Michelin Le Mans Cup: 23Events Racing gives the Ligier JS P325 its first win of the season at Le Castellet.
After finishing second in the opening round in Barcelona, Giovanni Maschio and Colin Queen took the next step at Le Castellet on May 2, 2026. Driving the #50 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325, the Italian-American duo won the second race of the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup season at Circuit Paul Ricard. The #19 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Matus Ryba and Lucas Fluxa Cross, completed the podium in third place.
ANS Motorsport and CLX Motorsport lead the way in testing.
During the morning collective test session, Louis Iglesias set the fastest time at the wheel of the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325 in 1:58.856.
In the afternoon, the domination continued, with seven Ligier JS P325s occupying the top seven positions in the LMP3 standings.
The following day, the Ligier cars confirmed their pace in Free Practice 1. Five Ligier JS P325s ran at the front, led by the #97 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325. David Droux completed the fastest lap in 1:59.026, just 67 thousandths of a second ahead of Louis Iglesias in the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325.
The #9 ANS Motorsport confirms, the #50 23Events Racing moves into position.
In Free Practice 2, the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325, shared by Louis Iglesias and Maxwell Dodds, continued its strong form and set the fastest time. Behind it, the #50 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Giovanni Maschio and Colin Queen, placed second.
In Pro-Am, the #71 Rinaldi Racing Ligier JS P325 stood out with the fastest time in the class, a 1:59.993 set by Felipe Fernandez-Laser.
Pole position for ANS Motorsport
In qualifying, three Ligier JS P325s placed at the top of the standings. Louis Iglesias claimed pole position at the wheel of the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325 in 1:58.532.
Behind him, the #12 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Arthur Rogeon, and the #50 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325, in the hands of Colin Queen, completed the top three. The two cars were separated by one tenth of a second.
In Pro-Am, Alexander Bukhantsov claimed pole position in the #34 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325 in 2:01.147. He finished ahead of the #71 Rinaldi Racing Ligier JS P325, entrusted to Stefan Aust for the session. The second row in the class was occupied by the #62 Bretton Racing Ligier JS P325 and the #58 GG Classics Ligier JS P325.
An eventful start at Le Castellet
The second race of the season started on Saturday at 6:20 p.m., with 42 cars on the Var circuit. Arthur Rogeon made the best start in the #12 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325, while Maxwell Dodds, who started from pole in the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325, was caught out and lost two positions.
On the opening lap, Alexander Jacoby, at the wheel of the #87 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325, made a mistake at the chicane on the Mistral straight and was hit by the #8. The Safety Car was deployed for 20 minutes.
At the restart, Arthur Rogeon held on to the lead, but the #12 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325 received a drive-through penalty for an infringement at the start.
The Ligier JS P325s take turns at the front.
In Pro-Am, Stefan Aust took the lead in the #71 Rinaldi Racing Ligier JS P325, but had to return to the pits before retiring with a steering issue. Alexander Bukhantsov then regained control of the class in the #34 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325.
At the front, Arthur Rogeon served his penalty and dropped to 18th place. Maxwell Dodds then found a way past Mikaeel Pitamber on lap 16 to take the race lead in the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325.
One lap later, Max Van der Snel also passed Pitamber in the #99 More Motorsport Ligier JS P325. Two Ligier JS P325s were leading the race, but the #99 then received a drive-through penalty.
Brutal Fish by Campos Racing takes the advantage.
In the #19 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325, Lucas Fluxa Cross moved into second place, then inherited the lead when the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325 made its pit stop.
After the pit stop sequence, the Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325s occupied the top two positions: the #19 with Matus Ryba and the #12 with August Raber.
The pit stop lasted longer for the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325, which rejoined farther down the order. In Pro-Am, the #34 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P325 spun, handing the lead to the #62 Bretton Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Léo Sami Robinson.
Colin Queen attacks in the closing minutes.
Despite his difficult pit stop, Louis Iglesias set a series of fastest laps in the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325 and gradually moved back up the order. With 20 minutes remaining before the checkered flag, he was back inside the top five.
At the front, the #19 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325, driven by Matus Ryba, led the race. But Colin Queen was closing in fast in the #50 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325. The American passed the #86, then the #12 Ligier JS P325 of August Raber, which was ultimately forced to retire.
With five minutes remaining, the #19 and #50 Ligier JS P325s were fighting for victory.
23Events Racing converts its momentum.
In the final moments, Matus Ryba spun at the wheel of the #19 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325. Colin Queen seized the opportunity and gave victory to the #50 23Events Racing Ligier JS P325, which he shares with Giovanni Maschio.
After their second-place finish in Barcelona, Giovanni Maschio and Colin Queen claimed their first Michelin Le Mans Cup win of the season. The victory confirmed 23Events Racing's progress with the Ligier JS P325, which had already shown strong pace in the opening round.
Back up to third, the #9 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325 received a penalty at the end of the race. The final step of the podium ultimately went to the #19 Brutal Fish by Campos Racing Ligier JS P325 and its pairing of Matus Ryba and Lucas Fluxa Cross.
Motorsport98 wins in Pro-Am.
In Pro-Am, victory went to the #98 Motorsport98 Ligier JS P325, driven by Eric de Doncker and Gillian Henrion. The #62 Bretton Racing Ligier JS P325 and the #66 Rinaldi Racing Ligier JS P325 completed the class podium.
After Barcelona and Le Castellet, the Ligier JS P325 confirmed its competitiveness in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, with two consecutive podiums for 23Events Racing and two Pro-Am wins in two races.
The next Michelin Le Mans Cup round will take place on the full Circuit de la Sarthe on Friday, June 12, under a new three-hour format.
To learn more about the Michelin Le Mans Cup, CLICK HERE.
To learn more about the Ligier JS P325, CLICK HERE.
Photo credit: DPPI