The third Heat of the 2026 Ligier European Series season is shaping up to be one of the most eagerly awaited rounds on the calendar. On Sunday 7 June, thirty-nine Ligier JS P4 and Ligier JS2 R cars will take to the legendary Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, as part of the Test Day for the world-famous endurance race.
Since 2022, the Ligier European Series has been part of the support race programme for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is a unique opportunity for teams and drivers to compete on the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de la Sarthe in an exceptional setting. With thirty-nine cars entered, the 2026 edition is also set to be one of the largest grids in the history of the series. The race promises to be fiercely contested, both in Ligier JS P4 and Ligier JS2 R.
Ligier JS P4: Sixteen contenders battling for victory
The JS P4 category will feature sixteen cars for the Le Mans Heat, including one additional entry: the #48 Allay Racing Ligier JS P4, entrusted to Emil Hellberg. The team will become the first Swedish outfit to compete in the Ligier European Series.
After winning the 2025 edition of the Le Mans Heat in JS2 R, the #7 LR Motorsport Ligier JS P4, now competing in the championship’s premier category with Simone Riccitelli and Pietro Ferri, will this time aim to claim victory in JS P4. Leading the standings with 69 points, the Italian crew arrives at Le Mans with strong ambitions.
Second in the championship with the #14 Team Virage Ligier JS P4 of Alex Gardner and Simon Schranz, Team Virage will be looking to add a fifth Le Mans victory to its Ligier European Series record, following its two wins in 2022 and further victories in 2023 and 2024.
Currently third in the championship and runner-up in the 2025 Le Mans Heat, the #6 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P4 will be aiming for the top step of the podium this year. At the wheel, Ethan Pharamond and Mika Abrahams will look to confirm their excellent start to the season. Finally, the #50 Les Deux Arbres Ligier JS P4, driven by Jeremy Loisel, will be the sole representative in the AM classification.
Ligier JS2 R: Twenty-three contenders in the GT category
With eleven new contenders, the JS2 R category will feature 23 cars on the grid for the Le Mans Heat.
Pegasus Racing increases its chances of victory with three cars entered: the #28 Pegasus Racing Ligier JS2 R of Christophe Weber will join the #29 of Jordan Meyer and Kasparas Vingilis and the #94 of Alain Meyer.
Competing for the rest of the year exclusively in JS P4, ANS Motorsport will also field a Ligier JS2 R at Le Mans. The #4 will be entrusted to Jean-Philippe Jouvent and Louis Iglesias. The latter is already well acquainted with the ACO environment, as he races for the team in the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the wheel of a Ligier JS P325. After claiming pole position at the Le Castellet round, he will also use this track time at Le Mans to prepare for Road To Le Mans.
M Racing will also strengthen its line-up with the addition of the #53 Ligier JS2 R, entrusted to Natan Bihel, a two-time winner of the Le Mans Heat in 2023 and 2024. It will join the #68 of Lawrence Herbots and the #75 driven by Nathan Huet and Cindy Gudet.
LADC Motorsport and Zosh Competition, both familiar names in the Ligier JS Cup France, will join the series with four Ligier JS2 R cars each and a clear objective: to fight for victory.
Zosh Competition will travel to Le Mans with four all-French crews: the #22 for Guillaume Brichard and Michel Renavand, the #23 for Gilles Bouvart, the #51 for Paul Alberto, who already raced on the full circuit in 2025, and Maxence Chatellier, as well as the #72 for Anthony Perrin and Léo Pinquier, who already teamed up at Le Mans in 2024 and 2025.
At LADC Motorsport, Christian Gisy will drive the #10, Erwan Bihel the #61, while Danish driver Oscar Kristensen will be entered in the #62 LADC by RSL Ligier JS2 R. Clément Loeul will return in the #90, already entered in 2024.
In the championship standings, the #41 VSF Sports Ligier JS2 R, driven by Daniel Dallakyan and Antonin Bernard, arrives at Le Mans as the leader with 80 points, after taking two victories since the start of the season.
LR Motorsport, already leading the JS P4 standings, also occupies second and third places in the JS2 R category with the #81 of Simone Bianco on 62 points and the #3 of Noah Rosser and Andrea Frizza on 44 points.
In the PRO-AM classification, the #84 Trajectus Motorsport Ligier JS2 R leads with 79 points, followed by the #18 VSF Sports Ligier JS2 R with 75 points and the #35 Veloso Motorsport Ligier JS2 R. Five Ligier JS2 R cars will battle for category honours.
Finally, in the AM classification, the #94 Pegasus Racing Ligier JS2 R, entered for the full season, will face strong competition with six Ligier JS2 R cars in contention.
The Ligier European Series competitors will have a condensed schedule for this exceptional Heat, with all track action taking place on Sunday 7 June, during Test Day. They will head out on track from 8:00am for 45 minutes of free practice, followed by qualifying from 9:15am to 9:35am. The 39 entries for the Le Mans Heat will then take the start of the one-hour race from 2:00pm. The race will be broadcast live on our social media channels.
Who will take the honours in the Le Mans Heat on the famous Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans? The answer will come on Sunday 7 June at 3:00pm.
To view the full entry list, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE for the weekend schedule.
Photo credit: DPPI
