European Le Mans Series: A 100% Ligier JS P325 top five in LMP3 at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet
Second race and second consecutive victory for the Ligier JS P325 in the European Le Mans Series on May 3, 2026. After the success of the #5 Rinaldi Racing Ligier JS P325 in the opening round in Barcelona, Ligier's LMP3 prototype confirmed its strong form at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet with a 100% Ligier top five.
Already on the podium in Spain, the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325, shared by Alexander Bukhantsov, Henry Cubides-Olarte and Chun Ting Chou, won at the end of a particularly lively race. It finished ahead of the #68 M Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Nick Adcock, Quentin Antonel and Thomas Imbourg, and the #4 DKR Engineering Ligier JS P325, driven by Antti Rammo, Romain Favre and Wyatt Brichacek.
Eurointernational tops Free Practice 1.
Free Practice 1 was shortened by a red flag, but the Ligier JS P325s were immediately at the front. At the wheel of the #11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P325, Dutch driver Max Van der Snel set the fastest time in the class in 2:00.128.
The session confirmed the strength and consistency of the Ligier field: the top eight LMP3 cars, all Ligier JS P325s, were covered by just eight tenths of a second.
M Racing shows strong pace in Free Practice 2.
Lap times did not improve in the second free practice session. The fastest time was set by the #85 in 2:00.496, ahead of the #68 M Racing Ligier JS P325 driven by Thomas Imbourg, 0.364 seconds behind.
The #68 confirmed its potential ahead of qualifying in a particularly tight LMP3 field.
DKR Engineering claims pole position.
Qualifying was disrupted by a Full Course Yellow, triggered after a cone was moved at the chicane. The session went green again with six minutes remaining, giving the drivers one final opportunity to improve.
On his final attempt, Romain Favre claimed pole position for the #4 DKR Engineering Ligier JS P325 in 1:58.784. The pole position was a strong reward for DKR Engineering, competing in only its second race with a Ligier JS P325 in the European Le Mans Series.
On his final lap, Henry Cubides-Olarte placed the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325 in third position, ahead of the #68 M Racing Ligier JS P325.
An animated start to the race
The 4 Hours of Le Castellet got underway at noon under cloudy skies, with an air temperature of 20°C and a track temperature of 26°C. Starting from pole position, the #4 DKR Engineering Ligier JS P325 held the lead at the end of the opening lap.
But on lap two, Alexander Bukhantsov took control of the LMP3 class at the wheel of the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325.
Behind him, Matt Bell made an excellent start in the #11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P325. The British driver gained six positions. Paul Lanchère, at the wheel of the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325, also stood out by gaining five places in the opening laps.
Eurointernational and CLX Motorsport lead the way.
Matt Bell continued his charge and took the lead in the #11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P325. At the one-hour mark, Eurointernational was leading the LMP3 class.
But the #11's race changed shortly afterward. The Ligier JS P325 stopped at pit entry. Eurointernational's mechanics managed to intervene, but the team lost any chance of fighting for victory. The car eventually retired a little later.
At mid-race, the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325 led the LMP3 class with Paul Lanchère. The pace remained strong, and the order continued to change through the pit stop sequences and neutralizations.
Inter Europol Competition regains the advantage.
With less than one hour remaining, the battle for victory was still wide open. Romain Favre, at the wheel of the #4 DKR Engineering Ligier JS P325, was fighting for first place when the car's door opened on track. Race control forced him to return to the pits, costing him valuable seconds.
With 12 laps remaining before the checkered flag, the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325 retook the lead. Alexander Bukhantsov, Henry Cubides-Olarte and Chun Ting Chou held on until the finish and won with a 15-second advantage.
A 100% Ligier JS P325 top five
The #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325 won the 4 Hours of Le Castellet in LMP3, ahead of the #68 M Racing Ligier JS P325, shared by Nick Adcock, Quentin Antonel and Thomas Imbourg.
Third place went to the #4 DKR Engineering Ligier JS P325, driven by Antti Rammo, Romain Favre and Wyatt Brichacek, which finished just 266 thousandths of a second behind second place.
The #35 Ultimate Ligier JS P325 and the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325 completed the top five. After Barcelona, the Ligier JS P325 therefore claimed its second consecutive European Le Mans Series victory and locked out the top five in the LMP3 class at Le Castellet.
The third round of the 2026 European Le Mans Series will take place from July 3 to 5 at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola.
To learn more about the ELMS championship, CLICK HERE.
For more information about the Ligier JS P325, CLICK HERE.
Photo credit: DPPI