Driver Journal #4 – “A new start… and the championship lead”
After each round of the Ligier European Series, I share my experience, emotions, and the lessons I take away. For the fourth round of the season, we headed to Spa-Francorchamps. A legendary circuit—one of my favorites—and a race weekend marked by new challenges, a team switch… and big progress in the championship standings.
Before the race: A return filled with excitement—and uncertainty
After the summer break, I was really eager to get back in the car, especially at a track like Spa. I wanted to keep up the momentum after my two previous wins. But I was also a bit nervous. Over the break, I changed teams, so everything was new: the environment, the people, the way of working.
My goal stayed the same: win both races and close the gap in the championship.
Qualifying in the rain: Fast adaptation
Free practice had shown I had the pace to fight for pole. Then the rain arrived in qualifying, and things got tricky. I had to warm up the slicks quickly to put in a fast lap before the track got too wet.
I managed to adapt quickly, put together a clean lap, and secured pole position for Race 1—with quite a gap to the others. A great confidence boost heading into the rest of the weekend.
A solid win in Race 1
The start was tricky with cold tires, and I had to defend in the opening corners. But once I found my rhythm, I was able to pull away.
Car #6, the championship leader, went off at Raidillon, bringing out the Safety Car. From that moment, I knew I couldn’t make any mistakes—it was a big opportunity to score points.
I managed the restarts and pit stop well, broke away again, and took the win. I was extremely happy, and above all relieved: I was now just 4 points behind the leaders.
Race 2: A missed opportunity
Things were looking good for Race 2… until I lost power after the second Safety Car. I was losing over 5 seconds a lap. I finished 5th on track, but a 10-second penalty (for a pit stop error while trying to fix the issue) dropped me to 6th.
Mixed feelings at the finish: really disappointed to lose a possible win due to a mechanical issue, but at the same time, satisfied—because despite it all, I took the lead in the championship by 4 points.
The highlight
Without a doubt: the Race 1 win. It brought me right back into the title fight and reignited the season.
Taking the championship lead
It was unexpected, so it felt even better. I’m really happy to be leading the standings. Now everything’s in my hands. The approach stays the same: aim for both wins every weekend, score more points than my rivals, and go after the title.
What I’m taking away
On the sporting side, we need to keep working hard with my new team. On a personal level, I’ve once again learned that you should never give up. Even with a mechanical issue, I finished the race and picked up valuable points. Those 8 points are what put me in the championship lead today.
— Romain Boeckler
2024 Ligier JS Cup France Junior Champion
Driver Journal created in collaboration with Ligier Automotive
