Following a spectacular season opener in Barcelona, the Ligier European Series heads to the Circuit Paul Ricard for the second Heat of the 2026 season. On 1–2 May, the 26 Ligier JS P4 and JS2 R entries promise another action-packed weekend, where an emerging hierarchy and growing ambitions are set to deliver more on-track battles.
Ligier JS P4: a tightly contested championship fight
The sports prototype category arrives at this second round with an especially close standings battle. French duo Tomas Pompidou – Vincent Bouteiller (Trajectus Motorsport), both graduates of the Ligier Junior Programme, lead the way after a strong showing in Barcelona: fastest in free practice, double pole position and victory in Race 1. Despite a more challenging Race 2, finishing just off the podium, they total 37 points and head to Le Castellet as the crew to beat.
Behind them, the #14 Team Virage entry of Alex Gardner and Simon Schranz sits in close contention with 31 points. Winners of Race 2 in Spain, they have proven their ability to turn the situation around and will clearly be targeting the top of the standings.
The fight for the podium is just as intense with the #6 ANS Motorsport car. Ethan Pharamond, another product of the Ligier Junior Programme, and Markus Abrahams have shown strong consistency with two third-place finishes in the opening races. Just one point behind Team Virage, they remain firmly in the title fight.
The field also grows stronger with the return of ASM Motorsport’s second car, the #44, absent in Barcelona and to be driven by Dan Skočdopole and Henrique Oliveira, who shared the #69 Bretton Racing entry in Barcelona. The #69 will now be in the hands of Marius Kristiansen and American gentleman driver Dominique Bastien, who is making his debut in the series.
At M Racing, August Therbo will be joined in the #57 by Martin Laquemanne, who competed in JS2 R in 2025 and now steps up to JS P4. The #99 Team Virage entry will see Frenchman Arnaud Malizia team up with fellow countryman Victor Aegerter, whose brother Arthur is already competing in the series with ANS Motorsport.
Ligier JS2 R: Terkildsen already under pressure
In Ligier JS2 R, Marcus Terkildsen made an immediate impression on his debut in the series. The Danish driver of the #88 23Events Racing car delivered an almost perfect weekend in Barcelona: fastest in free practice, double pole position, victory in Race 1 and second place in Race 2. With 43 points, he logically leads the provisional standings.
However, the competition is closing in. The #41 VSF Sports car, driven by Antonin Bernard and Daniel Dallakyan, bounced back strongly with victory in Race 2 and now sits on 37 points.
Behind them, the order remains wide open. Simone Bianco places the #81 LR Motorsport entry in third position with 22 points, closely followed by the #84 Trajectus Motorsport car. The father-and-son duo Martin and Jack Tabery, who secured third place in Race 2, also lead the PRO-AM classification.
In this category, several crews will also be aiming to stand out, including the #35 Veloso Motorsport car (another father-and-son pairing of Pedro and José Marreiros) and the #18 VSF Sports entry (Maxime Aparicio and Anthony Ghibaudo), PRO-AM winners of Race 1 in Barcelona.
A few changes are also worth noting: M Racing fields a second Ligier JS2 R. Lawrence Herbots will drive the #68 solo, while Nathan Huet teams up with Cindy Gudet in the #75.
A busy schedule from Friday onwards
Track action begins on Friday 1 May with two 40-minute free practice sessions scheduled at 9:00 and 14:00. Qualifying follows later in the day at 17:55 and 18:15, ahead of two one-hour races on Saturday 2 May: Race 1 at 9:00, followed by Race 2 at 14:00.
On a technical and demanding circuit such as Le Castellet, every detail will matter. Between expected confirmations and new challengers, this second Heat could already prove decisive in shaping the 2026 season.
Don’t miss both races live on the series’ YouTube channel. CLICK HERE.
To view the provisional entry list, CLICK HERE and HERE for the weekend timetable.
Photo credit: DPPI
