The 26 entrants in the Castellet Heat, round 2 of the season, took to Circuit Paul Ricard on Saturday morning, 3 May, for the first confrontation of the day. At the end of the hour-long race, Iko Segret and Maxwell Dodds, who started from pole position in the #6 JS P4 from ANS Motorsport, raced error-free on their way to victory. In the JS2 R category, Simone Riccitelli put in a superb comeback drive to claim his maiden win of the year behind the wheel of the #7 of LR Motorsport.
JS P4: Second victory of the season for ANS Motorsport
The entirety of the JS P4 category got off to a flawless start, as Iko Segret, in the #6 from ANS Motorsport, held onto the lead. Hamda Al Qubaisi, driving Team Virage’s #88 entry, quickly moved into third place behind Vic Sevens in the Polish squad’s #27. The battle raged between the two yellow JS P4s. Twenty minutes into the race, the young Emirati driver got the better of her Belgian counterpart for second place.
A few minutes later, the Safety Car intervened to secure the #50 JS2 R from Les Deux Arbres, which had stopped on the track. Soon, the window opened for the mandatory pit stops.
When the race restarted, Maxwell Dodds, now at the wheel of the ANS Motorsport #6, took the lead, followed by the Nielsen Racing #4 driven by Josh Steed. Jude Peters was third at the wheel of Team Virage’s #27.
The end of the race went without incident, but the battle for second place remained very much on the boil. Maxwell Dodds took the chequered flag eight seconds ahead of his pursuers. The #6 ANS Motorsport JS P4 and drivers Iko Segret and Maxwell Dodds triumphed for the second time this season, followed by Ben Caisley and Josh Steed in the #4 of Nielsen Racing, which scored its first podium finish in the championship since its 2024 debut. In Team Virage’s #27, Jude Peters and Vic Stevens complete the podium.
The #33 360 Competition JS P4, driven by Christopher Preen and Kristian Brooks, topped the PRO-AM class. Jacques Nicolet, behind the wheel of the #58 of HP Racing by MRacing, led the way in the AM class.
Maxwell Dodd, ANS Motorsport, Ligier JS P4 #6, Winner of Race1:
“I knew from Iko’s pace that I could get in and do the same job as him. The team had set up a great car all weekend so I knew that I just had to get the start well and put in some qualifying laps. And that was it. I just kept focused, managed to build quite a good lead within the first couple of laps and then I just had a nice relaxing race. It was good results.”
Iko Segret, ANS Motorsport, Ligier JS P4 #6, Winner of Race1:
“For the race we followed the plan: build a gap as soon as possible and then try to save the tires for the end to make it a bit easier for Maxwell. So that’s what we did – we built up a gap at the beginning and then the gap was enough for Maxwell to have a clean lead and clean lap. We ended up with good points for the championship and I’m grateful for that.”
JS2 R: LR Motorsport takes its first victory
Like their JS P4 counterparts, the JS2 R field got away cleanly, with no incidents to report. In the #18 from VSF Sports, Lukas Papin maintained his lead, followed closely by the #68 MRacing JS2 R driven by Cindy Gudet. August Therbo filled the French woman’s mirrors in the #57 of 23Events Racing before moving into second place. Just behind, Simone Riccitelli in the #7 LR Motorsport entry was cutting through the field like a hot knife through butter after starting from the back of the grid following a post-qualifying disqualification. Shortly before the halfway point, the Italian driver was up to second place.
During the Safety Car Period, for the recovery of the #50 Les Deux Arbres JS2 R, which had stopped on the track due to a mechanical issue, the competitors made their pit stops. Enzo Caldaras, in the #18 of VSF Sports, then in the lead, failed to see the red light at the pit exit. The team was subsequently penalised with a 135-second stop-and-go penalty, costing them the lead.
At the restart and following the penalty for the #18 JS2 R, Simone Riccitelli, in the #7 of LR Motorsport, took the lead and held it through to the end of the race.
Simone Riccitelli and LR Motorsport claimed their first victory of the season thanks to an impressive comeback from the tail end of the field and masterful traffic management.
August Therbo, in the #57 from 23Events Racing car, finished second, followed by the #83 of Trajectus Motorsport driven by Martin Lacquemanne.
Adrien Paviot and Nicolas Markiewicz won in the PRO-AM class in the #84 Trajectus Motorsport JS2 R, whilst Florian Teillais and Tristan Clay topped the AM class in the #41 from VSF Sports.
Simone Riccitelli, LR Motorsport, Ligier JS2 R #7, Winner of Race 1 in the JS2 R category:
“At Barcelona we were supposed to have different results. I was very upset to leave with only third place. We came here. We clinched pole but were pulled back for both races. When I learnt about the [post qualifying] penalties, I was angry and looking forward to go on track and do what I do best, racing. I knew I had the speed to go through the field. Race 1 was clean. I managed to overtake everyone and to create some gap at the end. I’m really happy for me and all the team.”
The one-hour Race 2 starts this afternoon at 1:05 pm and will be streamed live on the series’ YouTube channel.
CLICK HERE for the results
CLICK HERE for live coverage of Race 2
Photo credit: DPPI
