The Ligier European Series is set to return to the track. On 10–11 April, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host the opening round of the championship’s seventh season, held within the framework of the European Le Mans Series and the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
Designed as a gateway to endurance racing, the series once again brings together a wide range of profiles: young drivers stepping up from karting or single-seaters, competitors transitioning from GT racing, and gentleman drivers.
For this opening Heat, 26 cars will take to the track — 15 Ligier JS P4 and 11 Ligier JS2 R — with teams and drivers representing 18 nationalities. The grid notably welcomes, for the first time, drivers from the Czech Republic and South Africa.
The reigning champions, ANS Motorsport in JS P4 and LR Motorsport in JS2 R, begin the season with expanded line-ups. They will face teams stepping up, switching categories or making their debut in the championship, which could shake up the order from the very first races of a six-round season, culminating at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in June.
JS P4 category: an expanded grid with two new teams
• Eight teams are entered for a total of 15 cars, with five organisations running two cars or more.
• Two teams make their debut in the category.
Spanish team Petrogold, which competed in JS2 R in 2025, steps up to JS P4 with two cars entered for rookie drivers. The #33 will be driven by Jan Duran Olive, 2025 GT4 European Series Silver Cup vice-champion, alongside Britain’s Scott Marsh, who graduates from karting. The #93 will be shared by Mexico’s Christian Garduño, who comes from karting and F4, and Romania’s Andrei Duna, who developed through Italian and French F4.
Czech outfit Bretton Racing, already active in LMP3 with Ligier machinery in the Asian Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup, joins the Ligier European Series with the #69 for Czech driver Dan Skočdopole, who also competes in LMP3 in both championships.
Reigning champions ANS Motorsport field two cars this season. The #6 will pair Ethan Pharamond, third in the Junior classification of the 2025 Ligier JS Cup France, with South African Mika Abrahams, who comes from F4. The second entry, the #9, will be driven by France’s Adrien Bastide, who has raced in Mitjet and the Ultimate European Endurance Prototype Cup, alongside Arthur Aegerter, stepping up from Formula Regional Europe.
Team Virage remains the most represented team in the category with three cars. The #1 will feature Filipino driver Sebastien Kawpeng and Ireland’s Brandon McCaughan, both of whom impressed in their 2025 appearances, including a double win at Silverstone for McCaughan and a top-four finish at Portimão for Kawpeng. The #14 will be driven by Australia’s Alex Gardner, who recently moved into GT3 racing, and Austria’s Simon Schranz, a former F4 driver. The #99 will be entrusted to Denmark’s Marius Kristiansen, 2025 Danish F4 champion, and France’s Arnaud Malizia, who developed notably in Mitjet.
Having joined the series in 2025, Trajectus Motorsport returns with two Ligier JS P4 entries. The #19 will see French driver Vincent Bouteiller, building on his first season in the championship, teamed up with Tomas Pompidou, 2025 Ligier JS Cup France Junior champion. The young Frenchman benefits from the €100,000 Ligier Junior Programme scholarship, allowing him to continue his progression in endurance racing this season. The #20 will be shared by an all-British pairing of Gabriel Doyle-Parfait, coming from F4 France, and Nickolas Ellis, who made a JS2 R appearance in the 2025 finale after competing in Ginetta.
For its third season, ASM Motorsport continues with two cars, including the #12 for Mexico’s Luis Carlos Perez Cabello, who finished sixth in the category in 2025. He will be joined by Denmark’s Sacha van’t Pad Bosch, who has just completed a season in Spanish F4. The line-up for the #44 is yet to be confirmed.
Les Deux Arbres enters a Ligier JS P4 for French drivers Jérémy Loisel, who made a one-off appearance in 2025, and Benjamin Fournier, competing in the AM class.
M Racing fields a Ligier JS P4 for two drivers stepping up from JS2 R. After two seasons in the category, France’s Cindy Gudet teams up with Denmark’s August Therbo, who finished third in the 2025 JS2 R championship.
Finally, LR Motorsport, 2025 JS2 R champions, also enter JS P4 with the #7 for JS2 R champion Simone Riccitelli and Pietro Ferri, who already competed in the category last season.
JS2 R category: a variety of profiles across the grid
• Seven teams enter 11 Ligier JS2 R cars.
• One new team joins the championship.
• Four teams field two cars.
• Three teams are competing in both categories.
Reigning champions LR Motorsport run two cars: the #3 for Italians Noah Rosser, who comes from karting, and Andrea Frizza, who has previously raced in JS2 R with the team in X-GT4 Italy. The #81 will be driven solo by Italy’s Simone Bianco, also a karting graduate.
Trajectus Motorsport continues with two entries. The #83 will be driven by karting graduate Charles Lambert. The #84 features a father-and-son PRO-AM pairing with Belgium’s Jack Tabery, who has competed in Fun Cup and Ligier JS Cup France, and his father Martin, who tested the series at Portimão.
VSF Sports, 2025 JS2 R vice-champions and AM champions, return with two cars. The all-French #18 pairs Maxime Aparicio, 2024 Caterham Roadsport champion, with Anthony Ghibaudo, 2025 Caterham champion, targeting PRO-AM honours. The #41 will feature Spain’s Daniel Dallakyan, who comes from karting and Spanish F4, alongside France’s Antonin Bernard, who has competed in Funyo and karting.
Portuguese team Veloso Motorsport, well known in GT racing, makes its debut in the championship with a JS2 R entered for a Portuguese father-and-son pairing: Pedro, an experienced GT driver, and José Marreiros, who made a one-off JS P4 appearance in 2025.
M Racing completes its programme with the #68 for Belgium’s Lawrence Herbots, from karting, and France’s Nathan Huet, who has raced in Porsche Sprint Challenge and the Lamera Cup.
Pegasus Racing, 2025 JS2 R PRO-AM champions, continue in the category with two cars. The #29 will be driven by Lithuania’s Kasparas Vingilis, coming from GT4, alongside France’s Jordan Meyer, PRO-AM champion. The #94 will feature an all-French line-up with Alain Meyer, Gentleman of the Year and 2025 JS2 R PRO-AM champion, and David Caussannel, 2024 JS2 R champion.
Finally, 23Events Racing completes the grid with Denmark’s Marcus Terkildsen, who has competed in Danish Super GT.
Barcelona Heat timetable
Track action will begin on Friday 10 April with two 40-minute free practice sessions at 9:00 and 13:50. Qualifying, split into two 15-minute sessions, will take place from 16:50 to 17:10.
On Saturday 11 April, Race 1 will start at 9:00, followed by Race 2 at 13:55, both lasting 60 minutes.
Both races will be streamed live on the series’ YouTube channel.
To view the full entry list, CLICK HERE.
To view the Barcelona Heat timetable, CLICK HERE.
Photo credit: DPPI
