Ligier JS P320 Team Virage Ultimate Cup Series Le Castellet
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Ultimate Cup Series: The Team Virage Ligier JS P320 triumphs at Paul Ricard!

This weekend on 25th March, the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet hosted the first round of the 2023 Ultimate Cup Series. After a year's hiatus Team Virage (LMP3 Champion in 2021) made a stunning comeback with its #14 Ligier JS P320. By setting pole position and winning the four-hour race, the Spanish-Polish team has already laid down a marker for the coming season!

This year, eight Ligier JS P320s make up the bulk of the 12 LMP3s racing in the Ultimate Cup Series. Graff Racing, the reigning champion victorious in 2022, is on the entry list with #16 as well as M Racing's #68 and Pegasus Racing's #23. Team Virage, winner in 2021, is back with #14, while three new teams are making their debut in the series: Zosh Compétition with the #8 and #10, Inter Europol Competition with #15 and BHK Motorsport with #35.

The weekend's key moments:

• The #14 Team Virage Ligier JS P320 (Manuel Espirito Santo, George King and Viacheslav Gutak) posted the fastest time in free practice 2 with a lap in 1:56.896s.

• The next day, Saturday 25 March, the #14 Ligier JS P320 clinched pole position by setting the fastest average in the three qualifying sessions with a combined lap time of 1:57.165s. Zosh Compétition's #10 (Hugo Rosati and Jean-René de Fournoux) finished just behind in second place.

• The start of the race was given the same day as night was falling. The #10 Ligier JS P320 entered by Zosh Compétition snatched the lead and held on to first place for more than 30 laps. Then #14 took up the running for the first time for 24 laps before being passed by #68 run by M Racing (Hugo Delacour and Yann Ehrlacher).

• As the third hour of the race was drawing to a close, Graff Racing's #16 Ligier JS P320 (Luis Sanjuan, Loris Kyburz and Samir Ben) hit the front.

• The #15 Inter Europol Competition Ligier JS P320 (Daniel Ali, Bryson Morris and Chrys Short) and #14 run by Team Virage were locked in a last-gasp no-holds-barred duel in the last 30 minutes. With 10 laps to go to the chequered flag #14 got the better of its rival and went on to win the opening race of the season.

The second round of the Ultimate Cup Series will be held in Navarra in Spain on 28 - 30 April.

 

To see the results of the race, CLICK HERE.

For more information about the Ligier JS P320, CLICK HERE.

Photo credit: Morgan Mathurin