could get to work to prepare the car for the second race. Meanwhile, the #59 McLaren faced a drive-through penalty for track limits, with Aleksey Nesov fighting back to gain valuable positions, ultimately crossing the line P15 and Paul di Resta at the helm of the #6 finishing sixth in the LMP2 class.
Race two started strong for the United trio. Roda once again demonstrated exceptional consistency and pace leading the race for 40-minutes, reaching for a podium after a series of bad luck. A red flag halted the race due to a heavy incident involving a competitor LMP2 and a GT car, thankfully both drivers walked away unscathed, and the race resumed after an hours delay. Roda continued to lead the overall race for another 15-minutes as the sun went down over Yas Marina, maintaining the gap from the car behind. Having fulfilled his minimum drive time, the #5 pitted and handed over to teammate Grégoire Saucy.
Whilst Roda did the job perfectly, the team’s strategy and shortened race format went against the United Autosports crew. Because the race was not extended despite the long red flag, the sprint to the finish forced the team into different pit cycles, and due to a series of full course yellows, the #5 fell into heavy traffic and finished the race in P7, and the #6 P5.
In the McLaren, the #59 line-up of Andrey Mukovoz, Aleksey Nesov and Wayne Boyd maintained a fighting rhythm in a chaotic race, consistently battling at the front of the GT pack, and led the race for a short stint, being one of the most active cars on track, frequently featuring among the leaders for total overtakes as the drivers fought back from their mid-race setbacks. It wasn’t meant to be for the McLaren crew due a 5-second penalty for a pit-stop infringement. Nesov finished the race for #59 crew in P6.
“Our raw speed is undeniable, taking five out of six pole positions this season is a testament to the hard work of the entire crew and the pure speed of Giorgio Roda,” said Richard Dean, United Autosports CEO and Team Principal. “While we would have loved to convert that pace in to podiums this weekend, the performance level remains world-class as we look toward our upcoming ELMS programme and continuing our IMSA campaign.”
Max Gregory, United Autosports Managing Director added.
“It has been fantastic to return to the Asian Le Mans Series, even if the results haven’t mirrored our ambitions. We’ve gained valuable insights that directly translate to our European Le Mans Series campaign. It’s tough to see podium aspirations fade – especially given the great pace we demonstrated through our qualifying dominance, the team remains resilient. We will regroup, carry these lessons forward, and return stronger.”
Championship Standings
For full championship driver and team standings, please follow the link below to the Asian Le Mans Series 2025/2026 classifications.
