Gillian Henrion: from Ligier European Series to WEC Rookie Test, a remarkable journey up the endurance pyramid

Gillian Henrion is a fine example of success in the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's endurance pyramid, which starts with the Ligier European Series and leads all the way to the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Champion in 2022 at the wheel of Team Virage's #16 Ligier JS P4, he has since climbed the ranks and confirmed his talent at every stage of his career. The best proof of this is that he has now been selected for the WEC Rookie Test.

It was in 2022, at the wheel of the #16 Ligier JS P4 Team Virage in the Ligier European Series, that the young French prodigy began his endurance career after several seasons in single-seaters and one off-season. With 11 victories out of 12 races, Gillian Henrion dominated the competition to win the JS P4 title hands down.

Thanks to the €150,000 prize awarded to the JS P4 Champion(s), Gillian made a significant first step in 2023 by entering the Michelin Le Mans Cup, again with Team Virage, but this time at the wheel of an LMP3, the Ligier JS P320. His talent quickly shone through. He won the first race of the season in Barcelona alongside Julien Gerbi. With a second win at Le Castellet and a second place at Aragon, Gillian Henrion clinched the LMP3 title in his first season.

In 2024, Henrion continued his progress in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), where he still competes with Team Virage in a Ligier JS P320. With a first win in the opening round of the championship and a further victory at Mugello, he currently occupies second place in the provisional LMP3 standings. And his rise shows no signs of slowing down, as the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) has selected him to take part in the Bahrain Rookie Test, organized the day after the WEC final.

To relive Gillian Henrion's extraordinary journey, watch his interview HERE.

Gillian Henrion's story testifies to the relevance of the Ligier European Series as the first step in the endurance pyramid. The series offers young talents the opportunity to make a name for themselves and become familiar with the specific features of the ACO championships By competing in this series, drivers can not only master the fundamentals of endurance racing but also begin their journey toward the top levels, right up to the WEC.

Gillian Henrion is not an isolated case. Other drivers from the Ligier European Series have also distinguished themselves in the most prestigious endurance championships. Bernardo Pinheiro, runner-up in the JS P4 in 2023, now competes in the ELMS, driving Team Virage's #8 Ligier JS P320 alongside Gillian Henrion and Julien Gerbi. Cédric Oltramare, who has completed two consecutive seasons in a Ligier JS2 R, is currently sixth in the ELMS with the #17 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320. As for Sébastien Baud, the first JS2 R champion in the series' history, he is now gravitating towards the WEC at the wheel of a Corvette.

* Since 2022, the Ligier European Series has offered the Ligier JS P4 Champion(s) an endowment of €150,000 to progress to the Michelin Le Mans Cup the following season at the wheel of a Ligier JS P320 (it will be a Ligier JS P325 from 2025), as well as an endowment of €100,000 for the Ligier JS2 R Champion(s) to move up to the Ligier JS P4 category in the Ligier European Series the following season.

To know more about the Ligier European Series, CLICK HERE.