A triple for the Ligier LM P3s and a third place in LM P2 in the Red Bull Ring 4 Hours!

The Ligier JS P3s won their category in the Red Bull Ring 4 Hours and monopolised the podium in the third round of the 2018 European Le Mans Series. Victory went to the #15 RLR Msport Ligier JS P3 followed by the #7 Ligier JS P3 entered by Ecurie Ecosse/Nielsen in second place and the #13 Ligier JS P3 run by Inter Europol Competition in third. In the LM P2 category, the #22 United Autosports Ligier JS P217 finished third.

After Le Castellet and Monza the next race for the teams was on the Red Bull Ring circuit in Austria on 21 - 22 July. Once again, the LM P3 podium was a 100% Ligier affair, and nine Ligier JS P3s finished in the top 10 in the category!  At Monza, the Ligier JS P3s had already filled the first six places.  Six Ligier JS P3s are now in the first six places in the ELMS overall classification.

The #15 Ligier JS P3 run by RLR Msport scored its second victory of the season in Austria after its success at Le Castellet and leads the overall LM P3 standings after three races. Job Van Uitert started in third place, took the lead in the first corner and kept it throughout his stint. He was relayed by gentleman driver, John Farano, who drove a consistent stint despite changing weather conditions before being replaced by Robert Garofall who took the chequered flag after a flawless race.

The Ecurie Ecosse/Nielsen team brought their #13 Ligier JS P3 home in second place only five seconds behind RLR Msport and shot up to sixth place in the championship ratings. Like his team-mates, Alex Kapadia and Christian Stubbe Olsen, Scottish driver Colin Noble put on a stunning performance in his first season in the ELMS.

Polish outfit Inter Europol Competition also had a flawless race with its #13 Ligier JS P3. Its drivers, Jakub Smiechowski and Martin Hippe, saw the flag in third place, which it now holds in the championship classification.  This team, double reigning title holder in the LM P3 category in the V de V Endurance Series, also leads this series in 2018 for the third year running with its Ligier JS P3.

American team EuroInternational, winner at Monza, was lying fourth until it had to pit to repair a rear legality box. It finished seventh and is currently second in the overall classification 4.5 points behind RLR Msport.

In LM P2, the #22 Ligier JS P217 entered by United Autosports finished fourth after an incident-packed race. The Anglo-American team had to change bodywork after 40-minutes racing due to contact with a GT Ferrari. Phil Hanson and Filipe Albuquerque finally finished third after #29 run by Duqueine Engineering was excluded because its fuel did not comply with the regulations.

 

Next rendezvous: Silverstone on 18th August for the third round of the FIA WEC and the fourth of the ELMS.