European Le Mans Series : Pole position, podium 100% Ligier JS P320 and title in the 2024 finale in Portimão
The 2024 season of the European Le Mans Series came to a close on the weekend of October 19 and 20 at Portimão. With the LMP3 title still up for grabs, the race did not lack for suspense. The eight Ligier JS P320s vying for the title dominated the entire weekend. At the end of a hectic 4-hour race marked by penalties and interruptions, COOL Racing's #17 Ligier JS P320, driven by locals Miguel Cristovão and Manuel Espirito Santo, won ahead of two other Ligiers, the #15 RLR MSport (Michael Jensen/ Nick Adcock/ Gaël Julien) and the #11 Eurointernational (Matthew Richard Bell / Adam Ali). RLR MSport's #15 clinches the 2024 ELMS LMP3 title. It marks the third consecutive year that a Ligier team has won the ELMS LMP3 title. Since its launch in the championship in 2020, the Ligier JS P320 will have collected 4 titles.
Ligiers top the free practice timesheets
- At the start of the final, three teams were within touching distance of each other: the #11 Eurointernational (Matthew Richard Bell / Adam Ali) with 83 points, the #8 Team Virage (Julien Gerbi / Bernardo Pinheiro / Gillian Henrion) with 82 points and the #15 RLR MSport (Michael Jensen / Nick Adcock / Gaël Julien) with 81 points.
- Thursday, October 17, the first free practice session was led by the #17 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320 driven by Manuel Espirito Santo, who set a lap time of 1:38.227.
- The Portuguese driver was 0.715s ahead of Antoine Doquin in the #31 Racing Spirit of Leman.
- The following day, the Ligier JS P320s were again in the lead for the second free practice session, with the #15 from title contenders RLR MSport. Gaël Julien set a lap of 1:39.334, outpacing Antoine Doquin (Racing Spirit of Leman #31) by 0.407s and Gillian Henrion (Team Virage #8) by 0.418s.
Home pole position for Manuel Espirito Santo in the #17 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320
- Qualifying saw Manuel Espirito Santo take pole position on home soil with the #17 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320, thanks to a lap of 1:37.498.
- The title contenders were placed at the back of the LMP3 grid, with RLR MSport's #15 in sixth place, Team Virage's #8 in ninth, ahead of Eurointernational's #11.
100% Ligier podium for the last ELMS race of the Ligier JS P320
- Saturday afternoon saw the start of the race under clear blue skies.
- The 4-hour race is interrupted by three Safety Cars and three Full Course Yellows.
- The COOL Racing JS P320 #17, which started from pole position and was driven by Miguel Cristovão and Manuel Espirito Santo, took victory, the first of the season for the Swiss team.
- The race reached its climax in the final laps: Adam Ali, at the wheel of Eurointernational's #11 JS P320, then in second place, was on course for the title. Team Virage's #8, driven by Gillian Henrion, was not to be outdone, and the French driver battled with Ali, when contact with Eurointernational's #88 dashed any hopes of the title for the #8, which was demoted to sixth place.
- However, Adam Ali's #11 had to contend with another danger, the RLR MSport #15 in the hands of Gaël Julien, who maintained a steady pace in order to move up the field.
- With less than 15 minutes left on the clock, Gaël Julien caught up with Canadian Ali and took second place, enabling the British team and team-mates Michael Jensen and Nick Adcock to clinch the ELMS LMP3 2024 championship. This is the second ELMS LMP3 championship title for RLR MSport, the first having been won in 2018 with the first-generation Ligier LMP3, the Ligier JS P3.
“I'm very happy to win the title,” confided Michael Jensen. We've faced tough competition all season and today the aim was really to make no mistakes in order to cross the finish line ahead of our rivals.”
"It still hasn't sunk in that we're champions, added Nick Adcock. We knew it was possible, but circumstances at the start of the season were complicated with a change of owner, a change of team... but we managed to create a close-knit team, to all work together in the same direction, to be consistent all season and it paid off!”
“I'm at a loss for words,” said Gaël Julien. At the start of the season I'd never have dreamed of such a fine result, but thanks to the work of the whole team, our consistency and the car we've succeeded and I couldn't be happier.”
- The #11 Eurointernational Ligier JS P320 (Matthew Richard / Adam Ali) crossed the chequered flag in third place. The Italian team finished runner-up, one point behind RLR MSport.
- Team Virage and the #8 Ligier JS P320 driven by Gillian Henrion, Julien Gerbi and Bernardo Pinheiro finished third with 90 points. COOL Racing and the #17 are fourth with 75 points.
Gillian Henrion, 2024 ELMS Rookie
2022 Ligier European Series Champion with the #16 Team Virage Ligier JS P4, Michelin Le Mans Cup Champion with the #16 Team Virage Ligier JS P320, selected for the WEC Rookie Test, Gillian Henrion is crowned ELMS Championship Rookie of the Year. A well-deserved reward for the young driver who has steadily progressed through the Automobile Club de l'Ouest endurance pyramid.
A fine finish for the Ligier JS P320
The Ligier JS P320, the French manufacturer's second-generation LMP3, bids farewell to the ELMS championship. But not without panache. This pole position, 100% Ligier podium and title add to the Ligier JS P320's impressive trophy cabinet. In five years of competition in the championship, the Ligier JS P320 accumulated over the 29 races contested: (i) 23 pole positions, (ii) 80 podiums out of a possible 87, including 26 victories, (iii) 21 fastest race times, and (iv) four LMP3 titles (2020 with United Autosports, 2022 and 2023 with COOL Racing and 2024 with RLR MSport).
The third-generation LMP3 Ligier JS P325 will make its ELMS racing debut on April 6, 2025, at the opening round of the championship in Barcelona.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Ligier JS P320.
CLICK HERE to have more information on the Ligier JS P325, the third generation of Ligier LMP3.
CLICK HERE to find out more about the European Le Mans Series.
Photo credit: DPPI