Imperio Endurance Brasil: First victory for the A. Mattheis Motorsport Ligier JS P320 at Goiânia
The Brazilian adventure continues for the Ligier JS P320, and with success! On Friday, 22 September, the #9 Ligier JS P320 of A. Mattheis Motorsport Ligier scored its maiden victory in the Imperio Endurance Brasil at the Autódromo de Goiânia, round four of the championship. It was the fourth victory for the Ligier JS P320 since its debut in Brazil in 2022.
• The #9 A. Mattheis Motorsport Ligier JS P320 (Marcos Gomez and Xandinho Negrão) qualified fifth. The #117 from BTZ Motorsport (Gaetano Di Mauro, Guilherme Bottura and Gustavo Kiryla) was seventh. A third Ligier, the #18 of FTR Motorsport (Cláudio Ricci, Fernando Poeta and Andersom Toso) started further back on the grid.
• The #9 put in a clean start and remained in fifth place. The #117 dropped back to ninth place, while the #18 moved up almost ten places to 12th.
• The intense heat on the circuit had a detrimental effect on several competitors. Despite the 65° Celsius track temperature, the Ligier JS P320 remained reliable. The A. Mattheis Motorsport #9 picked up positions as the other competitors in the P1 category retired.
"With these temperatures, you have to be very careful. It's all about surviving these races in terms of the gearbox, engine, oil and brake temperatures. Everything is very hot", explains Patrick Grandidier, team manager of A. Mattheis Motorsport.
• The #9 was in the lead at the midway point of the race. The #117 was hot on its heels, in second place. But the A. Mattheis Motorsport's entry had a comfortable 45-second lead.
• With just over an hour remaining, the #18 of FTR Motorsport spun and came to a halt on the track, causing a safety car period, which was not welcome news for the #9 car, which saw its lead melt away like snow in the sun.
• When the race resumed, a fierce duel ensued between the #9 and the #117. After five laps of intense battles, the #117 got the better of the #9 to take the lead. The two Ligiers crossed the finish line three seconds apart. The #18 of FTR Motorsport finished 12th.
• Following a penalty for the #117 from BTZ Motorsport, victory went to the #9 of A. Mattheis Motorsport. It is the team's first win in the Imperio Endurance Brasil in just its second race in the championship.
"I'm very pleased with the Ligier JS P320, explains Marcos Gomez, one of the two drivers. Coming from a GT background, I'm aware that I still have some work to do to get up to the level of a sports prototype. But the biggest challenge in Brazil is the heat and its impact on the car".
• The following day, on Saturday, 23 September, the Imperio Endurance Brasil continued with a second race on the Goiânia circuit. The #117 of BTZ Motorsport Ligier JS P320 finished second and still leads the championship standings with 410 points.
For more information about the Ligier JS P320, CLICK HERE.