Adam and Daniel Ali, entered in the ELMS and the Michelin Le Mans Cup respectively, test the Ligier European Series at Le Mans

One races in the European Le Mans Series with Eurointernational, the other in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Inter Europol Competition. On 4 June at Le Mans, the brothers Daniel and Adam Ali tested a new championship, the Ligier European Series, in a sports prototype which they had never driven before: the Ligier JS P4.

The two drivers from Canada are no strangers to Ligier prototypes. This season, Daniel is competing in the European Le Mans Series in the #11 Ligier JS P320 entered by Eurointernational, while his brother, Adam, is racing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the wheel of the #14 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P320.

And it was with Inter Europol Competition that the Ali brothers discovered the Ligier European Series at the wheel of the #14 Ligier JS P4 driven by their father, Fareed Ali, in the opening round in Barcelona. The two drivers had a very positive first experience during which they learned a great deal!

“The Ligier JS P4 is the perfect introduction to prototypes. For amateur drivers, it gives them a first glimpse of how the aero balance and downforce works on a car at a smaller scale than an LMP3 or LMP2 type category. As such, the racing amongst amateur competitors, LES, is entertaining but also closely mimics that which you see in larger prototype categories, namely ELMS and WEC, at a pace that's more suitable for these new drivers.”

“ The car also has similar capabilities to higher-level prototypes ”

“However, professional drivers in this series will quickly realise that the car also has similar capabilities to higher-level prototypes, which still allows such drivers to showcase their skills and have very close racing like that we saw throughout the field at Le Mans. Overall, I was very impressed with the weekend driving in LES at Le Mans. The car suited the track very well, and the racing was incredibly close throughout the grid. It was a great first impression of the series and Le Mans.”

Daniel Ali backed up his brother: “Driving for the first time at Le Mans in the JS P4 was a very cool experience. It was a very fast and stable car which gave me the confidence to go right to the limit during the first sessions.” The driver who took part in the two Road to Le Mans races the following week (in the context of the Michelin Le Mans Cup), was able to have his first taste of the mythic circuit thanks to the Ligier European Series. “It was especially helpful for my race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup! In both races, I had to start from the very back behind the field, and the opportunity to fight my way through traffic in the P4 was very similar to the way I did it in the LMP3. Overall, it was a very fun learning experience, and I had a blast driving in the Ligier European Series!"

The Ligier European Series will be back on the circuits on 14 - 15 July at Le Castellet at the same time as the European Le Mans Series and the Michelin Le Mans Cup.

 

For more information about the Ligier European Series, CLICK HERE.

For more information about the Ligier JS P4, CLICK HERE.