Season six of the Ligier European Series, the first step of the endurance racing pyramid organised by Le Mans Endurance Management, promises to be a record-breaker. The 2025 grid will feature 26 cars (15 JS P4s and 11 JS2 Rs) with drivers from the world’s four corners, including Japan, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Europe with France, Spain, Italy and England.
Reigning champions Team Virage in JS P4 and Pegasus Racing in JS2 R return for another season, each with three cars entered.
For the first time in Ligier European Series history, four women will contest the entire season: Laura Villars in Team Virage’s JS P4 #1, the Al Qubaisi sisters Amna and Hamda, also with Team Virage in JS P4 #88, and Cindy Gudet, back behind the wheel of MRacing’s JS2 R #68.
The Barcelona circuit will host the opening round on 4 and 5 April. In the meantime, here are some facts and figures about the entries for this sixth edition.
JS P4 Category:
– Fifteen cars are entered by eleven different teams representing five nationalities: Poland, Italy, France, Great Britain and Spain.
– Three teams are making their series debut: Trajectus Motorsport (the team of three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Benoît Tréluyer), Loire Valley Racing and 360 Competition.
– Trajectus Motorsport enters the #19 JS P4 with the French duo of Mathis Poulet, from the Michelin Le Mans Cup, and Vincent Bouteiller, runner-up in the 2024 Junior category of the Ligier JS Cup France.
– Loire Valley Racing will field the #22 JS P4, entrusted to Frenchman Romain Boeckler, winner of the 2024 Junior category in the Ligier JS Cup France, with the same team. Thanks to the Ligier Junior Programme, rewarding the Junior champion in the JS Cup France and the Ligier European Series champions in each category*, he will make his series debut in a JS P4 and begin his ascent of the endurance racing pyramid.
– 360 Competition, a Michelin Le Mans Cup and European Le Mans Series stalwart is entering the #33 JS P4 in the PRO-AM category for Britons Christopher Preen and Kristian Brookes, who come from the Radical UK championship.
– Frenchman Julien Schell, the reigning JS2 R champion, moves up a category with the help of the prize package*. He will drive Pegasus Racing’s JS P4 #29 alongside young Argentinian Nano Lopez, who competed in the Ultimate Formula Cup last year. The team is entering a second JS P4, #16, for Japanese driver Yuki Tanaka, who has been with the team since 2023, and Frenchman David Caussanel, 2024 JS2 R co-champion, who has also benefited from the funding offered to champions.* They will compete for the AM honours.
– Italians Matteo Pianezzola and Gregorio Bertocco have moved up to the JS P4 category after debuting in JS2 R last season. They will be at the controls of the #60 Iron Lynx by MRacing JS P4.
– Among the several drivers returning is the 2024 Rookie of the Year, the Frenchman Iko Segret, in the #6 of ANS Motorsport with British racer Maxwell Dodds from the FIA British F4 Championship.
– Nielsen Racing is entrusting its #4 car to England’s Ben Caisley, who will team this year with compatriot Josh Steed, winner of the 2024 British Endurance Championship.
– Portuguese driver André Vieira is also back for another season with ASM Motorsport’s #44. The Spanish team goes one better with a second Ligier JS P4, #12, entered for two rookies: Mexican Luis Carlos Perez Cabello, who comes from F4 and the Toyota GR Cup Spain, and Briton Ruben Hage, fresh from the Ginetta championships.
– The reigning champions, Team Virage, is fielding three JS P4s. The #1 for the Swiss duo of Laura Villars, after a season in the Ferrari Challenge in particular, and Dario Cabanelas, who cut his teeth in karting and single-seaters. The #27 is for the Briton Jude Peters, a sim racing driver who started competing in 2024, and the Belgian karting ace Vic Stevens. The Al Qubaisi sisters, Amna and Hamda, from the United Arab Emirates, who participated in the F1 Academy in 2023 and 2024 with the Red Bull Academy, will do their bidding in the #88 car.
– Frenchman Jacques Nicolet, a regular in the AM category, will be behind the wheel of the #58 HP Racing by MRacing JS P4.
– LR Motorsport is the second Italian squad in the JS P4 contingent. Italy’s Pietro Ferri (Italian Sport Prototype Championship) and American Michael Bulzacchelli (F1600 Championship Series) will debut in the #3 JS P4.
JS2 R Category:
– Eleven cars are entered by nine teams.
– Four teams are also fielding a JS P4: Loire Valley Racing, Trajectus Motorsport, LR Motorsport and Pegasus Racing.
– Among the newcomers: in addition to Trajectus Motorsport and Loire Valley Racing, Chefo Sport, VSF Sports, and 23Events Racing will make their Ligier European Series debut.
– The Spanish Chefo Sport team enters the #17 JS2 R for Portuguese driver Henrique Cruz (karting) and Spaniard Miguel Angel Romero (fourth in the 2024 TCR Spain Series).
– The French VSF Sports team debuts with two Ligier JS2 Rs. French rookies Lukas Papin (third in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup) and Enzo Caldaras (French F4 Championship) will be in the #18 entry. Florian Teillais and Tristan Clay, bronze drivers from GT4 France and Mitjet Nord Europe, respectively, will compete in the AM category in the #41 car.
– The French 23Events Racing squad will debut with the #57 JS2 R driven by August Therbo. After a stint in JS2 R at the 2024 Portimão Heat, the Danish driver, winner in the 2024 Mitjet junior category, is entered for the season.
– The French tandem of Antoine Lepesqueux and Noé Da Cunha, JS2 R 2024 vice-champions, return with the Les Deux Arbres #50 JS2 R to challenge for the title.
– Frenchwoman Cindy Gudet, multiple French Mountain Champion, will be back behind the wheel of MRacing’s #68
– Karl Pedraza, from Andorra, will be at the controls of the #74 of Loire Valley Racing after a maiden run in the Ligier JS Cup France. He will compete in the AM category.
– Trajectus Motorsport is entering two Ligier JS2 Rs: #83 for Martin Lacquemanne, who has already competed in the Ligier JS Cup France with the team, and #84 for Nicolas Markiewicz (GT4 European Series) and Adrien Paviot, well-known for designing the helmets of Charles Leclerc and Victor Martins. This duo will be fighting for honours in the PRO-AM classification.
– LR Motorsport will field the #7 JS2 R for Italian Simone Riccitelli, a familiar face in JS P4 since 2022.
– The 2024 team champion Pegasus Racing returns with the #94 JS2 R for a PRO-AM father/son duo of Alain and Jordan Meyer, who has occasionally appeared in the series.
Season six of the Ligier European Series kicks off on Friday, 4 April, at the Barcelona circuit with the first free practice sessions, followed by qualifying later that day. The season’s first two races will be contested from 9 to 10 am and 1:55 to 2:55 pm on Saturday, 5 April.
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To view the complete entry list, CLICK HERE.
To view the Barcelona Heat programme, CLICK HERE.
*The Ligier Junior Programme offers the stars of tomorrow the opportunity to ascent the European endurance pyramid thanks to a unique prize package:
(i) The Junior Ligier JS Cup France champion is provided with a Ligier JS P4 to participate in the Ligier European Series the following season.
(ii) The JS2 R category champion or champions receive €100,000 to participate exclusively in the Ligier European Series the following year in a Ligier JS P4, with a team chosen by the manufacturer.
(iii) The Ligier JS P4 category champion or champions receive €150,000, to be used exclusively the following year to participate in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with a Ligier JS P325, with a team selected by Ligier Automotive.
Photo credit: DPPI Images
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