Ligier European Series: Season 5 kicks off successfully on the Barcelona circuit.
For its fifth season, the Ligier European Series has attracted a five-star field, with new drivers and teams from the four corners of the globe, from Taiwan to Colombia and Europe, mingling with regulars from previous seasons. While reigning champions Team Virage claimed a double victory in the JS P4 class with the #1 driven by British duo Theo Micouris / Haydn Chance, two French teams shared the spoils in the JS2 R category: ANS Motorsport, with Frenchman Clément Moreno, and Pegasus Racing with French driver Louis Stern.
Barcelona Heat: Eighteen cars in the running for season 5
- For this inaugural round at the Catalan circuit, eighteen cars are in contention, with eleven Ligier JS P4s and seven Ligier JS2 Rs. Other entries will join the series next month at Le Castellet.
- For the first time in the Ligier European Series, three women will compete for the full season - Logan Hannah in the Ligier JS P4, Cindy Gudet and Sita Vanmeert in the JS2 R.
- Proof of the series' diversity, the drivers entered in 2024 range in age from 16 to 68.
- New teams this season include the British team Nielsen Racing, which competes in the ELMS and LMC, Spain's ASM Motorsport and the Italian team Iron Lynx by LRMotorsport.
For a full breakdown of the entry list for season 5, CLICK HERE.
Team Virage and ANS Motorsport on pole position
- After two forty-minute free practice sessions on the morning of Friday 12 April, the drivers battled it out in two fifteen-minute qualifying sessions to determine the starting grids for the two races.
- In the JS P4 category, Team Virage was the fastest, taking pole position in races 1 and 2 with the #66 Ligier JS P4 of Colombian duo Jeronimo Berrio and Pedro Moreno, and the #1 of Englishmen Theo Micouris and Haydn Chance.
- In the JS2 R class, the #31 ANS Motorsport car driven by Clément Moreno claimed a double pole position.
To read the article on Free Practice 1, CLICK HERE.
To read the article on Free Practice 2, CLICK HERE.
To read the article on qualifying, CLICK HERE.
Race 1: Team Virage and Les Deux Arbres, the first winners of 2024
- The first one-hour race got underway on the morning of Saturday 13 April. It was an eventful race, with a start under the Safety Car and plenty of twists and turns in both categories.
- Although the Polish team Inter Europol Competition crossed the line leading the JS P4s with Frenchman Romain Favre at the wheel of the #7, it eventually dropped back to seventh place following post-race investigations.
- Team Virage's #1 was promoted to first place, ahead of its sister car, the #66 and the #71 of the Italian Monza Garage team with Chun-Ting Chou and James Winslow at the wheel.
- In the PRO-AM category, Lucas Medina and Alim Geshev won in their #32 Team Virage JS P4.
- After a fierce battle for victory in the JS2 R category, Noé Da Cuhna, in the #50 Ligier JS2 R, crossed the chequered flag in the lead and gave the first win of the season to the Les Deux Arbres team and his team-mate Antoine Lepesqueux. David Caussanel and Julien Schell (#29 Pegasus Racing) and Louis Stern (#18 Pegasus Racing) finished just behind, taking first and second place respectively overall and in the AM classification.
- In the PRO-AM classification, Jacques Nicolet and Sita Vanmeert, with the #86 Les Deux Arbres, finished top after an error-free race.
To read the article on Race 1, CLICK HERE.
Race 2: Bis repetita for Team Virage and first win for Pegasus Racing
- Race 2 got underway on Saturday afternoon in temperatures worthy of the month of July.
- Team Virage repeated its performance of the morning and signed its second consecutive victory with Theo Micouris and Haydn Chance (#1 JS P4). They were followed by their team-mates in the #32, Lucas Medina and Alim Geschev, who also won the PRO-AM standings. Finally, Ian Aguilera, at the wheel of the #77 RLR MSport, took the chequered flag in third place.
- In the JS2 R class, it was Louis Stern at the wheel of the #18 Pegasus Racing car who broke away from the field and crossed the finish line first overall, as well as taking victory in the AM classification. The #50 of the Les Deux Arbres team, driven by Antoine Lepesqueux and Noé Da Cuhna, finished second, followed by Clément Moreno in the #31 of ANS Motorsport.
- In the PRO-AM standings, Jacques Nicolet and Sita Vanmeert in the #86 JS2 R took first place.
To read the article on Race 2, CLICK HERE.
The next Heat of the Ligier European Series will take place on May 3 and 4 at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet.
More information:
- Ligier European Series: CLICK HERE.
- Full results: CLICK HERE.