The first pole positions of the 2026 Ligier European Series season are secured by Vincent Bouteiller and Tomas Pompidou in the #19 Trajectus Motorsport Ligier JS P4, and by Denmark’s Marcus Terkildsen in the #88 23Events Racing Ligier JS2 R. Race 1 will get underway on Saturday 11 April at 09:00 and Race 2 at 1:55 pm.
With ambient temperatures at 27°C and track temperatures reaching 41°C, the Ligier JS P4 and JS2 R cars took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first two qualifying sessions of the 2026 season. As in free practice, the #19 Trajectus Motorsport Ligier JS P4, shared by Vincent Bouteiller and Tomas Pompidou, and the #88 Ligier JS2 R of Denmark’s Marcus Terkildsen for 23Events Racing dominated both qualifying sessions. The #69 Bretton Racing Ligier JS P4 (damaged in Free Practice 2) and the #20 Trajectus Motorsport JS2 R did not take part in qualifying.
JS P4: Bouteiller and Pompidou dominate in the #19 Ligier JS P4.
Unbeatable since the morning, the #19 Ligier JS P4 of Trajectus Motorsport, run by three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Benoît Tréluyer, quickly moved to the top of the timesheets in the first session. Vincent Bouteiller first set a lap of 1:45.466 before improving to 1:44.942 on his fourth lap, securing his first pole position in the Ligier European Series.
For Race 1, the #57 M Racing Ligier JS P4 will line up alongside on the front row following a strong performance from Danish driver August Therbo, who not only set the second-fastest time in the category (1:45.207) but also topped the PRO-AM classification. Behind them, Brandon McCaughan and Pietro Ferri placed their #1 (Team Virage) and #7 (LR Motorsport) entries on the second row of the grid. The session was interrupted by a red flag after less than ten minutes following an off for the #3 LR Motorsport Ligier JS P4 driven by Andrea Frizza.
The start of Qualifying 2 was delayed by a few minutes. Dutch driver Sacha Van’t Pad Bosch (#12 ASM Motorsport) set an initial benchmark of 1:45.137, but Tomas Pompidou (#19 Trajectus Motorsport) responded shortly after with a 1:45.519. Reigning JS2 R champion Simone Riccitelli (#7 LR Motorsport) briefly returned to the spotlight, recalling his double pole at this circuit in 2025, but his 1:44.687 lap time was deleted.
Pompidou then went on the attack, improving to 1:43.967 before securing pole position for Race 2 with a 1:43.816. The #1 Team Virage Ligier JS P4 will start from the front row thanks to Sébastien Kawpeng (1:44.737). The #12 ASM Motorsport and #14 Team Virage entries, driven by Sacha Van’t Pad Bosch and Simon Schranz respectively, will line up on the second row.
As in the first session, the #57 Ligier JS P4 set the fastest PRO-AM time once again, this time with Cindy Gudet at the wheel. In AM, Jérémy Loisel claimed both fastest qualifying times in the #50 Les Deux Arbres entry.
Vincent Bouteiller, Trajectus Motorsport, Ligier JS P4 #19, Pole Position, Race 1:
“First pole position of the season. First pole position in the Ligier JS P4 category. It’s my second year with Trajectus Motorsport in the #19 Ligier JS P4. It’s been an incredible start to the season. We set the fastest time in Free Practice 1, the fastest time in Free Practice 2, and then pole position for Race 1 and pole position for Race 2. One hundred percent so far. But the most important thing is tomorrow. We stay focused. We’ll keep working, we’ll analyse the data and see what we can still improve.”
Tomas Pompidou, Trajectus Motorsport, Ligier JS P4 #19, Pole Position, Race 2:
“With Vincent, we secured both pole positions, so it’s been a great day. Free practice also went very well. Now we look ahead. Tomorrow’s two races are what really matter.”
JS2 R: Marcus Terkildsen clinched double pole position in the #88 Ligier JS2 R of 23Events Racing.
A single flying lap was enough for Danish driver Marcus Terkildsen to move to the top of the timesheets in the first qualifying session (1:51.952). Italy’s Simone Bianco, in the #81 LR Motorsport Ligier JS2 R, attempted a response with a 1:51.444, but the Scandinavian driver proved unstoppable, breaking the circuit record once again with a 1:49.384.
These two cars will start from the front row for Race 1, while the #41 VSF Sports (driven by Antonin Bernard) and the #83 Trajectus Motorsport (Charles Lambert) entries will line up on the second row. Maxime Aparicio (#18 VSF Sports) and David Caussanel (#94 Pegasus Racing) topped the PRO-AM and AM classifications respectively in the first session.
Terkildsen was not done yet. In the second qualifying session, he broke his own circuit record twice—first with a 1:49.266, then dipping below the 1:49 barrier with a 1:48.907, nearly one second faster than the 2025 benchmark.
Second-placed Daniel Dallakyan also delivered an impressive lap of 1:49.737 in the #41 VSF Sports entry. Simone Bianco and Charles Lambert placed the #81 LR Motorsport and #83 Trajectus Motorsport cars on the second row, while Anthony Ghibaudo (#18 VSF Sports) and Alain Meyer (#94 Pegasus Racing) set the fastest times in PRO-AM and AM respectively.
Marcus Terkildsen, 23Events Racing, Ligier JS2 R #88, Pole Position, Race 1 & 2:
“Today was a very good day. I was P1 in all the sessions. The car has been great all day. And then P1 in both qualifying. Very good start of the season.”
The first two races of the 2026 Ligier European Series season will take place tomorrow, Saturday 11 April, at 09:00 and 13:55 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Watch them live on the series’ YouTube channel.
