Ligier European Series: Maximum tension for the final in Portimão
The Ligier European Series wrapped up its fifth season in style on the challenging Portimao circuit, delivering two final races filled with suspense and emotion. The titles were decided right up until the checkered flag. Team Virage secured the championship title with Haydn Chance and Theo Micouris behind the wheel of the #1 car, claiming their third consecutive title. In the JS2 R category, Pegasus Racing clinched the JS2 R title with the #29 crew of David Caussanel and Julien Schell.
Nineteen cars for the final round at Portimao
- Eleven cars were entered in the JS P4 category, following the withdrawal of Inter Europol Competition's #7 and Romain Favre, and eight were in JS2 R.
- In the #16 Pegasus Racing car, Yuki Tanaka was back after missing last month's Mugello Heat. The Japanese driver was supported by compatriot Tadao Uematsu, who made his Ligier European Series debut aboard a JS P4.
- At the wheel of Team Virage's #32, young Danish driver Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen, aged just 16, was also taking his first steps in the championship. Manuel Quondamcarlo shared the #81 LR Motorsport car with Simone Vullo Jody, new to the Ligier European Series.
- The JS2 R category featured eight cars in the Portuguese final. At the wheel of Pegasus Racing's #18, Louis Stern was once again on his own to compete with the rest of the field.
- Sita Vanmeert was joined by Dane August Therbo at the wheel of Les Deux Arbres' JS2 R #86. The 17-year-old, who made his debut in the series and at the wheel of the Ligier, had finished second in the overall Mitjet 2L 2024 France standings, just 2 points behind the champion.
- Spain's Marta Garcia, victorious in Race 2 of the Spa Heat, was back in the series at the wheel of the #53 Iron Dames by M Racing Ligier JS2 R. At the wheel of ANS Motorsport's #31 Ligier JS2 R, Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 driver Paul Trojani made his series debut.
To consult the entry list, CLICK HERE.
Free practices: Team Virage, ANS Motorsport and Iron Lynx by LRMotorsport set the pace.
- In the JS P4 category, the #32 Team Virage Ligier JS P4, driven by Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen and Brandon McCaughan, dominated both sessions. Pedersen set the fastest time in the first session with a lap of 2:02.063, and improved again in the second session with a time of 1:47.014. In both sessions, ANS Motorsport's Iko Segret took second place. Pegasus Racing was fastest, with Yuki Tanaka and Tadao Uemastu, in the AM classification.
- In the JS2 R class, Paul Trojani topped the first session with his best time of 2:08.480 in the ANS Motorsport #31. In the second session, Matteo Pianezzola scored the fastest lap in 1:53.240. Marta Garcia proved competitive in both sessions, finishing second each time in the #85 Iron Dames by M Racing.
- Louis Stern, with the Pegasus Racing JS2 R #18, led the AM standings, while team-mates Julien Schell and David Caussanel topped the PRO-AM standings with the JS2 R #29.
To read the article on Free Practice 1, CLICK HERE.
To read the article on Free Practice 2, CLICK HERE.
Qualifications : Share pole positions
- Qualifying was intense, with RLR MSport's Ian Aguilera taking first pole in the JS P4 with the #77 in 1:45.624. This was the Mexican driver's fourth pole position of the season, and his third in a row. In Qualifying 2, it was Theo Micouris with the Team Virage #1 who clinched his third pole with a time of 1:44.980.
- Matteo Pianezzola took pole position in the JS2 R for Race 1 in 1:52.180, the second of the season for the #60 Iron Lynx by LRMotorsport. Paul Trojani was fastest in Session 2 in the #31 ANS Motorsport JS2 R, with a lap of 1:52.155.
To read the qualifying article, CLICK HERE.
Race 1: Victory for RLR MSport and Les Deux Arbres, Pegasus Racing takes the JS2 R title.
- The first race of the Portimão Heat, the penultimate of the 2024 season, took place on a dry track under clear skies.
JS P4 category: Ian Aguilera and RLR MSport's #77 took their third win
- In the JS P4 category, Ian Aguilera (#77 RLR MSport) started from pole position and led from the start. After a collision between two JS P4s, the first Safety Car entered the track. On the restart, Aguilera retained the lead, followed by Brandon McCaughan (#32 Team Virage) and Iko Segret (#6 ANS Motorsport). A second Safety Car neutralized the race again. The drivers took advantage of this to make their mandatory pit stops.
- Pedro Moreno (#66, Team Virage) led the field out of the pits, but an intense battle ensued with Ian Aguilera. In the final minutes, Moreno went off, handing victory to Aguilera. Theo Micouris and Haydn Chance (#1 Team Virage) finished second, maintaining their championship lead, and Iko Segret (#6 ANS Motorsport) completed the podium in third. Jacques Nicolet won the AM class with M Racing's JS P4 #58.
JS2 R category: Noé Da Cunha & Antoine Lepesqueux finished on top with Les Deux Arbres' #50
- In JS2 R, Matteo Pianezzola (#60 d'Iron Lynx by LRMotorsport), who started on pole, lost the lead after contact with another competitor, leaving August Therbo (#86 de Les Deux Arbres) to take first place. Therbo then led a tight battle with Paul Trojani (#31 by ANS Motorsport), while Marta Garcia (#85 by Iron Dames by M Racing) and Pianezzola fought for third place. Their collision sent Garcia into the gravel trap, prompting a second Safety Car and a drive-through for Pianezzola.
- After the mandatory pit stops, Noé Da Cunha (#50 Les Deux Arbres) led the race, followed by Cindy Gudet (#53 M Racing) and Louis Stern (#18 Pegasus Racing). However, Stern made a mistake, spun and retired shortly afterwards. Noé Da Cunha crossed the finish line first, giving his teammate Antoine Lepesqueux their second win of the season.
- Cindy Gudet finished second, her first podium of the season, as did Sita Vanmeert and August Therbo (#86 Les Deux Arbres), who completed the podium. For the first time in the series' history, two female drivers, Gudet and Vanmeert, took the podium.
To read the article on Race 1, CLICK HERE.
Race 2: Final wins for Team Virage's JS P4 #66 and Iron Dames by M Racing's JS2 R #85
JS P4 category: Jeronimo Berrio and Pedro Moreno finished in style with #66 Team Virage.
- The second race of the Portimão Heat, postponed by 1.5 hours due to track rail repairs, was hotly contested. Ian Aguilera (#77 RLR MSport) took the lead from the second corner, ahead of Theo Micouris (#1 Team Virage). After a few laps, the three Team Virage cars launched an attack, putting Micouris in the lead, followed by Pedro Moreno (#66) and Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen (#32), before Pedersen gave way to Aguilera.
- The race was then neutralized to evacuate Pegasus Racing's JS2 R #18. After the pit stops, Haydn Chance (#1 Team Virage) came out on top, followed by Aguilera and Jeronimo Berrio (#66 Team Virage). With 15 minutes to go, Aguilera regained the lead, but Berrio put Aguilera under pressure. The latter spun. Berrio crossed the finish line first, followed by Haydn Chance and Aguilera.
- With this second place, Theo Micouris and Haydn Chance are crowned champions of the 2024 Ligier European Series with Team Virage's JS P4 #1, winning the €150,000 purse to take part in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2025 with a Ligier JS P325. Ian Aguilera and RLR MSport take the runner-up title with the #77 JS P4, ahead of Iko Segret (#6 ANS Motorsport). Yuki Tanaka clinches the AM title with Pegasus Racing's JS P4 #16.
JS2 R category: Marta Garcia scored her second GT win with Iron Dames by M Racing.
- The JS2 R race was just as spectacular. Paul Trojani (#31 ANS Motorsport) started on pole and maintained his position at the start, followed by Marta Garcia (#85 Iron Dames by M Racing) and Noé Da Cunha (#50 Les Deux Arbres). After a spin, Marta Garcia managed to regain second place, then took the lead on the tenth lap after an intense battle with Paul Trojani.
- The race was neutralized by a safety car, giving the leaders an advantage as they pulled away from the pack after the pit stops. Marta Garcia and Paul Trojani battled it out right to the end, but it was the Spanish driver who crossed the finish line in the lead, taking her second win of the season. Paul Trojani finished second on his series debut, while Noé Da Cunha and Antoine Lepesqueux completed the podium in third place after their victory in Race 1.
- JS2 R 2024 champions Julien Schell and David Caussanel (#29 Pegasus Racing), titled after Race 1, finished seventh and also won the PRO-AM standings. They will receive a €100,000 grant to take part in next season with a Ligier JS P4. Noé Da Cunha and Antoine Lepesqueux finished second in the championship with the #50 Les Deux Arbres, while Louis Stern and Pegasus Racing took the AM title with the #18 JS2 R.
To read the article on Race 2, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to see the final class standings.
Competitors in the Ligier European Series can now take a well-deserved winter break. Season six of the championship will resume in April 2025 at Barcelona for the first Heat.
Photo credit: DPPI