Prototype Cup Europe: The Ligier JS P325 wraps up its inaugural season with Drivers’, Junior, Teams’ and Trophy titles
On September 3-4, 2026, the Prototype Cup Europe held its season finale at Spa-Francorchamps, with two races taking place on September 4. In Race 1, Allay Racing claimed victory with the #48 Allay Racing Ligier JS P325 driven by Emil Hellberg, ahead of the #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325 shared by Maxim Dirickx and Nigel Moore and the #43 Allay Racing Ligier JS P325 of Linus Hellberg. In Race 2, Aust Motorsport took the #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325 to victory with Maxim Dirickx and Nigel Moore, ahead of the #11 GMS Team Ligier JS P325 driven by Valentino Catalano and Danny Soufi. The decisive win secured the Teams' title for Aust Motorsport and the Drivers' and Junior titles for Maxim Dirickx, while Allay Racing won the Trophy Championship with Emil Hellberg at the wheel of the #48 Allay Racing Ligier JS P325.
Aust Motorsport and GMS Team on the front row for Race 2
Qualifying for the second race set the tone for the season finale. As the track began to dry, Nigel Moore opted for slick tires at the wheel of the #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325. The British driver gradually found the grip and secured pole position with a 2:23.214 lap.
Behind him, Danny Soufi put the #11 GMS Team Ligier JS P325 second on the grid, ahead of Theo Micouris in the #74 Team Virage Ligier JS P325. The Ligier cars therefore lined up at the sharp end of the field ahead of the final two races of the season.
Race 1: Emil Hellberg kicks off the weekend with victory
The opening race of the weekend was quickly neutralized by a Safety Car period. Once the track was cleared, only around 20 minutes remained to decide the outcome of the race.
Emil Hellberg seized his opportunity. At the wheel of the #48 Allay Racing Ligier JS P325, the Swedish driver delivered a perfectly controlled race to claim his second Prototype Cup Europe victory of the season.
“It was a good race, I'm super happy,” said Emil Hellberg. “They made it a little easier for us with the Safety Car at the beginning, but as soon as the barrier was repaired, it was just a case of pushing flat out to go and get it! It was so much fun, really a great race.”
The #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325, driven by Maxim Dirickx and Nigel Moore, finished second. It was a crucial result for Dirickx, who provisionally regained the championship lead with a three-point advantage heading into the final race of the season. He also won the Junior category.
Linus Hellberg completed the podium at the wheel of the #43 Allay Racing Ligier JS P325, scoring his first overall podium in the series. The #11 GMS Team Ligier JS P325, driven by Valentino Catalano and Danny Soufi, finished fourth, leaving the championship to be decided in the final race.
Race 2: Aust Motorsport converts pole position into a title
A few hours later, the tension reached its peak for the season finale. Nigel Moore started from pole position in the #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325. Despite the pressure at the start, he held the lead and quickly opened up an early gap at the front.
With mandatory pit-stop strategies and different pit-stop times keeping the championship outcome uncertain, Moore kept the #3 in the lead before handing the car over to Maxim Dirickx.
Once the pit-stop cycle was complete, Dirickx regained the lead ahead of Valentino Catalano, now at the wheel of the #11 GMS Team Ligier JS P325. The championship battle was now being fought directly on track. Dirickx held on all the way to the checkered flag, winning the race 3.5 seconds ahead of Catalano.
The victory, the third of the season for Maxim Dirickx and the second for Nigel Moore, made Dirickx the first champion in Prototype Cup Europe history.
“It was a stressful race, a stressful weekend, but I can't thank the team enough. They did an incredible job, Nigel [Moore] did an incredible job, and all I had to do was bring the car home. I'm emotional right now. I tried to keep calm and bring the car home — you can't be much happier than this, can you?”
The Belgian driver finished ahead of four other Ligier drivers and also secured the Junior title.
Aust Motorsport crowned Teams' Champion
Victory for the #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325 in the final race of the season also secured the Teams' Championship for Aust Motorsport. The German team finished just five points ahead of GMS Team.
With the title-winning #3 Aust Motorsport Ligier JS P325, the championship runner-up #11 GMS Team Ligier JS P325 and the Allay Racing Ligier JS P325s consistently running at the front, Ligier teams locked out the top three positions in the Teams' standings.
Emil Hellberg crowned Trophy Champion with a perfect score
Already an overall winner in Race 1 at Spa-Francorchamps, Emil Hellberg also ended the season as Prototype Cup Europe Trophy Champion at the wheel of the #48 Allay Racing Ligier JS P325.
The Swedish driver completed the season with a perfect 200 points in the Trophy category, thanks to eight wins in eight races. He also finished third in the overall championship standings, just eight points behind Valentino Catalano.
A title-winning inaugural season for the Ligier JS P325
In its inaugural season, the Prototype Cup Europe saw the Ligier JS P325 shine throughout the year. At Spa-Francorchamps, the finale confirmed the performance of the teams competing with the French manufacturer's LMP3: the Drivers', Junior, Teams' and Trophy titles were all won with the Ligier JS P325.
This haul adds to a season already marked by several major titles for the Ligier JS P325. After the Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 Teams' title won by the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325, followed by the IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge title claimed by the #30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325, Aust Motorsport added a third Teams' title this season for the Ligier JS P325.
Since making its competition debut in April 2025, the Ligier JS P325 has now secured five Teams' titles.
The 2027 Prototype Cup Europe season will begin at Mugello, Italy, on March 19-21, as part of the Michelin 24H SERIES European Series.
To view the results of Race 1, CLICK HERE.
To view the results of Race 2, CLICK HERE.
To find out more about the Prototype Cup Europe, CLICK HERE.
To discover the Ligier JS P32, CLIQUEZ ICI.
Photo Credit :DPPI