The Ligier Days, a link between the constructor’s past and present
The French constructor organised a 2-day test session on the Magny-Cours F1 circuit on 3 - 4 March 2021. The first day was devoted to the historic cars that left their mark on the history of the make such as the 2008 LMP2 Pescarolo, the 2011 Pescarolo LMP2 and the Ligier JS P2 shared the track with the make's latest models, the Ligier JS P320, the JS P4 and the JS2 R. Clients and lovers of beautiful cars made the trip to the French circuit. The next day was dedicated 100% to the Ligier JS2 Rs and Ligier JS P4s. There were around 20 cars present to prepare for the Ligier European Series, a championship for both models, and the Ligier JS Cup France reserved for the Ligier JS2 R.
The first test day linked the past and present of the French constructor
On 3rd March, the constructor offered its clients and enthusiasts who had made the trip an opportunity to dive back into its debut as a racing team under the name OAK Racing followed by that as a racing car constructor under the designation Onroak Automotive (renamed Ligier Automotive on 1st January 2019 – read the article HERE).
The 2008 LMP2 Pescarolo, fruit of the collaboration between Jacques Nicolet and Henri Pescarolo, left nobody indifferent. Chassis #6 powered by the Judd DB V8 was decorated in its historic livery and bore its historic number, #35. In the hands of Pierre Ragues and Mathieu Lahaye it finished second in the Nurburgring 1000 km and third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans backed up by Cong Fu Cheng, the first Chinese driver to race in the Sarthe classic.
Also out on the track was another historic car, the 2011 #35 OAK Pescarolo LMP2 in Gulf colours from the era when Onroak Automotive competed in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with Patrice Lafargue, Frédéric Da Rocha and Andrea Barlesi. There was also a Ligier JS P2, the first racing Ligier born of the handover from Guy Ligier to Jacques Nicolet. The constructor's LMP2 Ligier that came out in 2015 won the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans in 2016.
Alongside these historic cars were the constructor's modern racers. Clients and enthusiasts came to test the make's latest models, the Ligier JS P320, the Ligier JS2 R and the Ligier JS P4.
Some clients took part in their own cars like Larbre Compétition with its Ligier JS P217, Horag with its Ligier JS P4 and Ligier JS 53 Evo 2 and M Racing and its Ligier JS2 R. Team Thor from Iceland had its first taste of its brand-new Ligier JS P320 before taking part in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, which will kick off on the Barcelona circuit in Spain in mid-April. It will be the first Icelandic team entered for this series with Audunn Gudmundsson, the first Icelandic driver to compete in the series, who will share the car with Thomas Ashton.
The second day 100% Ligier JS2 R and Ligier JS P4
The next day there were only two models on the track: the Ligier JS2 R and the Ligier JS P4. The French constructor brought along its cars to have them tested and more than 20 other cars also arrived to prepare for the kick-off of the racing season in France and in Europe. CTF Performance, M Racing and Orhès Racing arrived to fettle in their Ligier JS2 Rs for the second season of the Ligier European Series, which will begin in Barcelona in mid-April at the same time as the European Le Mans Series and the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Other teams like No Limit Racing, SKR and Defi Performance fine-tuned the setups on their Ligier JS2 Rs in view of the first round of the Ligier JS Cup France on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit at the beginning of April.
All in all two very full days for the constructor, which will hold other Ligier Test Days in the coming months. To take part in a Ligier Test Day or to test a model in the range please contact: sales@ligierautomotive.com