Qualifying for the Silverstone Heat took place on Friday 11 September afternoon at the famous British circuit. At the end of the first session, Brandon McCaughan in the #1 Team Virage Ligier JS P4 claimed his second pole position on British soil, following the one he secured at the same circuit last year on his Ligier European Series debut. Ethan Pharamond, at the wheel of the #6 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P4, was fastest in the second session to claim his third pole position of the season.
In Ligier JS2 R, Simone Bianco took a double pole position, a first this season for the Italian driver of the #81 LR Motorsport entry.
Ligier JS P4: Team Virage and ANS Motorsport come out on top
The first pole position was decided on the final lap. Mika Abrahams, at the wheel of the #6 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P4, led the session from the opening laps. But with six minutes remaining, Simone Riccitelli took provisional pole in the #7 LR Motorsport Ligier JS P4 with a 2:03.525 lap.
Brandon McCaughan then went even quicker, setting a 2:03.503 in the closing minutes to claim his first pole position in the #1 Team Virage JS P4. It was a familiar feeling for the Irish driver, who also took pole at Silverstone in 2025 on his championship debut. August Therbo, in the #57 M Racing entry, finished second, followed by Simone Riccitelli in the #7 LR Motorsport car.
Brandon McCaughan, Team Virage, Ligier JS P4 #1, Pole sitter for Race 1:
“Very happy with qualifying 1 here. Same story again as last year, which is nice. Nice to take a consecutive pole position at Silverstone. This one was tricky. It was really close at the end. I think there’s maybe 4— 2 tenths between the top 4. So I really had to maximize the pace we had in the car. But the car was mega. We made some changes from free practice which really worked a treat. Very happy with how it’s all gone today and hoping for some good results tomorrow.”
The order changed in the second session, with Ethan Pharamond taking control in the #6 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P4. The French driver set a fast lap after the restart before improving to a 2:03.176 and remaining at the top until the chequered flag. It marked his third pole position of the season.
Simon Schranz was second-fastest in the #14 Team Virage car with a 2:03.487, while August Therbo placed the #57 M Racing entry third with a 2:03.984.
Ethan Pharamond, ANS Motorsport, Ligier JS P4 #6, Pole Sitter for Race 2:
“Third pole position of the season. I’m really happy about this result. I just discovered the track this morning, so it’s unbelievable. Our session was built step by step, and I did a really good lap at the end. We have a good pace, so let’s see tomorrow.”
In PRO-AM, Marius Kristiansen and Dominique Bastien in the #69 Bretton Racing entry will start both races from the front of the class. Emil Hellberg, in the #48 Allay Racing Ligier JS P4, will also start from pole in AM for both races.
Ligier JS2 R: double pole for LR Motorsport and Simone Bianco
At the end of the opening 15-minute session, Simone Bianco topped the times in the #81 LR Motorsport Ligier JS2 R with a 2:10.389 lap, ahead of Marcus Terkildsen in the #88 23Events Racing entry with a 2:10.953. It was Bianco’s first pole position of the season. Antonin Bernard set the third-fastest time with a 2:11.021 in the #41 VSF Sports Ligier JS2 R.
Simone Bianco, LR Motorsport, Ligier JS2 R #81, Pole Sitter in JS2 R for Race 1:
“The first qualifying was really good. I took pole position, my first pole position, so I’m really happy. The pace was good.”
It was more of the same in the second qualifying session, with Simone Bianco again leading the way in the #81 LR Motorsport car thanks to a 2:10.355 lap. Anthony Ghibaudo finished second in the #18 VSF Sports entry with a 2:10.429 and will start both races from the front of the PRO-AM classification. Marcus Terkildsen was third in the #88 23Events Racing car with a 2:10.703.
Simone Bianco, LR Motorsport, Ligier JS2 R #81, Pole Sitter in JS2 R for Race 2:
“The second qualifying was really good. I cannot believe what I did. The car was really good. Thanks to my team, they give me such a good car and I’m really happy.”
Race 1 will get under way on Saturday 12 September at 8:45 local time and will run for one hour. Race 2 will take place from 13:45 to 14:45 local time. Both races will be broadcast live on the series’ YouTube channel and social media platforms.
CLICK HERE for the Q1 results
CLICK HERE for the Q2 results.
Photo credit: DPPI
