The Ligier Junior Programme: A Launchpad for Rising Stars in Motorsport Across Europe and the U.S.
Designed to support young talent on their journey to the top of endurance racing and motorsports, the Ligier Junior Programme reflects Ligier Automotive's commitment to identifying and nurturing future champions. Here's a look at this unique program and its 2024 graduates.
A Program Built to Reveal the Talents of Tomorrow
From the outset, Ligier Automotive has been committed to the development of young drivers, offering them concrete opportunities to climb the motorsport ladder.
“Budget is often the main obstacle to the development of young talent. Our aim is to identify promising drivers in championships that share our values, and give them the means to progress,” explains Jacques Nicolet, President of Ligier Automotive.
Tailored Support to Propel Drivers Forward
Each series within the Ligier Junior Program offers custom prizes designed to meet the specific needs of drivers and help them progress. Whether in endurance or single-seaters, these rewards provide direct access to higher categories.
In France, in the Ligier JS Cup France, the winner of the Junior ranking is given a lease of a Ligier JS P4 to race in the Ligier European Series the following season continuing their endurance racing development.
In Europe, the champion(s) of the JS P4 category of the Ligier European Series receive(s) a €150,000 grant to enter the Michelin Le Mans Cup the following season, at the wheel of a Ligier JS P325, while the JS2 R champion(s) receive(s) an endowment worth €100,000 to compete with a Ligier JS P4 the following year.
In the United States, scholarships enable progression through the single-seater ranks, from the Ligier JS F4 Series to the FR Americas via the F4 U.S. Championship:
- In the Ligier JS F4 Series, the champion receives a package for the F4 U.S. Championship, including the provision of (i) a Ligier JS F422 chassis and Ligier Storm engine by Ligier Automotive North America, (ii) tires by Hankook Motorsports and (iii) season entry offered by PMH.
- In the F4 U.S. Championship, the champion earns a scholarship to move up to FR Americas,, with the provision of (i) a Ligier JS F3 chassis from Ligier Automotive North America, (ii) an F3 engine from Mountune, (iii) tires from Hankook Motorsports and (iv) a season's entry from PMH.
- In FR Americas, the champion is awarded $100,000, with $25,000 for the runner-up and $15,000 for third place all courtesy of PMH.
In 2024, Ligier Automotive further demonstrated the interconnectedness of Ligier's single-brand championships by offering Ryan Shehan, the FR Americas vice-champion, the opportunity to make his endurance debut at a Ligier European Series event.
Inspiring Examples
Gillian Henrion, The Endurance prodigy
Champion of the Ligier European Series in 2022 (JS P4), Gillian Henrion is a prime example of the program's success. With the champion's scholarship, he advanced to the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2023, clinched the LMP3 title, and shone in the 2024 European Le Mans Series. Third in the LMP3 standings, he was selected for the FIA WEC rookie test with a Porsche LMGT3. “The Ligier European Series was a turning point for me. Without the €150,000 scholarship, I wouldn't be where I am today,” says Henrion.
The 2024 Ligier Junior Programme Graduates: Rising Stars to Watch
Haydn Chance (18, UK): JS P4 Champion, Ligier European Series
Winner of the Radical World Finals at Portimão in 2023, Haydn Chance teamed up with Theo Micouris at Team Virage for his debut season in a Ligier JS P4. He secured three victories, six podiums, before claiming the JS P4 title of JS P4 2024.
“The feeling is amazing,” confided Haydn after the announcement of the champions. “I still haven't got my head quite around it. But I'm sure I will sink in soon. The year was absolutely amazing. Me and Theo worked hard all year, especially with the team, focusing on the car and putting the work in. Consistent results really helped us, and staying out of trouble, ended up paying off. I'm really excited about what's to come. I tested the Ligier JS P320 [the second-generation Ligier LMP3] once before, and fell in love with it.”
To know more about the Ligier European Series, CLICK HERE.
For more information on the Ligier JS P4, CLICK HERE.
Theo Micouris (18, UK): JS P4 Champion, Ligier European Series
The 2023 British Radical Cup champion, Theo Micouris, joined Haydn Chance at Team Virage in the Ligier JS P4 #16. His transition to endurance racing was promising, with three wins, six podiums, and three pole positions, earning him the title of JS P4 Champion.
“I‘ve got no words to be fair,” commented Theo after the 2024 final. “It was an absolutely incredible season. I loved every minute. Going into it had no idea of what to expect. I wanted to pick up wins and, hopefully, go for the championship. But I had no idea who I would be racing against. So I went in with no expectations. We won our first two races. After that, it was a lot of hard work, a lot of effort going into it. It was a tense end of the year, but I loved every second. I couldn't be any happier right now. I can't wait to move up to the LMP3 class and drive the Ligier JS P325 [the last Ligier LMP3 to compete in the European Le Mans Series in 2025]. I've dreamed of this for a while now so I can't wait to get there.”
To know more about the Ligier European Series, CLICK HERE.
For more information on the Ligier JS P4, CLICK HERE.
Romain Boeckler (21, France): Junior Ligier JS Cup France winner
In 2017, Romain Boeckler took part in the first season of the FFSA Academy Junior Karting championship before moving up to F4 France in 2018 and then to the 308 Racing Cup in 2019. In 2020, he was crowned Clio Cup France Junior Champion and finished seventh overall. After a season in Clio Cup Europe in 2021, he joined the Funyo Sprint Cup and finished runner-up in the 2022 Espoir Championship and Espoir Champion in 2023. In 2024, during his first season in the Ligier JS Cup France at the wheel of a JS2 R, he won the Junior standings with two victories and a second place.
“My father and I decided to enter the Ligier JS Cup France and the Ligier Junior Programme because we felt I had the ability to win. Since I started out in motorsport, the budget has always been a hindrance, and it's a real chance that the Ligier manufacturer is offering us to win a bursary before we can move on to endurance racing.”
For more information on the Ligier JS Cup France, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Ligier JS2 R
Teddy Musella (15, USA): Ligier JS F4 Series Champion
Teddy started out in karting at the age of 13, before taking his first crack at single-seater racing in 2023. With five wins, twelve podiums, fifteen top 10s and three pole positions, the American outdid the competition to clinch the title with Scuderia Buell.
"This year, starting in NOLA, has definitely given me more confidence as a driver and more maturity,” confides Teddy Musella. I feel that throughout the year, with the ups and downs, it brought me maturity and more emotional control over myself. It was a great learning experience. Even in New Jersey, when we didn't have the pace, I calmed down and concentrated on the championship, rather than trying to win every race. Over the course of the year, I grew as a person and as a man.
“The JS F4 Series, with its specific car, is a very good series for beginners, because to drive this car quickly, you have to push the car to its limits. It gives you the confidence to, let's say, get into INDYCAR or something else. I think one of the best opportunities you can have in this series is this car, the way it handles and the driving style it teaches you for the next step.”
For more information on the Ligier JS F4 Series, CLICK HERE
To know more about the Ligier JS F4, CLICK HERE
Daniel Quimby (16, Australia): F4 U.S. Championship Champion
After a debut in KZ2 karting, young Australian Daniel Quimby won the 2023 Formula Pro Winter Series in his first single-seater experience. With five wins, ten podiums, thirteen top 10s and one pole position, he clinched the title at the final meeting of the season with the Atlantic Racing Team.
“It's a pretty amazing feeling, to be honest”, commented Daniel Quimby after clinching the title. “The team has done a really good job all year. I wasn't the one that had the championship to lose today. I knew Nicolas [Stati] had a lot more pressure than I did, so I just went out there and did my best. Luckily, my best was enough to become a champion. The sponsors that have come on board this year have all made it possible for me. Big shout out to all of them and my family; without them, it wouldn't be possible. It's a pretty amazing feeling, to be honest.”
For more information on the championship, CLICK HERE
For more information on the Ligier JS F422, CLICK HERE
Patrick Woods-Toth (21, Canada): FR Americas Champion
With a solid start in karting, Patrick Woods-Toth launched himself into single-seater racing thanks to the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Karts to Cars program and scholarship obtained in 2022. The Canadian confirmed his potential in his first season in the F4 U.S. Championship in 2023. Four wins, fourteen podiums, 17 top 10s and one pole secured his first title. In 2024, thanks to the championship's endowment, he won the FR Americas title with eight wins, fourteen podiums, fifteen top 10s and six pole positions.
“There are two or three series in the U.S., and they all offer their own things. But what this series offers, different to others, is the super license points, the name, and then, you know, we get to go to some pretty special tracks and drive F4 and F3 cars, which you don't get to do just anywhere. With the super license points, it actually gives you the option to maybe make it to F1. There's a lot of steps to get there.
“This year and last year, I had no experience in either car, and I never raced a car before F4. But I think I showed that, given that if you have the ability and you work hard, have the right people behind you and beside you, you can do anything. You can win F4, you can win F3, and you never know how far you can go. So, a lot of people, especially in Canada, they're scared to race cars. They think it's intimidating to them, and it is. It's not easy, and those things are machines, they're a beast. But I raced against so many incredible drivers in my life, in karting and in cars, and it's not any harder than racing go-karts.”
For more information on the FR Americas, CLICK HERE
To find out more about the Ligier JS F3, CLICK HERE
A program that embodies the future of motorsport
The Ligier Junior Programme supports young drivers through targeted grants and gateways to the higher categories, making it an essential lever for the next generation of motorsport. With these six winners, the future looks bright for the talents trained under the Ligier banner.