Jules Gounon, who will participate in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with Max Verstappen in May, raced at Paul Ricard this weekend. Together with Daniel Juncadella, his regular teammate at Verstappen Racing, he took part in the GT World Challenge Europe. For Gounon, it became a grueling ordeal: on race day, he suffered from severe food poisoning, which required him to be taken to the medical center several times.
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In preparation for the upcoming 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, Gounon, Juncadella, and Chris Lulham – also a driver for Verstappen Racing – raced at Paul Ricard last weekend. For that reason, Max Verstappen did not participate in NLS3, which was also held on Saturday. In the presence of the Dutchman, who supported his team from the pit lane, the trio finished in ninth place.
For Gounon, the weekend was anything but flawless: the 31-year-old Frenchman struggled with severe food poisoning. He still got into the Mercedes-AMG, but after his final laps, he fainted and was immediately taken to the medical center. “Last night I got food poisoning, lost a lot of fluids, and hardly slept,” he later wrote on social media. “Many thanks to Dani (Juncadella, ed.), who is always there for me at such moments; he took me to the hospital at 7:00 AM. Additionally, I want to thank all the doctors and paramedics who ensured I was fit enough to race.”
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Toughest ever
“I rested as much as possible before the race and knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I still gave it my all during the double stint. It was probably the toughest ever,” he admitted. “I have never struggled so much in a racing car and pushed myself to a point I didn’t think I could handle. After the stint, I fainted and had to spend a few more hours in the medical center.”
“Thanks to the medical team for the good care, and to the crew of 2 Seas Motorsport, who supported me,” Gounon concluded. “While this wasn’t the result we hoped for, it was a day that reminds me what resilience really means.” Incidentally, the Frenchman did provide some spectacle at Paul Ricard. During a daring overtaking maneuver, where the cars raced four-wide across the track, he even got all four wheels off the ground for a moment; good for gaining one position.
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