Michelin Le Mans Cup: #97 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320 crowned 2024 champion in Portimão
The Portimão circuit hosted the final race of the 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup season, with no fewer than 25 Ligier JS P320s taking part. With two Safety Car interventions and four Full Course Yellow during the 110-minute race, the final round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup 2024 brought a spectacular conclusion to an eventful season. At the end of the race, the Ligier JS P320s occupied the top eight places in the standings, led by the #77 Team Thor driven by Audunn Gudmundsson and Colin Noble.
COOL Racing's #97 Ligier JS P320, driven by David Droux and Adrien Chila, takes the 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup title. This is the fourth consecutive year that a Ligier team has won the championship in a Ligier JS P320.
The final race for the Ligier JS P320 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup was a fitting finale. It will be replaced by the Ligier JS P325, the third-generation LMP3 Ligier for 2025 in this series.
- The weekend got off to a good start for COOL Racing's #97 Ligier JS P320, which set the second fastest time in the first free practice session with David Droux's lap of 1:39.842.
- In the second free practice session, the Ligier JS P320s dominated, occupying the top eight places on the timesheet, led by Nielsen Racing's #7, which set a lap of 1:38.802 (Wayne Boyd). Wyatt Brichacek was second with the #66 Rinaldi Racing JS P320. Finally, Team Virage's #59, in the hands of Ricardo Gracia Filho, rounded off the top three.
- Qualifying was delayed due to repairs to the safety barriers damaged during the GT3 qualifying session.
- The qualifying session was contested right up to the final seconds, with two Ligier JS P320s occupying the second row, the #7 of Nielsen Racing (Tony Wells), with the #34 of Inter Europol Competition alongside (Alexander Bukhantsov). In contention for the 2024 title, Adrien Chila finished qualifying in fifth place in the #97 COOL Racing Ligier. He is joined on the third row by Jens Moller's #20 (High Class Racing), third in the provisional LMP3 standings.
A 100% Ligier JS P320 podium for the finale
- The final race of the 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup season was not short of suspense. With two Safety Cars and four Full Course Yellow, the teams had to be good strategists in order to perform as well as possible.
- Victory in the final race went to the #77 Team Thor Ligier JS P320 (Audun Gudmundsson/ Colin Noble).
- Nielsen Racing's #7 Ligier (Tony Wells and Wayne Boyd ) was second, while High Class Racing's #20 (Jens Moller and Tommy Foster) took third place.
COOL Racing, 2024 LMP3 Champion
- Title contenders Adrien Chila and David Droux in the #97 COOL Racing Ligier had their share of problems throughout the race, including a 10-second penalty added to their race time. But a blistering pace and a late Full Course Yellow to get More Motorsport's #99 Ligier out of the gravel trap gave the team the margin of safety they needed to claim the title with fourth place in the race.
- High Class Racing's #20 (Jens Moller and Tommy Foster) finished third in the championship.
- This is the fourth consecutive year that a Ligier team has won the Michelin Le Mans Cup. During its five years of service in the championship, the Ligier JS P320 has enabled Ligier teams to win four titles*.
- While COOL Racing has already won back-to-back LMP3 titles in the European Le Mans Series, with the #17 Ligier JS P320 in 2022 and 2023, this is its first LMP3 title in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Adrien Chila thus wins his second LMP3 title, after the European Le Mans Series in 2023 at the wheel of the #17 COOL Racing Ligier JS P320.
- The Ligier JS P320 now bids farewell to the championship. It gives way to the Ligier JS P325, the third-generation LMP3 Ligier, which will make its racing debut next season.
Adrien Chila – #97 Liger JS P320 – COOL Racing – 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup Champion:
“I'm very happy to be here and to be Michelin Le Mans Cup champion after five seasons in the championship. It was a complicated season, and it's thanks to our consistency that we win this title. The 10-second penalty we received created a lot of tension in the garage, and having to wait until the last corner of the last lap was very stressful!”
David Droux – #97 Liger JS P320 – COOL Racing – 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup Champion:
“The end of the race was quite difficult, I was in communication with the team, asking what pace I should keep and they told me as fast as possible in order to open up the gap and secure the title. It was a very stressful race, but it's great to win a championship like that. This season has been great, and Adrien and I have had a lot of fun in and out of the car! We make a great duo and to win the title, my first in LMP3, is just fantastic.”
* Nielsen Racing's #7 Ligier JS P320 in 2021, Spirit of Leman's #10 Ligier JS P320 in 2022, Team Virage's #16 Ligier JS P320 in 2023.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Ligier JS P320.
CLICK HERE to have more information on the Ligier JS P325, the third generation of Ligier LMP3.
To have more information on the Michelin Le Mans Cup, CLICK HERE.
Photo credit: DPPI