Ligier Automotive continues its development and strengthens its Programs and Powertrain departments.
Ligier Automotive returned from the summer break at full speed. On August 19, 2026, the French manufacturer announced the first three teams to have chosen the Ligier JS P228 for their LMP2 programs starting in 2028: Algarve Pro Racing, Inter Europol Competition and Panis Racing, three major teams on the European and international endurance racing scene. It is both a recognition and a commitment: to make the Ligier JS P228 the benchmark in LMP2. To achieve that goal, Ligier Automotive is strengthening its organization with experienced profiles to support the teams already in place. Two former Alpine executives, Cyril Reboul and Pierre-Jean Tardy, are joining the manufacturer as Programs Director and Powertrain & Hydrogen Technical Director.
Cyril Reboul joins Ligier Automotive as Programs Director.
Ligier Automotive is strengthening its organization with the appointment of Cyril Reboul as Programs Director. Based in Magny-Cours and reporting to Richard Tur, Chief Technical Officer, Cyril will oversee all of the company's programs.
The creation of this role comes as Ligier Automotive prepares for several major milestones, including the development of the next generation of LMP2 sports prototypes, the Ligier JS P228, which is expected to make its competition debut in 2028. Cyril Reboul will be responsible in particular for coordinating the internal teams involved in this major program, as well as those working on Ligier Automotive's existing and future programs.
“Cyril's arrival marks a new step in the structuring of Ligier Automotive. With the 2028 LMP2 project, as well as all the customer programs we are running, we needed stronger cross-functional program management. Cyril's experience in racing, vehicle development and technical team management will be a real asset in coordinating these programs and meeting our performance, quality, cost and timing objectives,” explains Pierre Nicolet, Chief Executive Officer of Ligier Automotive.
Cyril Reboul has 15 years of experience in motorsport and production vehicle development. His arrival at Ligier Automotive also marks a return to his roots. He began his career as a mechanic at Mygale, now Ligier Advanced Technologies, before joining OAK Racing in 2011 as a track performance engineer on the #49 OAK-Pescarolo Judd entered in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Imola.
He then continued his career at Renault Sport F1, where he spent three seasons as a trackside engine control systems engineer with Williams and then Scuderia Toro Rosso. After holding several technical and management positions at Renault Sport Cars and later Alpine, he was appointed Software Factory Director in 2023. In that role, he oversaw the teams responsible for embedded software development and cybersecurity, from innovation through industrialization.
“Being deeply attached to France's automotive heritage, I am very proud to be joining the Ligier Automotive teams. This new step in my career also feels like a return to my roots.
I am approaching this new challenge with a great deal of energy and motivation, but also with a lot of humility, with the aim of living up to Ligier Automotive's ambitions and the expertise of the teams already in place,” says Cyril Reboul, Programs Director at Ligier Automotive.
Pierre-Jean Tardy appointed Powertrain & Hydrogen Technical Director
Ligier Automotive is also strengthening its technical expertise with the arrival of Pierre-Jean Tardy as Powertrain & Hydrogen Technical Director. Also reporting to Richard Tur, Pierre-Jean will lead the Powertrain department, with responsibility for defining the technical strategy, managing the teams and overseeing the development of internal-combustion, hybrid and alternative propulsion technologies.
His expertise will contribute to several major Ligier Automotive programs. Pierre-Jean Tardy will take part in the development of the future Ligier JS P228, whose powertrain will be common to the two manufacturers approved for LMP2 in 2028. He will also be responsible for the powertrains used in Ligier single-seaters and GT cars. His arrival is expected to bring new momentum to the department and strengthen Ligier Automotive's expertise in powertrain development and integration, both for its own vehicles and for customer projects.
“Pierre-Jean's arrival reflects our ambition to strengthen and structure our Powertrain expertise. His in-depth knowledge of racing engines, his Formula 1 experience and his ability to lead complex development programs will be particularly valuable across the group's different programs, starting with the 2028 LMP2 and the next Ligier F4. His expertise in hydrogen technologies will also allow us to continue and accelerate the work already underway in this area,” says Richard Tur, Chief Technical Officer of Ligier Automotive.
Pierre-Jean Tardy has more than 30 years of experience in racing powertrain development. He spent most of his career at Renault Sport, where he contributed to nine Formula 1 Constructors' World Championship titles. A specialist in performance, simulation and reliability, he has led technical expert teams and overseen the development of Formula 1 power units, from architecture studies and specification definition through to integration with customer teams.
Since 2022, he had served as Chief Engineer Hydrogen at Alpine. In that role, he led the development of hydrogen combustion engines and storage systems for high-performance applications. This expertise will contribute to Ligier Automotive's future hydrogen projects, building on the work carried out with the Ligier JS2 RH2, the rolling laboratory unveiled in 2023 to explore the integration and use of hydrogen powertrains under extreme conditions.
“Joining Ligier Automotive represents a very exciting new step for me, with the opportunity to strengthen the group's Powertrain and hydrogen expertise and contribute to a wide range of projects, from single-seaters and sports prototypes to GT cars.
I grew up watching the achievements of French Formula 1 teams, and those of Ligier and Jacques Laffite in the 1970s and 1980s played a major role in inspiring me to pursue a career in motorsport. Being able today to bring my experience to a brand driven by a family of passionate people, with strong technical ambitions, a major commitment to LMP2 and a desire to explore technologies such as hydrogen, therefore has a special meaning for me. I am joining with the desire to learn from the teams already in place, share my experience and contribute to this momentum,” says Pierre-Jean Tardy, Powertrain & Hydrogen Technical Director at Ligier Automotive.
A strengthened organization for the next milestones
With the arrival of Cyril Reboul and Pierre-Jean Tardy, Ligier Automotive is continuing to strengthen its organization around two key areas: program management and the development of propulsion technologies. These skills will support the future Ligier JS P228, single-seater, GT and sports prototype projects, as well as the alternative technologies being developed by the group.
Photo credit: Ligier Automotive / DPPI