Asian Le Mans Series, Dubai: Poles, Wins, Podiums and Fastest Laps for the Ligier JS P325
At the second round of the Asian Le Mans Series, held in late January at the Dubai Autodrome, the Ligier JS P325 continued its strong upward trajectory in LMP3. Making its second appearance in the championship, Ligier's new-generation LMP3 prototype dominated proceedings: double pole position, two race wins, 100% Ligier podiums and the fastest lap in both races of the Dubai meeting. A set of convincing results that places the Ligier JS P325 firmly in the fight for the LMP3 title ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale.
Ligier sets the pace in free practice.
The opening free practice sessions took place under clear skies, with ambient temperatures close to 25°C (77°F). From the very first laps, the Ligier JS P325s showed their competitiveness.
In the first session, the #23 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325 topped the LMP3 timesheets thanks to a 1:57.399 lap set by Matteo Quintarelli. The #94 High Class Racing Ligier followed just over half a second behind, while two more Ligier cars completed the top four.
The same pattern emerged in the second free practice session, once again led by a Ligier. Matteo Quintarelli posted the fastest time, with Paul Lanchère placing the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325 just 0.019 seconds behind, underlining how closely matched the field was.
Another double pole for CLX Motorsport
After already securing a double pole position at Sepang, Paul Lanchère repeated the feat in Dubai. Despite a challenging start to the session, the French driver found his rhythm in the final minutes.
A 1:56.438 lap earned pole position for Race 1, followed by several laps under the 1:57 mark to secure pole again for Race 2. Behind him, the Ligier JS P325s of Team Virage, High Class Racing and Inter Europol Competition locked out the front rows of the LMP3 grid.
Race 1: Inter Europol Competition wins after a thrilling finish.
The first four-hour race of the weekend was shaped by several Safety Car periods, repeatedly shuffling the order and setting up a tense sprint to the finish.
Starting from pole, Paul Lanchère led the early LMP3 laps in the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325 before the various neutralizations reshaped the race. In the closing minutes, victory came down to a head-to-head battle between two Ligiers: the #13 Inter Europol Competition, driven by Henry Cubides, and the #29 Forestier Racing by VPS of Luciano Morano.
The two cars fought wheel-to-wheel until the final lap. A traffic-related incident ultimately allowed Cubides to take the lead and claim victory by just 0.4 seconds. The #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier secured its second win of the season (Alex Bukhantsov / Chun Ting Chou / Henry Cubides). The #29 Forestier Racing by VPS Ligier claimed its second podium (Nick Adcock / Lucas Fecury / Luciano Morano), while the #71 23Events Racing Ligier completed an all-Ligier podium (Terrence Woodward / Matus Ryba / Ibrahim Badawy).
The #71 Ligier JS P325 also set the fastest lap of the race in the LMP3 category, with Matus Ryba clocking a 1:58.272.
Race 2: 23Events Racing and the Ligier JS P325 on top
The second race of the weekend delivered another highly intense scenario. Once again in LMP3, the fight for victory featured multiple Ligier JS P325s, with frequent changes at the front.
In the final phase of the race, the #71 23Events Racing Ligier moved into the lead before suddenly stopping on track with 15 minutes remaining. After restarting, Matus Ryba launched a spectacular comeback, overtaking the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier (Alexander Jacoby / Kevin Rabin / Paul Lanchère) and the #29 Forestier Racing by VPS Ligier to regain the lead on the penultimate lap.
The three Ligier cars crossed the finish line covered by less than two seconds, two laps clear of the nearest rival chassis. As in Race 1, the #71 also recorded the fastest lap of the race, with Matus Ryba setting a 1:58.038.
A wide-open championship heading to Abu Dhabi
After two rounds, the provisional LMP3 standings remain extremely close, with teams racing Ligier JS P325s occupying the top seven positions:
- #17 CLX Motorsport – 69 points
- #13 Inter Europol Competition – 68 points
- #29 Forestier Racing by VPS – 61 points
- #71 23Events Racing – 58 points
- #94 High Class Racing – 42 points
- #8 Team Virage – 34 points
The season will be decided at the final round in Abu Dhabi on February 6–7, where the Ligier JS P325 heads into the decisive event in an ideal position to fight for the LMP3 title in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet.
CLICK HERE for more information about the Ligier JS P325, the third generation of Ligier LMP3.
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Photo credit: Asian Le Mans Series